“When we came to this place, we first learned the names of everything – the mountains, the trees, the natural medicines. All these came from our Babalyan. Each family needs a Babalyan.”
Bulundung Bacaltos, 2007
Labtay shore and island, Tagbanua ancestral home. Napsan 2010.
Nanay Bacaltos. Napsan, 2010.
Domingo Bacaltos, Tagbanua Babalyan (traditional shaman and healer). Palawan 2010
ANCIENT CONNECTIONS
Around 50,000 years ago, Palawan was home to some of the first island inhabitants of Southeast Asia.
Today's indigenous Tagbanua culture can be traced back to 710 BC. Their animistic worldview incorporates a detailed knowledge of forest and ocean ecosystems and supports a balanced relationship with the natural world.
Handmade fishing goggles belonging to Bolondong and his son, Pepoy. Napsan 2010
Spirit offerings and traditional kris knives being laid out for a pagdiwata ritual. Napsan 2019
Domingo Bacaltos, an indigenous Tagbanua shaman performs a pagdiwata ritual during which he communicates with spirits of nature and of his ancestors. Palawan, 2010
Domingo Bacaltos is a babalyan, an indigenous Tagbanua shaman. On the full moon night, he performs a pagdiwata ritual to thank the diwata – spirits of nature and ancestors – for his rice harvest. Traditions such as these foster a harmonious relationship with the natural environment. Napsan, Palawan, 2010
The bedroom of Bitu, an indigenous Tagbanua elder known to be a powerful "babalyan" in Apurawan. Palawan 2007
Waning gibbous
Visible: 81% ↓
Age: 19.08 days Moonrise 20:50 Lights from commercial fishing fleets in the West Philippine Sea. "We first noticed a decline in the sea when industrial fishing boats came to our area," said Bolondong Bacaltos. "Before then fish were so abundant, I would catch huge groupers, the corals were all healthy and there were many turtles and dolphins." Western Palawan is an indigenous Tagbanua ancestral domain. Napsan 2010
Domingo Bacaltos, performs a pagdiwata ritual to communicate with spirits of nature and of his family’s ancestors. Napsan 2010
