What type of Businesses support the economy of Palawan?
Palawan’s economy is basically agricultural. There are three major crops the palay, corn and coconut. In the mineral resources includes nickel, copper, manganese and chromite. The major industry in Palawan is logging. Palawan has one of the richest fishing grounds in the country. About 45% of Manila’s supply of fish comes from here. Having natural gas reserves of approximately 30,000 trillion cubic feet, the province is the only oil producing province in the country. Tourism is a thriving sector, having received 1.8 million tourists in 2018, a 21% year-over-year increased from 2017. Pearl diving used to be a significant economic activity for Palawan until the advent pf plastics. The world’s largest pearl, the 240 millimeters (9.4 in diameter). Pearl of Lao Tzu, was found off Palawan in 1934. The economic and agricultural business growth of province is at 20% per annum. Coconut, sugar, rice, lumber, and livestock are produced here.
Site any Palaweños whose businesses have made them famous in the economic circles.
Mr. Bobby and Mrs. Angelita Castro, the couple behind the success of Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP). Palawan Pawnshop is now considered to be one of the most reliable, fastest-growing and leading pawnshops in the Philippines. Its first branch was formally opened in Puerto Princesa City on August 17, 1985. Originally established as a business offering only pawn brokering, they have expanded their services to include money remittance known as Palawan Express Pera Padala. Today, after more than 30 years in the industry, they offer to their loyal customers other products and service such as international money remittance, foreign currency exchange, e-loading, bills payment and accident insurance in all their branches in cities, municipalities and remote towns nationwide. The Palawan Pawnshop Service (PPS) group of companies operates the Palawan Pawnshop and Palawan Express Pera Padala chain in the Philippines.
Did you notice any differences in the way Palaweños behave as sales personnel or in business? Site differences or similarities.
Differences – They are more accommodating
They are more discipline
They always smile and greet you
Similarities
Hardworking
Respectful
Approachable
Presentable
As you walked around the markets in the city of Puerto Princesa, how different or similar were their businesses to what you have been accustomed to in Manila or Mandaluyong.
As we walk in the City of Palawan with 1 my co students I don’t see anything different in their market compare to the market here in Mandaluyong because we didn’t stay long in that place and we didn’t go to different market as well. But there are many similarities of their business to the business that I have been accustomed here in Manila. Their markets are the same as the markets here in Manila but of course some products or items that they sell is different to what we have here in Manila but they have a unique product that is only available in their place. We also go to their sidewalk because we have something that we need to buy but we couldn’t find and the price of the product is the same with what we have here in Manila.
From your Observation:
Describe the economic needs of the people in the Batak community?
The economic needs of the people in the Batak community is the electricity. They don’t have electricity at night so they use flashlight to see what is in their surroundings. Also, the economic needs of the people there is water they don’t have a supply of clean water. They will just drink in the river when they feel thirsty. Also, for me one of the economic needs of the people in the Batak community is food. Although they eat but sometimes those food is not enough to feed all the members of the family.
How are those needs met and which needs if any did you observe that were not met? On what basis have you made your conclusion.
I think lack of electricity is being addressed through the use of solar panel. The people rely on solar panel if they don’t have electricity. Some of their need are not met such as food, and clean water, I don’t know why they don’t have water but I think being close to the river is a blessing for them because even if they don’t have clean water they can still drink water from the a river anytime they want.
Are there specific roles that husband and/or wives play in the family as far as the provision of food or basic needs of the family?
There are specific roles that husband and wives play in the family when it comes on providing food or basic needs for their family. Mostly all the men in the tribe work for their family to sustain their needs while the women are taking care of their children or making handicrafts such as woven items, flower pots, or beaded necklaces and some indigenous items like baskets and necklace and sell it when people come to their place. When I assigned to the family of Ate Marimar, and Kuya Arturo Sapitanan,I had an opportunity to talk and get to know them. The night I come to their place I talked to them and asked question about something and one of the questions that I asked to Kuya Arturo is “what is your job/source of income?” and he said that he goes up to the mountain for several days to get almaciga resin or “bagtik” to sell it outside their village to earn money for his family.This bagtik will be used for varnish. He said that the amount that he earns is around 2,000 in a sack and that’s enough for his family for the whole week. According to Kuya Arturo that his income is not always like that because his income depends on how much of harvest of the almaciga resin or “bagtik” he can get. While Ate Marimar is taking care of her son because her son is too young. They have different roles to play to provide the basic needs of their family, no matter how small or big it is as long as you sustain all the needs and other things for your family.
Enumerate things you learned about the people, the families and how they ‘relate’ to others. How do they relate to you? Did they keep daily schedule of activities from waking up to sleeping time?
I learned from the people in Batak tribe is to be grateful for what you have no matter how small or large the things that you have, always thank the Lord for all the blessings that He gives to you, always be cheerful and contented to what you have because it is not the material things that satisfy you, only God can satisfy you and give all your needs. Trusting the Lord in this kind of situation is also a lesson that I learned in this trip.
I am grateful that we had an opportunity to meet and to be with one of the families in Batak tribe. I met Ate Marimar and Kuya Arturo because they were the family that assigned to me and eventually, I also met her parents because their house is close to her parent’s house. I was amaze on how welcoming they were to us on their home, even though they didn’t know us well, they welcomed us in their home with a smile on their lips. They were also happy because there are people who are visiting their place and sleep in their house. They were willing to offer you a food without hesitation in their mind, they will ask you what you want or if you are eating this food. They will feed you firs before them.
In some instances, they have activities that they do from waking up to sleeping time, but when it comes to their hygiene like brushing their teeth, they were not doing it or sometimes they don’t take a bath.
If you were to establish a small business in the area, what nature of business would you establish? How do you project your business affecting the general way of life of the Bataks?
If I were to establish a business in the area, I will establish a handicrafts business. The product that I will put in my handicrafts business are the accessories and indigenous items that they do. This business helps the people in the Batak community to earn money in their own way. They are the people who will be doing the product and then the items that they make will be sold to those people who will be going there in there place and then some items such as baskets and necklace will be sent to other places for profit and to be able to show to other people their talents that they can make those items even if they are in the mountain.
How did this visit affect the way you think, feel and act? In what ways did you ‘help’ the community? Are there any learnings that have prepared you more for your future work?
This visit that happened last March 9–14, 2020 on Sitio Kalakwasan Puerto Princesa, Palawan at Heaven’s Eye Tribal Mission Academy (HETMA) is a blessing to me. This Palawan immersion was not our/my plan but God truly works in ways that is unexpected. Even though our trip to Thailand was canceled but in God’s provision He allowed us to continue our Cultural Immersion in Palawan. I know that God has a purpose why He did not allow us to go to Thailand because He has a bigger and better plan for us in Palawan.Even though this was not an out of the country immersion it was very different from what we are all used to. I never thought that this visit will have a huge impact on my life. They gave me a different perspective and it helped me to broaden my thinking on life. This visit also made me realize to appreciate all the things that I have and be grateful for what I have because the people in Batak tribe they showed us contentment and genuine happiness that only God can fulfill. This visit helped me become more mature and responsible for my actions towards other people. I learned to adapt to a different culture and to adjust in a different environment because each member was required to really adjust to the culture and traditions of the tribe that we are going to. I was amaze on how God works on the lives of the teachers of HETMA, they inspired me to serve more people just like what they are doing. I really want to help and serve other people especially when you know that the things you do will bear fruit in the future, all the efforts you put on it will be worth it. I learned to be open to new ideas or changes, deal with situations, work independently or being part of a team.
As a student who visit to their place, I think the only way to helped the Batak tribe is to share my abilities to them by teaching and helping them in their studies and other stuff like proper hygiene and the basic use of computer. And also, when we go the family that we are assigned, we gave them a food for their family for them to eat although it is a simple token, I think that’s a big help for them.
I learned many things that I knew would help and prepared me for my future work one of these is to socialize with other people especially the kids in Batak tribe were very shy so we really needed to approach and build relationships with them. At first, I didn’t know how to approach them properly so they wouldn’t be shy and feel that we are different from them but as the days went by, I learned to approach, interact, play and build relationships with them. Another thing that I learned from this trip is that there are many people you may encounter in your life who have a different personalities, attitudes and beliefs but the only thing you need to do is to respect them especially if they are older than you and also the younger people, accept their opinions and love who they are because we are different in our own unique ways. If you want others to respect and love you, you must do the same thing to them. It will also help me in my future work or career path that I will pursue because this experience has taught me something that I cannot learn in academic or with anyone else. This experience has helped me to have a different perspective on life and I will treasure everything I’ve learned from this experience. As an ABM student I think what I’ve learned in this trip will have a great influence on me and prepare me to become a better person when I work in the future.
Palawan’s economy is basically agricultural. There are three major crops the palay, corn and coconut. In the mineral resources includes nickel, copper, manganese and chromite. The major industry in Palawan is logging. Palawan has one of the richest fishing grounds in the country. About 45% of Manila’s supply of fish comes from here. Having natural gas reserves of approximately 30,000 trillion cubic feet, the province is the only oil producing province in the country. Tourism is a thriving sector, having received 1.8 million tourists in 2018, a 21% year-over-year increased from 2017. Pearl diving used to be a significant economic activity for Palawan until the advent pf plastics. The world’s largest pearl, the 240 millimeters (9.4 in diameter). Pearl of Lao Tzu, was found off Palawan in 1934. The economic and agricultural business growth of province is at 20% per annum. Coconut, sugar, rice, lumber, and livestock are produced here.
Mr. Bobby and Mrs. Angelita Castro, the couple behind the success of Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP). Palawan Pawnshop is now considered to be one of the most reliable, fastest-growing and leading pawnshops in the Philippines. Its first branch was formally opened in Puerto Princesa City on August 17, 1985. Originally established as a business offering only pawn brokering, they have expanded their services to include money remittance known as Palawan Express Pera Padala. Today, after more than 30 years in the industry, they offer to their loyal customers other products and service such as international money remittance, foreign currency exchange, e-loading, bills payment and accident insurance in all their branches in cities, municipalities and remote towns nationwide. The Palawan Pawnshop Service (PPS) group of companies operates the Palawan Pawnshop and Palawan Express Pera Padala chain in the Philippines.
As we walk in the City of Palawan with 1 my co students I don’t see anything different in their market compare to the market here in Mandaluyong because we didn’t stay long in that place and we didn’t go to different market as well. But there are many similarities of their business to the business that I have been accustomed here in Manila. Their markets are the same as the markets here in Manila but of course some products or items that they sell is different to what we have here in Manila but they have a unique product that is only available in their place. We also go to their sidewalk because we have something that we need to buy but we couldn’t find and the price of the product is the same with what we have here in Manila.
The economic needs of the people in the Batak community is the electricity. They don’t have electricity at night so they use flashlight to see what is in their surroundings. Also, the economic needs of the people there is water they don’t have a supply of clean water. They will just drink in the river when they feel thirsty. Also, for me one of the economic needs of the people in the Batak community is food. Although they eat but sometimes those food is not enough to feed all the members of the family.
There are specific roles that husband and wives play in the family when it comes on providing food or basic needs for their family. Mostly all the men in the tribe work for their family to sustain their needs while the women are taking care of their children or making handicrafts such as woven items, flower pots, or beaded necklaces and some indigenous items like baskets and necklace and sell it when people come to their place. When I assigned to the family of Ate Marimar, and Kuya Arturo Sapitanan,I had an opportunity to talk and get to know them. The night I come to their place I talked to them and asked question about something and one of the questions that I asked to Kuya Arturo is “what is your job/source of income?” and he said that he goes up to the mountain for several days to get almaciga resin or “bagtik” to sell it outside their village to earn money for his family.This bagtik will be used for varnish. He said that the amount that he earns is around 2,000 in a sack and that’s enough for his family for the whole week. According to Kuya Arturo that his income is not always like that because his income depends on how much of harvest of the almaciga resin or “bagtik” he can get. While Ate Marimar is taking care of her son because her son is too young. They have different roles to play to provide the basic needs of their family, no matter how small or big it is as long as you sustain all the needs and other things for your family.
I learned from the people in Batak tribe is to be grateful for what you have no matter how small or large the things that you have, always thank the Lord for all the blessings that He gives to you, always be cheerful and contented to what you have because it is not the material things that satisfy you, only God can satisfy you and give all your needs. Trusting the Lord in this kind of situation is also a lesson that I learned in this trip.
I am grateful that we had an opportunity to meet and to be with one of the families in Batak tribe. I met Ate Marimar and Kuya Arturo because they were the family that assigned to me and eventually, I also met her parents because their house is close to her parent’s house. I was amaze on how welcoming they were to us on their home, even though they didn’t know us well, they welcomed us in their home with a smile on their lips. They were also happy because there are people who are visiting their place and sleep in their house. They were willing to offer you a food without hesitation in their mind, they will ask you what you want or if you are eating this food. They will feed you firs before them.
This visit that happened last March 9–14, 2020 on Sitio Kalakwasan Puerto Princesa, Palawan at Heaven’s Eye Tribal Mission Academy (HETMA) is a blessing to me. This Palawan immersion was not our/my plan but God truly works in ways that is unexpected. Even though our trip to Thailand was canceled but in God’s provision He allowed us to continue our Cultural Immersion in Palawan. I know that God has a purpose why He did not allow us to go to Thailand because He has a bigger and better plan for us in Palawan.Even though this was not an out of the country immersion it was very different from what we are all used to. I never thought that this visit will have a huge impact on my life. They gave me a different perspective and it helped me to broaden my thinking on life. This visit also made me realize to appreciate all the things that I have and be grateful for what I have because the people in Batak tribe they showed us contentment and genuine happiness that only God can fulfill. This visit helped me become more mature and responsible for my actions towards other people. I learned to adapt to a different culture and to adjust in a different environment because each member was required to really adjust to the culture and traditions of the tribe that we are going to. I was amaze on how God works on the lives of the teachers of HETMA, they inspired me to serve more people just like what they are doing. I really want to help and serve other people especially when you know that the things you do will bear fruit in the future, all the efforts you put on it will be worth it. I learned to be open to new ideas or changes, deal with situations, work independently or being part of a team.
