The Last Of The Bataks

Ding PANGANIBAN


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500. Anthropologists put that number as the threshold for a people to sustain itself as a tribal entity. The Bataks, an aboriginal nomadic people inhabiting the last forest vestiges in the island of Palawan have crossed that line of survival for more than three decades. Numbering less than 450, the classsic pattern of ‘civilisation’s’ encroachment in every aspect of tribal life continues to take its toll on the Bataks: Dwingling forest resource due to overeploitation by outsiders. Diseases like malaria, tubercolosis and even measles are perennial causes of death, (In 1991, 26 children below the age of 6 died in a span of 2 week due to measles. ) The Batak photo-folio is a continuing personal documentation that started in 1988 when they were still in their nomadic way of living. The last visit made was in 2002.

 

Country : Philippines
Place : Puerto Princesa

Number of photos : 15