INDIGENOUS CULTURAL COMMUNITIES/INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN

THE PHILIPPINES

“BATAK”

POPULATION: At present, there are only about 500,

or less, Batak remaining in the Philippines.

MAIN LANGUAGE: Palawan Batak

RELIGION: Animism

MAP OF BATAK IN
THE PHILIPPINES:

The Batak tribe is a group of indigenous people who live in the rugged interiors of
the northeast portion of the province of Palawan. These group of people lives close to
nature and are extremely peaceful and shy. 

The Bataks are also called “Tinitianes” and are considered by anthropologists to

be closely related to the “Aytas” of Central Luzon, another Negrito tribe. They are
described as people who tend to be small in stature and have a dark complexion; they
also have short curly, mostly kinky, hair – traits that earned the “Negrito” groups of
their name.

For centuries, the Bataks have combined a hunting-gathering kind of lifestyle

with seeding of useful food plants, kaingin – a slash and burn farming method, and
trading. It is believed that they may have already had trading relations with Chinese
merchants as early as 500 AD.

During mid to late 20th century, Bataks were pushed out of their gathering
ground which was by the sea and was forced to move into the mountains by emigrant
farmers who were mostly from Luzon. Living in less fertile areas, they attempted to
supplement their income by harvesting and selling various non timber forest products
such as rattan, tree resins, and honey.
 Bataks are animist – they believe that spirits reside within nature. The Bataks
make a regular offering to these spirits, while Shamans undergo spiritual possessions in
order to communicate with the spirits and to heal the sick.

These days, “pure” Bataks or those whose parents both belong to the Batak tribe
have become highly rare due to the incursion by immigrants and the exposure of the
tribe to the society. Most Bataks would prefer marrying a person outside of the tribe and
will, later on, have children who will choose not to go by the norms of the tribe. As an
effect, Bataks are being absorbed into a more diffuse group of upland indigenous
peoples who are slowly losing their tribal identities, their unique spirituality and culture.

REFERENCE:

https://www.travel-palawan.com/cultural-heritage/indigenous-peoples/
https://www.travel-palawan.com/about-palawan/palawan-map/
https://www.pinterest.cl/pin/294352525642204283/