Tags: Indigenous Culture, Museums
By Anna Valmero
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, PALAWAN—Museum designer Eva Peñamora encourages local and foreign tourists here to make museums part of their itinerary to understand the rich multicultural origins of the people of Palawan.
To promote awareness about the original descendants of Palawan, the Palawan Heritage Center has lifesize figures and dioramas of these ethnic tribes, said Peñamora.
Peñamora co-designed the Bahay Tsinoy museum in Intramuros and also designed the roving display of the Veterans Bank’s World War II mementos.
“Palawan is the cradle of civilization in the Philippines given that a lot of artifacts, especially the Tabon man remains and ornately designed Manunggul jar, have been found here,” said Peñamora.
“Tourists and locals should not only promote the beauty of Palawan’s beaches because its greatest treasures are its people,” Peñamora in an interview during the inauguration of the Palawan Heritage Center.
It took about a year to select the content and mount the exhibit of century-old artifacts and photos from local collectors, according to Peñamora.
Peñamora added that designing each museum is like studying again, referring to it as both a challenge and a learning experience. Aside from skills in architecture and the arts, one must be able to create a good flow of the walking tour and learn how to best tell the story of each piece or exhibit.
Palawan used to be connected by land masses to other parts of the country and Asia. Different tribes settled in the island-archipelago including the Tagbanua, Palaw’an, Tau’t Bato and Bataks.
The rich diversity can be attributed to Palawan’s being an archipelago with 1,700 islands, said provincial information officer Daisy Anne Atrero.
Atrero added the above-mentioned tribes were the original descendants of the region even before the Malays from the Madjapahit Empire of Indonesia arrived here by the 12th century. After the colonization of the Philippines, most of the original inhabitants flew to the forests and ifar-flung regions of the province.
The Tagbanuas and Palaw’ans are believed to have descended from the Tabon man, remains of which was unearthed in caves at Lipuun Point by archeologist Dr. Robert Fox and believed to be 22,000 to 24,000 years old.
Tagbanua tribes are found in central and northern parts of Palawan. They are known for their crop rotation techniques and a rice wine ritual called pagdiwata.
Palaw’ans (Palawano) belong to the large Manobo-based linguistic group of the southern Philippines. They are said to be originally found in deep in the forests of South Apuran and south of Abo-abo. They are known for their pre-weddng dance ritual called tarek (also called mangud mangud among the Molbog).
Bataks literally mean “mountain people” in the Cuyonon language. They live in northeastern Palawan and are known to be shy and peaceful people. The babaylan or priest is a central figure in their society, mediating communication between the mortal and spiritual world.
Tau’t Bato, which literally mean “people of the rock”, are known cave-dwellers. A subgroup of the Palaw’an tribe, they lived in the Singnapan Valley in the southern part of Palawan. For their food, they practice kaingin farming and are familiar with concept of money and wage.
Native-born Palaweños, on the other hand, are said to have descended from the elite class of Cuyonons, the simple folks of Agutaynon who rely on fishing and farming, and Molbog who occupied the Balabac islands.
Peñamora hoped that through the exhibits, tourists and locals in Palawan will know the rich history of the province.
“A trip to the museum trip should be a must-do in every tourist’s itinerary. When you go to a museum, expect to learn something new about the locals, their culture and way of life. Don’t just head straight to the beaches or go food tripping about the local cuisine. Know them because by doing so, you are increasing your understanding of your Filipino roots as well,” she said.
Related stories:
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Protecting the indigenous tribesmen of Saranggani
Newly-opened Heritage Center aims to promote culture and customs of Palawan
‘Baragatan’ streetdance celebrates Palawan’s cultural diversity
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