Arts: Palawan Folk Arts

• Palawan is known as "the last ecological frontier of the Philippines".
• Palawan is known for its pristine, white sand beaches, amazing landscapes, and high biodiversity. It is a part of Region IV-B
• Palawan is home to indigenous ethnolinguistic groups such as the Tagbanua, Palaw'an, Taug Bato, Molbog, Batak, Agutaynen, and Cuyonon who live in remote villages around the province
• batak people live in the northern part of palawan
• Batak people believe in nature spirits and would communicate with them through the aid of a babaylan or shaman
• Agutaynen people can be found in the municipalities of San Vicente, Roxas, Brooke'point, taytay and linapacan
• Tagbanua people are believed to be descendants of the Tabon Man bacause of the similarites in their language, alphabet, practice of kaingin, and belief in soul relatives.
• tagbanua people are known for their rice wine ritual called pagdiwata and have numerous deities found in their natural environment.
• molbog people inhabit balabac island. their means of livelihood are farming, fishing, and barter trading with the sulu bangsa moro and sabah markets. they observe the five pillars of islam and the basic arabic chanting.
• shahadah, salat, zakat, sawm, hajj
• Palaw'an indigenous group belongs to the large manobo-based linguistic group originally found in southern palawan.
• palaw'an men wear g-strings while palaw'an wear patadyong which is a small wrap similar to the malong.
• Taug Bato is small community of traditional southwestern Palawanos who live in the crater of an extinct volcano during certain times of the year.
• Taug Bato modify the datag or sleeping platforms and the lagkaw or granary depending on the varying conditions of the caves they are currently occupying.
• taug bato practice samb or barter specifically for marine fish in exchange for horticultural products
• taug bato practice dagang or monetary exchange for forest products like almaciga and rattan
• Taug bato men wear g-strings made from bark and cloth while the women wear a piece of cloth to cover their lower bodies.
• Cuyunon is an ethnic group that occupies northern and central palawan and is considered an elite class among the hierarchy of natives in palawan.
• One of the most famous artifacts found in palawan is Manunggul Jar. It was discovered on march 1964 in a cave that is believed to be a burial site and dates back to the late neolithic period (890-710bc).
• Our ancestors believe that man composed of the body, the lifetime force called ginhawa and the soul or kaluluwa
• the manuggul featured three faces, the soul the boatdriver, and the boat itself
• Palawan Handicrafts made by the indigenous tribes of palawan are usually made of wood
• examples of palawan handicarfts are the batak handicrafts that include wooden masks and sculptures. Another item is the biday which is made from rattan.
• biday can be used as window blinds, wall decoration, and divider or floor mat
• the rain maker is a cylinder-shaped handicraft that makes a sound similar to the pouring rain when it is shaken.
• other palawan products include pearls and pearl jewelries and oof delicacies such as such as cashews, honey, buti buti (ampao poprice), dried fish (daing), tuna in oil in glass jars, dried banana chips, turmeric and ginger teas, and coconut jam.
• the tagbanua tribes mainly live in palawan.
• the tagbanua tribes used to carve earplugs from the hardwood bantilinaw, ornately designed and inlaid with mother-of-pearl in geometric patterns.
• the tagbanua alphabet was used until the 17th century and is related to baybayin
• Presently, Tagbanua artistic crafts include the tingkop (harvest baskets) made of hard strips of bamboo or occasionally blackened and natural bamboo, and soft rice baskets called bayong-bayong that are also made with different unusual shapes.
• Another outstanding product from palawan is the tepina fabric. This contemporary fabric is exclusively woven by the Rurungan sa Tubod foundation, A non profit organization based in palawan which was created as an alternative livelihood for women.
• the tepina fabric is made of a blend of silk and pineapple fibers that is delicate and sheer, but at the same time strong. It is used to create barong material, shawls, and cover-ups.