Palawan Indigenous

Musical Instruments and

Songs

Kubing Aruding
Pagang Agung
Babarak
ARUDING
 or jew’s harp, played by plucking
with a finger while placed before
the open mouth. It produces
sounds resembling natural
elements like wind or animals.
KUBING
 or mounth harp is a jaw harp
made with bamboo and is one of
the more well known traditional
musical instruments.
PAGANG
 A multi-stringed bamboo zither,
similar to those found in other
Southeast Asian regions. It is
played by plucking the strings and
is used in various cultural contexts.
BABARAK
 A tiny ring flute made of bamboo,
producing distinct scales and
melodies. It is often used to mimic
bird sounds and is integral to
Palawan music.
AGUNG
 or suspended gongs, played in the
Palawan highlands, these gongs
are significant for their rhythmic
and colorful music, often
accompanying other instruments in
ensembles.
 Songs and Musical
Practices
Laplap Bagit Karang poems
Epic Singsing
Tultul
Laplap Bagit
A musical scale exclusively
reserved for imitating the sounds
of nature, such as bird songs and
other natural phenomena.
Epic Singsing
Epic chants are performed at night
and are accompanied by specific
rituals. The singers, known as
manunultul, lie supine and sing
epic tales with intricate melodies
and rhythms.
Tultul
A stark and moving expression of
performing arts in the highlands,
devoid of theatrical elements,
where the performer's voice takes
the audience on a journey through
poetic narratives.
 Karang Poems
Sung poems accompanied by
instruments like kusyapi and pagang,
expressing emotions such as love
and longing through traditional
melodies and compositions.
Palawan Indigenous
People Folk Dances
and Rituals
Taruk Shamanistic
Sinsin Rituals
Tulak Bala
Taruk
A dance performed by Palawan
women, often expressing joy or
ritualistic elements, accompanied by
rhythmic stamping on bamboo floors
to match the music of gongs and
drums.
Sinsin
A ritual held annually for several
years to establish a relationship with
deities, involving complex
ceremonies and performances by
novices guided by knowledgeable
elders.
Tulak Bala
A ritual to drive away evil spirits or
epidemics, involving music, dance,
and offerings to appease deities and
seek protection for the community.
Shamanistic Rituals
Ritual performances are deeply
intertwined with Palawan cosmology
and religious beliefs, involving
chants, dances, and interactions with
spirits or deities for various purposes
like healing or protection.
 Films and
Documentaries on the
Culture of the Palawan
From the 1990s to the
present, there have been
feature films and
documentaries on the culture
of the Palawan and about
issues affecting their life as a
people.
Documentaries on
Environmental Issues
Pagbabalik sa Tribo" (1999) by
Auraeus Solito: Focus on the
filmmaker's return to Palawan,
participation in a protest rally, and
the environmental concerns faced by
the indigenous community.
Film on Multinational
Corporations Impact
"Basal Banar" (2002) by Kanakan-
Balintagos: Discuss the film's
portrayal of the destruction of
Palawan's way of life by
multinational corporations and the
sacred ritual held for land return.
Films Based on
Palawan Cosmology
Award-Winning Film -
"Busong" (2011)
Highlight the recognition received at
the Cinemalaya Philippine
Independent Film Festival and
international film festivals such as
Cannes.
"Ang Maikling Buhay ng Apoy, Act 2-
Scene 2" (1995) and "Busong" (2011)
by Auraeus Solito: Explore how these
films reflect Palawan cosmology and
mythology, addressing issues like
mining and heritage.

Baybayin the Palawan

Script" (2012)
Discuss the film co-written with Rody
Vera, exploring Palawan folklore and
the love between characters
communicated through the ancient
Palawan script.
ALDAW's Short
Documentaries
Overview of independent
documentaries by ALDAW focusing
on threats to Palawan's culture,
including "Bulanjao Scar," "Oil Palm
Aggression," and "MacroAsia and the
Plundering of Protected Areas."

"Tau’t Bato" (2014) -

French Documentary
Overview of the full-length
documentary following Tau’t Bato
families' life during monsoon rains,
produced by Via Decouvertes
Production.
PALAWAN ISLAND

Short travelogue exploring Tau’t

Bato’s cave dwellings and survival
methods, produced by MSL Bushcraft
& Survival.

The Caves of the Tau’t

Bato Tribe" (2015)