History of Aborlan



The political center of Tagbanua tribe is in Aborlan, a town south of Inagawan where the former seat was held until the penal colony expanded. There are multiple stories about how the name of Aborlan came to be, but one that is being held by most tribal members is the one accounted in Dr. Robert Fox's book. The town's name came after Abalan, ?abal, which means "cloth". A report by the late Eulalio Palao dated 1953 accounted this version of the word "abel" or piece of cloth which came from a certain species of tree. Since the Tagbanua and other IPs of Palawan existed before the Spanish colonization, we affirm this origin of the town's name. Identity is important to everyone and knowing our roots, our history, ensures that we have a foundation that will flourish through the ages.

Abelnan.

Sources:
Dr. Robert Fox, Tagbanua Religion and Society
National Museum

Image:
Excerpt from Eulalio Palao, Principal, Aborlan Elementary School, April 21, 1953

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