By Marjorie Gorospe
SUBIC, OLONGAPO — Zoobic Safari in Subic Bay Freeport isn’t always about learning about animals and wildlife. Inside the Safari, there are Aetas who give foreign and local visitors a glimpse of their culture not only to educate them, but also to entertain visitors after a long tour.
In our brief stay at the Aeta’s trail, we were told to sit and relax while waiting for their performances. Aeta’s trail is a sanctuary of the natives as part of the preservation of culture in Olongapo. There are nipa houses built by the natives themselves as they continue to live at ease despite the modernization.
Aetas are said to be the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines, preceding the Austronesian migrations. They are called Negritos, having such dark brown skin. They are small in stature, have small frames, curly to kinky hair, small noses and dark brown eyes. They are also said to give balance to the wild being the “forest spirits.”
But to educate and entertain tourists inside the Zoobic Safari, young male Aetas demonstrate three kinds of dances which they have inherited from their ancestors. These dances are called the dragonfly dance, the monkey dance and the war dance.
The main accompaniment comes from the music of the guitar played by one of the natives. The first dance move which is called the “dragonfly dance” is performed by an Aeta, literally imitating the movement of a dragonfly. This dance is a ritual done by the natives to inform the head of the tribe or its members that there will be a change in weather or a rain is about to come.
Aetas believe that the presence of many dragonflies is an indication of an upcoming storm.
The second dance is called “monkey dance,” where a native imitates monkey’s movement. This ritual is done before their hunting activity as they believe that monkeys are the best hunters. The native dances like a monkey on land and be ready to be amazed as he climbs effortlessly up a tree like a monkey.
The last dance is the war dance. They perform this ritual when there is a conflict between tribes but before going to the actual war, they dance to seek guidance from their Bathala. Our guide told us that the best dancer of the war dance is believed to be chosen by Bathala to also be one of the leaders of war. Just make sure you won’t panic at the end of their performance. They tend to scream loudly after the war dance which actually surprised me despite seeing it for the second time.
After our short break and entertainment, we waved goodbye to the natives and took pictures as a souvenir.
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