Kinugsik-Kugsik

Unknown to many Filipinos, native squirrels are found in small pockets of forests in Palawan and in the Agusan and Misamis Occidental regions. They are called Kugsik by the Manobo. It is from the antics of these creatures that inspiration was derived in the creation of this dance.
The kugsik dance narrative starts with three main characters: two enamoured males and a female, the scene; branches and tree tops, the plot; a love triangle, the conflict; may-the-best-man-win, and the climax; elimination of the villain.
The act by act sequence, boy meets girl, second suitor enters and disrupts the love rhapsody; the two protagonists fight and display their potentials as lovers; frightened heroine runs away; two males continue to fight, each trying to outdo the other; confused heroine tries to intervene, then cowers back in a corner as the fight continues; finally, the victor claims the heroine as they unite in a love embrace.