Batak Tribe
The Batak are one of about 140 indigenous peoples of the Philippines who live in the forests of northern Palawan island. There is only about 300 of them left in Palawan, composed of approximately 50 families, making them the smallest indigenous tribe in the region. As the Batak tend to be small in stature, with dark skin and short curly hair, they are believed to be closely related to the Negrito tribe and have originated from the first humans crossing the land bridges from mainland Asia to the Philippines, up to 50,000 years ago. Once a nomadic tribe, Batak people now live in small villages and depend much on cultivation, gathering, hunting and fishing. Though much of their distinctive traditional culture is fading, they are a unique and important part of the Palawan history.
