PALAW’AN

(Love and freedom express in art)

Art Appreciation

Bug-os, Krisha
Galoyo, Prince
Garcia, Yves
Laureta, Razelle
 Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines and is home to several
indigenous ethnolinguistic groups such as the Tagbanua, Palaw’an, Tao’t
Bato, Molbog, Batak, Agutaynen, and Cuyonon.

The Palaw’an, also known as Palawano, is an indigenous ethnic group found in

the province of Palawan. Live in the highlands of southern Palawan and belong to one
of the oldest populations of the island. The Palawano people resemble the Tagbanau
people. It is thought that they both descended from the same ancestors but have split
apart because they lived in different areas in Palawan. The Palawano people live in the
south of the island. For this reason they are also known as Teardrop, which means
people of scattered places. This group is divided into four ethnolinguistic subgroups
namely; Quezon Palawan (also known as the Central Palawano), Bugsuk Palawano
(South Palawano), Brooke’s Point Palawano, and Southwest Palawano. This
indigenous group belongs to large Manobo-based linguistic groups of the southern
Philippines. They were originally found in the interior regions of South Apuruan on the
West Coast and South of Abo-Abo on the East Coast, these regions may be located in
the Southern part of the province of Palawan. The Palaw’ans have become popularly
known as Palawans which is pronounced faster than the name of the province.

The Palaw’ans were originally nomadic, however, agrarian settlers began coming
and occupying their vast domain. The tribe used to exploit the most fertile piece of land
and move on to the next one; their family units were very small which was probably
caused by high mortality rates.They built their houses on a hillside that is close to a river
or a stream using four skinny trunks of trees. The floor of their houses is about 15 to 20
feet above the ground. Members of the family used a slanted log that is attached to the
entrance of their houses to get up and down the house, for those who were not married,
a hanging rope is more preferred. They hunt wild animals using spears with lethal
poison at the tip of it and catch fish by using a special root sap that is diluted in a
shallow river or stream. The Palaw’ans hardly domesticate chickens nor hogs, they
preferred dogs which comes very helpful during hunting. They are considered naïve
when it comes to socialization and would always welcome outsiders with great
precaution since they have always been scared of getting sick; this form of precaution
makes them abandon their area immediately to avoid acquiring any form of the disease
– even just a common cold. It is believed that the Palaw’ans have the shortest
lifespan of all peoples but there is no statistical data that could back up this claim. This
tribe has no concept of years when asked about when they were born, they would
usually use a tree as the reference of their age, saying that they were born when the
tree was just at a certain height. The men in this tribe wear g-strings while the women
wear patadyong which is a native wrap that is similar to the malong.

In food preference, the Palaw’ans do not usually use salt, their usual diet is
composed of rice, banana, cassava, vegetables, rimas or breadfruit, fruits, wild pigs
from hunting, birds such as wild quails and tikling, wild chicken / labuyo, and freshwater
fish. They prepare a delicious delicacy called the pinyaram which is closely similar to
the bibingka of the Tagalogs.

Which among their values, customs, practices and traditions and what are the
material culture (in particular their music, songs, dance and poetry) they still
practice up this day?

Values, customs, practices Material Culture used

Cycle of Life and traditions (Non- in the rituals/community
material culture) activities

 They would usually use  Tree as reference of

Birth a tree as the reference their age
of their age, saying that
they were born when
the tree was just at a
certain height.
 for those who were not  Rope
Mate Selection; married, a hanging rope  riddles
wedding and marriage is more preferred

 It is believed that  Manunggul pot

Death the Palaw’ans have the
shortest lifespan of all
peoples but there is no
statistical data that
 could back up this claim
 deceased were buried
in Palawan in pots
 Palawano is the spoken
Language and Symbols language in the
Palawan community.
 The Palawanos are  spears which are
Economic/Livelihood mainly agricultural. dipped in poison
 The Palawanos are  poison
good hunters and
gatherers.
 carrot juice
 farming, with hunting,  When hunting, they
honey collection, and use dogs.
rattan
 Mining
 Palawano boys and
girls are trained to
weave at an early age.
 Some communities
perform a ceremony
every seven years to
‘cleanse the world’ and
restore the cosmic
balance.
 Leadership among the
Governance Palaw’an is bestowed
as the responsibility of
the male.
 Palaw’an themselves do
not live together with
other ethnic groups
 Palaw’an are placed
where there are suited
for agricultural
purposes.

BIRTH
This tribe has no concept of years when asked about when they were born, they
would usually use a tree as the reference of their age, saying that they were born when
the tree was just at a certain height.

MATE SELECTION; WEDDING AND MARRIAGE

Palawano’s courtship is peculiar in a sense that it departs from the tradition of
majority ethnic groups wherein most important consideration is for the prospective
bridegroom to have ample means. It would seem that, among Palawanos the most
important qualification is for the parents to be adept in the art of answering riddles.
Pasabuli is how this stage of Palawano’s courtship is termed. Riddles are propounded
by the prospective bride's parents. It devolves upon the prospective bridegroom's
parents to solve and answer them. Only when the prospective bridegroom's parents can
satisfactorily answer them does the courtship transfer to the Pabalic, or session for the
bargaining of the onsod (or dowry).

DEATH

It is believed that the Palaw’ans have the shortest lifespan of all peoples but
there is no statistical data that could back up this claim. This tribe has no concept of
years when asked about when they were born, they would usually use a tree as the
reference of their age, saying that they were born when the tree was just at a certain
height. Archaeologists have determined that the deceased were buried in Palawan in
pots about five thousand years ago. There are about fifteen hundred burial jars and a
wall painting of a funeral procession recovered. The burial jars were nicely decorated.
The Manunggul pot is one of the most beautiful art objects from the pre-colonial period
in the Philippines. Five hundred years after Christ people were buried in pots in
Palawan.

LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLS

The main language among the Palawano community is Palawano. The New
Testament has even been translated into this language.

ECONOMIC/LIVELIHOOD

The Palawan grows most of their food on small plots of land in the forest. Before
clearing an area for planting, they consult and appease various spirits and interpret
omens in their dreams. Wild pig is the Palawan’s favorite meat, and they must make a
request to the pig animal ‘master’ before catching it. Bees are also believed to have
their own master, who can only be seen by the beljan (shaman) during trance. Some
communities perform a ceremony every seven years to ‘cleanse the world’ and restore
the cosmic balance. The Palawan collects and sell resin, rattan canes and wild honey.
The more settled of the Palawan also grow rice and coconut to sell, and raise domestic
animals such as cows, buffalos and pigs. Mining has already made it difficult for some
Palawan communities to grow and hunt enough food. Parts of their forests have been
devastated, their rivers have silted up and their sacred sites have been destroyed. The
huge nickel mining projects will destroy miles of forest, depriving the most vulnerable
Palawan of their livelihoods.

The Palawanos are mainly agricultural. They do so by cutting down the

vegetation before burning it all. This creates a fertile soil in which they grow crops. After
harvesting they start looking for a new place because the old place is not fertile enough.
They grow bananas, rice, different vegetables and root crops. The Palawanos are good
hunters and gatherers. The forest provides enough food and medicinal herbs. The
forests are vital for survival. When hunting for wild animals, spears which are dipped in
poison are used. While hunting they also use dogs. Also, when fishing they make use of
a type of poison. There is a kind of carrot juice squeezed out, after which the fish come
to the surface allowing them to be grabbed easily out of the water.

Due to the influence of newcomers, the source of livelihood for the majority of the
tribe has shifted to farming, with hunting, honey collection, and rattan gathering as
additional sources. Just like other tribes in the area, young Palawano boys and girls are
trained to weave at an early age. The males are assigned to gather and prepare the
materials, while women are tasked to accomplish the actual weaving, most of which are
done during daytime.

GOVERNANCE

Palaw’an as an ethnic group prefers old folks to be their leaders. Leadership

among the Palaw’an is bestowed as the responsibility of the male. The community of
Palaw’an is dominated by the pure blooded Palaw’an. It is further concluded that other
ethnic group have not perforate the Palaw’an, other Palaw’an themselves do not live
together with other ethnic groups. Inasmuch as most Palaw’ans are farmers, the place
where they live are suited for agricultural purposes. The Palaw’ans are literate, although
their education is only in the elementary level. Leadership can be inherited from the
parents. The Palaw’an sticks on their customs and traditions in many activities which
the leaders do. Customs and traditions are main sources of the power and authority of
Palaw’an. The utmost criterion in selecting Palaw’an leaders is his knowledge of
customary laws and traditions. They would their leaders to be fair managing cases and
untarnished with negative doings. The Palaw’an leaders were mostly of the Tribal
council or Panglima. The foremost function of the Palaw’an leaders are executive,
legislative, judiciary, and religious. Although the Palaw’an don’t have specific leader
along religious functions, the Palaw’an leaders are person in authority to do religious
activities, particularly solemnizing marriage.

Music, Dance and Poetry of Palaw’an

MUSIC OF PALAW’AN

MUSIC IN RITUAL:

ULIT (shamanic chant) - The shaman sings the difficult experience of the
voyage of his double, karuduwa, by specific chant, the lumbaga, whose melody is in all
points assimillable to any epic melodic line and it is precisely the ordeals that the soul of
the shaman overcomes in the course of his voyage. The encounters with the evil doers,
langgam or saqitan, the discussions, the bargaining engaged in with the invisible
beings. That constitute the shamanic chant.

TULTUL (epic chat) - to sing tultul is to be possessed by a TäwTultultulän.

These “Epic Heroes” are a type of humanity who live in the median space and intercede
between people on this earth and Ämpuq. They are a Benevolent Humanity protecting
the “Real Men.” The act of chanting thus doubles with the embodiment, in the very
person of the bard, of these heroic and semi-divine Beings. One can interpret this
relationship as an act of possession in which the bard becomes a medium. Epics are
always chanted at night, ending at daybreak; it is forbidden to sing when the sun shines
and during the day. This prohibition links the epic to the night and a sacred world.
Moreover, one would never chant for amusement in a light joking manner.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:
• aruding (Jew’s harp)

• babarak (ring flute)

• suling (banded flute)

• basal (gong)

• kusyapiq (lute)

• pagang (bamboo zither)

DANCE OF PALAW’AN

POETRY OF PALAW’AN