A prominent Muslim clan seriously considers retelling the epic story of their great matriarch through a movie.
However, they have a small problem in the project. The one person who could ostensibly provide accurate details on the heroine’s exploits, was already past the centennial age-mark, and memory no longer serves her rightly.
That particular person is Ina Mao, believed to be the only living testimony to the personal life and political lifer of a Bai Bagungan Tan, a highly esteemed Moro woman ruler during Philippine colonial transition regime in the Moroland.
Ina Mao, who did household chores in residences of Moro historic characters in the 1900’s has literally transcended
Bai Henrietta Sinsuat, 65, Ina Mao’s former ward and granddaughter of Bai Bagungan Tan, disclosed that her family wants the story of her grandmother revisited in a more scholarly fashion—through a biographical indie film on her personal life and colorful political career in the early 1900s.
During the U.S. colonial government, Bai Bagungan Tan became the first Moro woman to serve as district president (mayor) of Buluan in Cotabato in 1905.
Her contemporary Moro woman in power was Rajah Potri, wife of Datu Utto sa Buayan. She was de-facto Sultan of Maguindanao in the last years of the Spanish colonial regime, until a male successor was appointed following the death of Sultan Jalal ud-Deen Pablo in 1888.
Sultan Mohammad Mangigin was anointed in 1896.
Bai Minah “Nikki” Lintongan, a broadcaster at the Catholic-run dxOL in Cotabato City, is a direct descendant of Bai Bagungan.
Lintongan told Manila Standard that the life story of her great grandmother is up for review for a more focused historical documentation:
A film about Bai Bagungan’s life and political career from 1901 onwards is one medium that the family is considering to preserve her known role in history, Lintongan said.
Bai Henrietta said she has listened to the centenarian Ina Mao’s stories about her grandmother Bai Bagungan Tan, a niece of Datu Piang Tan, both being well-known figures in early 20th century Moro History.
Bai Millana, Bai Henrietta’s mother was born of Bai Bagungan and husband Datu Paglas, after two prior knots broke one after the other (amidst the periods of much uncertainty in Moro history) with wife-initiated divorce allowed in Islam.
The Moro heroine was first married to Datu Lumenda with whom was born Datu Samama. Indeed, her descendants, including undefeated mayors and other contemporary local officials, an incumbent congressman and a Cabinet member, have sustained terms in power in almost half a century sans stories of involvement in political excesses, and irregularities.
Datu Piang top-billed U.S. bets to Mindanao leadership in 1901 when the colonial powers that be offered him to occupy the Maguindanao Sultanate left vacant by the death of Sultan Jalal ud-Deen Pablo in 1808. Piang declined, as he was not in the traditional roster of succession of Maguindanao sultans.
According to historians of the Moro experience, these leaders had witnessed the country’s colonial transition from the Spanish period to the U.S. regime.
Sinsuat said Ina Mao who had lived with her grandmother could have been an eye-witness resource person for story-telling sessions to help craft and translate into a film script, the life of Bai Bagungan, considered a Moro heroine.
Indeed, Ina Mao has lived long enough to tend to Bai Henrietta’s children and grandchildren. But senility has now overtaken the memory of the old woman who has spent most of her lifetime for the care of the Sinsuat-heirs of the late Cotabato City Mayor Datu Mando Sinsuat.
Ina Mao has no known descendants—and if by chance she had ever had, she must have outlived them all.
Now in the deep twilight of her life, she longs for kindred’s care in the remaining years of her life. One suggests that she be placed under the care of the Home for the Aged, and the Bangsamoro government to help foot the bills for her needs and the compensation for caregivers, who may include children of her relatives.