Manobo simply means “people” or “person”; alternate names include Manuvu and Minuvu. The term may have originated from “Mansuba,” a combination of man (people) and suba (river). Manobos are concentrated in Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Misamis Oriental, and Surigao Del Sur.
The Manobo usually build their villages near small bodies of water or forest clearings, although they also opt for hillsides, rivers, valleys, and plateaus. The communities are small, consisting of only 4-12 houses. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture.
Southern Bukidnon is where the Western Bukidnon Manobo reside. Their language has three dialects; Ilentungen, Kiriyenteken, and Pulangiyen.
Sources:
Joshua Project. http://www.joshuaproject.net/.
De Leon, Lydia Mary. N.D. Manobo. http://litera1no4.tripod.com/.
Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.
CCP Encyclopedia of the Philippine Art. Volume II: Peoples of the Philippines Kalinga to Yakan. 1994. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines.
