Batac Tribal Community in Palawan - Philippines

Location

Seeing and enjoying Palawans beauty truly leaves one in awe but to complete the experience, requires one to do more than just find a great beach and lie in the sun. Learning about the history and culture of the places we visit provide us with a humbling and enriching experience and there is no better way to cap off a vacation than to leave Palawan knowing so much more about it than we did before. This is where the Batac Tribal Community comes in. The Bataks are one of the indigenous groups in Palawan. To get to the Batac Tribal Community requires a bit of trekking in the mountains of North Palawan and the nearest settlement is about 4 kilometers away from Barangay Maoyon. Getting to the foot of the mountains of North Palawan is easy enough with the many varieties of public transportation that can be availed of, and from there, guides are available to help us find the community.

What to See There

The Batac Tribal Community is declining with only 500 alive today, hence the name disappearing people. Find out what their way of life is once one is at the settlement and how their traditions have remained unchanged despite the centuries that have passed. The Batac Tribal Community despite its exposure to tourists has remained true to their beliefs and even their clothing is traditional. The Batac Tribal Community members are friendly and although they have their own dialect, from their smiles and actions, one would feel that one is welcome.

History

The Batac Tribal Community has lived in the mountains for centuries, far from the reach of foreign settlers. Considered as Negritos with their very dark skin, these mountain people feed on crops that they grow near their settlement and they hunt animals for meat. Although they traded with those from the town, most of the items that they exchanged were hand made accessories worn by their warriors and the women. The tribe elders guide the younger generations until they too become elders in the future thereby preserving and keeping intact their culture.

Cost

To mingle with the Batac Tribal Community would cost less than Php 1000 per adult and this amount could go down depending on negotiations with the tour guide. There are souvenir items for sale once at the settlement and these are made by members of the community themselves. Handing a tribe member money is generally not accepted since they would have little use for it.