A Research Poem on the Role of Blaan Women in Conflict Settlement: A Memory-Based Reconstruction of Data

This study explores the role of Blaan women, in an indigenous way of settling conflicts locally known as Kasfala. The Blaans are the largest ethnolinguistic tribe in Sarangani, a province in the Southern edge of the Philippines. The wise man, who is duly appointed and ascribed by the community, handles cases as far practicable embracing all aspects of crimes in the Blaan community. Common types of such cases include Tmako (theft), Sladyaan (concubinage or adultery), Mati to (murder), Lneges (rape), and Stangal (elope). It is noteworthy to mention that the foregoing cases of crimes present three, which directly involve women. While the women are commonly the victims of conflicts, can they also be frontliners in resolving conflicts? It is in this light that this study seeks to investigate on the role of the Blaan women in conflict settlement. The findings of the study are presented clearly through a research poem. Traditional data gathering techniques, such as surveys and interviews, may allow researchers to understand the emotional and contextual realities of the subject under study, however, these techniques lack the capacity to communicate affective, personal realities, hence the need for a more emphatic and personal way of presenting data. Another aspect of this study is a discussion on the limitations of a memory-based reconstruction of data. Without transcriptions, this study utilizes field notes and researcher's journal in the presentation and analysis of data. Such limitations of reconstructing data through memory lead to the discussion on its implications to the research enterprise.