Whatshot

One of the most beautiful sights we encountered in the Philippines during our travel was seeing these picturesque, doll-like children wondering around holding each other in an 'amigo' kind of way, always walking in groups or pairs, showing just how close their people like to be. It was the most heart-warming sight for us.

Theculture of the Philippinesis an amalgamation of influences from the East andWest. Filipinoidentity was created primarily as a result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial influences and Chinese traders intermingling together; gradually evolving into a uniquely Filipino identity. In pre-colonial times, the Philippines were a divided set of nations, islands and tribes being ruled by their own Kings, Chieftains,Lakans,Rajahs,DatusAndSultans.

Every nation had its own identity and some were even part of a larger empire outside of what is now the Philippines.Manila, for example, was once part of the IslamicSultanate of Brunei, while many parts ofMindanaoare theorized to have been part of the HinduMajapahit Empire, with its capital located inEast Javain modern-dayIndonesia.

The arrival of colonial rule on the islands marked the beginning of The Philippines as a colony that would later evolved into a country after independence, a collection of Southeast Asian countries united under Spain.

The Chinese influencehas been felt throughoutSoutheast Asiathrough trade, even before the colonization of the region, specifically by theMing dynastyand other earlier dynasties, from as early as the 9th century. But it was during Spanish colonization that Chinese influence truly left its mark on what is now the Philippines. The blending of indigenous, colonial and external influence is very evident in the historic arts and traditions of the Philippine nation.

Recent modernisation and integration has left indigenous groups fighting for the survival of their culture and way of life. For example, we can hardly see the art of indigenous tattooing today. The Batak tribe of Palawan, for instance, is believed to number less than 300 people today. It's unfortunate because the Batak are believed to trace their roots all the way to the country's first settlers, the Negritos.

We attempted to visit the Batak tribe on Palawan. We got the GPS coordinates from Kim, our boatman, and we headed into the mountains. We were advised to bring a gift, which consisted of cans of spam and other meaty delights, which we were delighted to oblige.

On our way there the skies opened up and it poured down so we never found the tribe, and we were later told that the group consists of about five members that are there purely for the tourists and that the real tribe's members are not accessible to tourists, definitely not on our 120cc scooter.

It's a story I repeated to a German lady we met on a beautiful stretch of white sand called Nagtabon Beach, on Palawan Island. Her name was Iza and she was in the final days of her pregnancy. She told me how the Philippines has long ago banned the practice of spiritual healers and shamans and that they had to go underground and soon disappeared from modern society.

Iza told me that she had managed to secure a Babaylans for the birthing of her child, herself a midwife. Iza was one brave aunty to be attempting to give birth in these conditions and so far away from home.

Iza told me that theBabaylanswere the first healers within the tribal communities of ancient Philippines. They later evolved into folk doctors and were subject to the training and deployment of modern medical practitioners.

Iza and her American boyfriend Dwight were awaiting the birth of their son Malaya, which means 'Free'. Their esoteric approach to life was such a beautiful awakening for both of us. Iza and Dwight were experiencing a deep and meaningful relationship with nature; they built their bamboo cottage in the middle of the jungle, where they were planning to raise their first-born son, without running water or electricity.

Iza told us how one morning she went out for her usual swim and suddenly she knew she was carrying a child. She told us that suddenly she heard a profound sound on the waves around her, the sound was 'Malaya', and she knew her child would be named after this powerful sound. We had such fun connecting with these fascinating strangers. They were so spiritually awake and honest and it was so refreshing to confirm our notion that you don't need much in this life, in fact, the less you have the deeper you are able to understand life.

Next week we will take you to Cebu, oh the magnificent island of Senior Santo Nino.

Our friends from Nagtabon Beach, on Palawan Island, seen above Kasia, Dwight, Iza and Tomas.

Magical Philippines - Part 5

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