Palawan Island, Behind The Scenes.

Previously in class we watched a documentary on 2 Philippine documentaries about the natives who live on the island of Palawan. I never even heard of this island before but honestly after watching these 2 documentaries, I must say i was amazed with the culture and history behind it.

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island. Palawan is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding the main island.

The indigenous ethno linguistic groups who live on Palawan Island include the the Tagbanua, Palawanon, Tau't, Bato, Visaya, Bugkalot and Igorot tribes. The Tagbanuan people are known to indulge in bird's nest-collecting activities which generates incomes. Farming, fishing and collecting pearls are widely practiced here.

Many documentaries on indegenous people perpetuate the myth of a "vanishing tribe". They depict tribes losing their land to the relentless invaders of progress, while their traditions are at risk of drowning in the currents of mainstream culture and globalization. This documentary clearly potrayed that sense or in other words content with archiving rituals that will soon disappear in thin air.

In a nutshell, it looks at tribal communities not as a victim but as warriors in a robust struggle to preserve their land and the way there run their lives.