The Tagbanua Matriarchs


The towns of Aborlan and Inagawan are tied to the Joya Family. History has shown how the Masikampo lineage flourished even as the society changed through years of colonization. The Kursud family descendants sustained the Tagbanua heritage amidst the grueling challenges posed by modernization and conflicts of interest within the family. In celebration of International Women's Day, we honor the matriarchs of the Tagbanua and Pala'wan tribes. Pictured above is the late Rafaela "Apo Pila"Kursud Joya and her daughter Quintera "Apo Kimko" Joya. Apo Pila was of mixed Pala'wan and Tagbanua heritage. Her father was the respected Masikampo Kursud who married a Pala'wan princess from the influential Impot family of Malatgao. Rafaela Kursud was a beloved person in Aborlan and donated a parcel of her land to a church at that time. Although not as famous as her mother, Quintera "Apo Kimko" Joya paved a way for the education of the Tagbanua through her marriage with John H. Finnigan, an American educator who held the high post at the agricultural school in Aborlan now known as the Western Philippines University (WPU). Some of the Palanca family in Aborlan and Puerto Princesa were direct descendants of the Joya-Finnigan union. We celebrate these two women and their contribution to Tagbanua culture and heritage.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tagbanwa Musical Instruments

Image
Daraet is one of the many festivities celebrated by the Tagbanua and Pala'wan tribes of Southern Palawan in the Philippines. Gongs, cymbals and drums are commonly seen and used. Bamboo flutes, local version of banjo and other percussion instruments are getting rare nowadays, but still around and kept by older members of the tribe.  Decades ago, the drums and gongs used to be big and usually used to announce meetings or events which transpired in the community. Story has it that when the Tagbanua Inagawan Masicampo died, the drumbeats were heard for miles alerting the people of his demise.  Please acknowledge this website and Masicampo Ruben C. Joya when you use the images here. 
Read more

The Tagbanua Race

Image
An Article about the Tagbanua by Fe Tria Fernandez.  LINK HERE . http://www.pia.gov.ph/philtoday/pt03/pt0312.htm The Tagbanuas are original race of people inhabiting Palawan. They are by far the most numerous of the ethnic groups that inhabited Palawan during the pre-Hispanic times. They are the most cultured of the original people because they have an alphabet of their own. Tagbanua music basically makes use of three kinds of musical instrument. Agong is a brass instrument 1½ feet in diameter with a fist-sized node at the center. It is played by beating the node with a stick wrapped with strips of cloth. Babandil, another kind of musical instrument, is similar to the agong but only about four inches in depth. It is played with the use of the beater made of soft wood. The sound is mellower than the gong. The third kind of musical instrument is the gimbal similar to the snare drum. It is a hollow wood 1½ feet tall, five to 10 inches in diameter and covered at one
Read more

The Indigenous People Of Palawan: Tagbanua Masikampo

Image
The anointing and "lambay" of Masikampo Ruben C. Joya The island of Palawan stands famous for its scenic and serene beaches. International magazines and travel websites consistently ranked Palawan as one of the best in the world. Aside from the natural features of the landscape, the island of Palawan is also known for its people. There is a rich demographic diversity in the island owing to the multiple ethnic tribes calling Palawan their home. The Tagbanua tribe is one of the oldest indigenous tribes thriving in the archipelago. It exists with rich and elaborate culture and traditions which is being practiced especially by tribal members in the Central coast of Palawan. At the helm of the Tagbanua society is the Masikampo (Masicampo). Considered as the highest political leader of the cultural communities of Palawan, the Masikampo works to preserve the cultural integrity and secure the well-being of the province's indigenous people. According to history, the Masikampo
Read more