“Ang

Huling
Prinsesa”
By Kara David
 Ang Huling Prinsesa”
By Kara David

The show called i-Witness did a documentary about “Ang Huling Prinsesa” to

understand and gain more knowledge about the tradition that they have been preserving.

Reporter Kara David reaches the community where the tumandoks living in a traditional huts,

and survive on whatever nature provides them. She meets one of the lasts remaining binukots.

The binukot was usually the prettiest daughter of the chief tribe. The term was derived

from bukot which means “to keep.” Young girls would be identified at an early age to be kept in

seclusion, avoiding exposure to the sun because they had to be kept fair in complexion. As

much as possible, their feet were not to touch the ground, so, they were constantly being

carried around. These binukot were being groomed to be married off later, their value as a

bride much higher than the non-binukot. Additionally, they were schooled in the traditions of

the village, taught to memorize epics and other oral literature, becoming keepers of culture.

  “Ang Huling Prinsesa” is actually a good example of epic. It is a narrative poem in which

a series of heroic achievements or events, usually of a hero, are dealt with at length. Usually, it

is chanted or sung during multiple occasions. As Reporter Kara did her interview she asked,

“Why did you decided to be a binukot despite the fact that you having no freedom” and the

binukot answered “It was actually my parents dream to have a binukot daughter and after I

became a binukot I felt more loved by them.” For us it seems like the binukot decided to accept

the offer to be a binukot because she wanted her parents to be proud of her and to continue

preserving the tradition that they have. Then we realized, she was staying in that same room

for 73 years. She had been doing the same old routines for 73 years. She never experienced
going to school for 73 years. But I commend her for doing so. We’ve also discovered that her

marriage was arrange and didn’t even have a chance to know her husband before of the

wedding. She is the living history of the tumandoks. Without her, their ancient roots would be

nothing. They only get the chance to go out if there is an occasion where they must dance their

traditional dances, and sing their ancient songs that will take hours to be finished. These songs

contain the history of their tribe. The lyrics tell the story of the Tumandoks over the past

years. Epic is an oral tradition, so it does not have any written text, so if it slowly fades away

now without passing it to the next generation there is a huge chance that in the future

generation no one would have an idea about binukot and the songs that they created

about their history. Her commitment to being a binukot is commendable but honestly speaking

we think that it is not a practical decision, especially today. Only few binukot are left because as

every generation pass by less woman is interested in becoming a binukot because they can’t

have freedom.

At present there are still few binukot on some part of Panay Island. But the danger of

losing this tradition is very high, for most women of Panay preferred to be an ordinary citizen

instead of becoming a princess. Today’s generations priority is not about becoming a village

princess but our number priority is  to be able to finish our studies and chased our dreams

without letting our traditions fade away. There was one woman who was offered to become

a binukot but she refused. Reporter Kara asked” What do you think is more important, to

preserve the culture or to have your own decision as a woman? And the girl answered, “Maybe

to have or to be able to decide for our decision as a woman.” We agree with her because every

woman has a right to be educated and to achieve their dreams. The woman should marry a guy
who she loves and can see the future with them together. It is not necessary to become

a binukot just to preserve the tradition because there are many ways to preserve it. The

traditions that they have should not be bury with them instead it should be pass on to next

generation. It is possible to fuse modern and traditional traditions. It is possible to revive

yesterday until today.

We should teach our young people that their self-worth should have nothing to do with

being fair or tanned. Parents need to show their pride in their sons and daughters, maybe

affectionately called princes and princesses, for what they contribute to society, rather than in

what they do to their skin and their bodies. They should always decide what is good for

themselves and always chase your dreams no matter what kind of obstacle is ahead. In Iloilo,

tumandoks there showed that you can preserve the culture without being a prisoner.

They built a school exclusively for tumandoks who wants to learn their culture. These classes

are held every Saturday so that it would not affect the schooling of the kids. I admire

tumandoks for preserving their culture that well. I admire them also for modernizing their way

of teaching these culture to the new generation. We also should not forget our ancient roots as

Filipinos. Let us be like tumandoks who never forgot where they came from.