by: Edward Gavin T. Isidoro Jr.
April 2020
From your RESEARCH:
Palawan was inhabited by the Tagbanua, Palaw’an, Tau’t bato and the Bataks. The Tagbanua tribes of Palawan are commonly found in the central and northern part of the province. They are known for their belief in deities that for them can be found on their surroundings. The Palaw’an tribes of Palawan on the other hand can be found in the southern part of the province. The tribe of Palaw’an is also known to be a tribe of nomads they are known to look for lands that they can harvest and benefit from and then they move on to other places. The Tau’t Bato tribes of Palawan they are also found on the southern part of the province. They are mainly described as the “People of the Rock” they live on craters and caves that are characterized by the abundance of rocks that gave them their description.
The Batak tribe of Palawan is the tribe that we were tasked to be immersed with. Their tribes are can be found on the northeast part of the province. They dwell on places that are close to nature and they are characterized as peaceful and shy. The Batak tribe is also known to be hunters. Since their dwelling places are in the mountains they are not used to buying for their food or their survival they hunt animals that are in their trees, rivers, and hills. They are also known to harvest the “Bagtik” that can be found on trees and honey from Bees.
The Batak people that we encountered in HETMA were very welcoming but still very withdrawn at first. They are true to their culture and you can still observe how they practice their traditions. One of the things that you can observe about their distinct culture is in the way the women in their tribe dress. The Batak tribe is truly a tribe that is rich in traditions and cultures that are very unique in my point of view. As a city dweller I saw how true the tribe was in preserving their identity as the Batak. It was awesome to see how the complexity of their rich culture and history can be seen in the simplicity of how they live their lives.
From your EXPERIENCE:
I stayed in the house of Kuya Japson and Ate Cyril. While I was there I had the opportunity to be able to talk and to live with them for one day. They were very welcoming and open to what I can offer to them. I really wanted to find a connection with them so that I can know them better. When I asked them about their culture and their traditions they were very open to discuss to me their experiences. Kuya Japson was working in the forest wherein they get what they call “Bagtik”. The harvesting of “Bagtik” is the tribe’s main source of income. It has been part of their culture since the beginning.
Since their living area is located in the mountains their surroundings gave them the resources that they needed to survive. They also hunt for their food. Even as children they are thought to hunt squirrels and other small animals that they can eat. I saw this when I was given a chance to live with them. They were hunting for their food in the morning and also in the night. They made small slingshots and makeshift guns that fires marbles so that they can reach animal even if it was long range.
They lived in houses that are on stilts and are made of materials that can be found in their surroundings. The particular house that I was assigned to was a little bit modern because Kuya Japson designed it and built it himself. Their family was one of the families in the tribe that had a Television. Ate Cyril was the daughter of the Pastor in their tribe. Their tribe is very social and close with each other. The school really helped to bring the students and the families together. They like to be in the company of each other like other provinces in the Philippines but they are not used to interacting with outsiders that much. They are very shy because of the discrimination that they have experienced. When we were talking when I was staying with Kuya Japson and Ate Cyril they told me a story when they were young when they tried to study in the city but because of the discrimination that they received from the people they were forced to just stay in their tribe and to stop their education.
It was not hard for me to connect with them on a personal level because when I arrived in their house I saw thaw they were watching basketball and I immediately took that opportunity to find our common ground wherein we can relate to each other. Another common ground that we had was when they told me that Ate Cyril was a Pastor’s kid. For me personally it was not difficult to communicate with them because they really welcomed me and they wanted to help me learn more about their culture. The daily routines of the families are mostly about working and studying. They were really hard workers and since their children were still young they brought their children whenever they needed to work in the mountains.
I learned a lot about their culture when I was with them for our immersion. I learned about how they live and how they survive. I witnessed how they hunted and worked for their food. We also saw them when they were going to the mountains to harvest their “Bagtik”. They also told me about the difference between the way they find love in their tribe and how the new generations have changed even in their tribe. I saw how determined they were to provide for their families and I witnessed and experienced their hospitality as they welcomed me to be a part of their family for a day.
The HETMA is the academy that was founded by Dr. Wealthy Villanueva 7 years ago. They started to bring the school to the Batak tribe along with the Gospel. They wanted to bring quality education to the people because it is hard for the people to have proper education because of their living situations. She was challenged to create the school when she was a part of a group that went on a mission trip to the Batak tribe and a member once said that why were they given school supplies even if they had no use of it. She held that burden and that burden turned into the HETMA that we know now. It has affected the tribe in a lot of ways. The academy helped the tribe to increase their level of education. They have also helped the tribe as they teach the word of God to the children. They have molded the community to be Christ centered and it has blessed the community abundantly.
This Palawan immersion was not part of my personal plan. I was ready to go to Thailand because for me that was a place full of new things and comfort. But God works in ways that is unexpected. It was not my plan that will prevail but His. This trip changed my perception towards my contentment. I was rebuked as I observe how life and how God can fill you with joy that cannot be matched by anything of this world. God showed me how He worked through the lives of the staff and all the people that we have interacted with. The experience changed me and it gave me a refresh on how God is awesome and how sovereign He is.