Molbog
The Molbog is one of the Muslim Cultural minorities, a people group believed to have been migrants from North Borneo. This group is also known as Malebugan or Molebuganon.
The Molbog’s location, Balabac Island, is the usual place for stop over by Tausug traders travelling between Brunie, Palawan, and Sulu for replenishment of their food and water supplies. It is through this that the Molbog have constant contact with the Tausug.
Intermarriages between Tausug and the Molbog people is allowed and offspring of these marriages are known as “Kolibugan” or half-breed. It is also through this process that the Molbog are Islam-anized very rapidly.
Linguistically, the Molbog language has some lexical similarity with Sama, Tausog and Palawano.
The livelihood includes subsistence farming, fishing and occasional barter trading with the Sulu and nearby Sabah market centers.
In the past, the Molbog were ruled by Sulu datus under the Sulu Sultanate. Within the Molbog villages, they are led by religious leaders.