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Where it's at
The Singmapan Basin, in a remote corner of the Philippines,
is where forested valleys make excellent trekking spots. The
Basin is located on the island of Palawan, one of the least
explored places in Asia and home to an underground river and
by far the country's best diving, in the Sulu Sea.
A race discovered
The Tau't Batu, or 'People of the Rock' live here and
they are the last discovered tribe in the Philippines; only
20 years ago they were living in complete isolation from the
western and eastern world. You'll need a guide to get here
because they live so isolated; the guide will also serve as
an interpreter too.
The women here hunt honey while the men's job is to catch
bats, forest rats and small birds. Their lifestyle and culture
is not particularly developed, but they are skilled in hunting
for small creatures and wild pigs. This supplements their
diet of farmed fruits like pineapple, pepper, cassava, garlic,
squash and sweet potato. They use their agricultural produce
to trade with other Palawan tribes.
There is no age limit here for marriage so it's common for
girls to have children at a very young age. Their houses are
primitively constructed using intertwined saplings. The basic
family unit of couples and their children are often meshed
together in larger extended family dwellings or caves where
foods are shared amongst the whole community.
Visiting the Tau't Batu
If you're lucky you'll be invited to participate in the harvest
festival, that takes place when they have had a bountiful
year. The celebration goes on for 24 hours as bamboo leaves
are stomped to let the spirits know of the people's thankfullness.
Only certain people have access to these spirits and they
are the ones who do the stomping. Singing their whole history
is common as they possess no written language and hearing
this can be a beautiful way to experience the ways of these
fascinating people. They also possess several unique musical
instruments.
With only 100 families left, it's a big question whether the
people can survive, but so far the Tau't batu have changed
little with all the attention. Missionaries have given up
on the isolated tribe, declaring them to be 'too hard-headed'
so perhaps these curious people are determined enough to survive
the change which 21st century life and tourism inflicts on
their lifestyle. It is advisable to think carefully before
visiting these remote tribes as the impact you leave behind
may be more than the trip is worth to you.
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