An Ethnography: Understanding of Tau’t Bato’s Cultural Heritage

Abstract

In the valley at the Singnapan Basin, dwelling in the caves is the tribe known as Tau’t Bato. Their existence is not a hoax. Their presence is but a singular event that manifests the richness of the culture of the Philippine archipelago. Located amidst a changing world this tribe of indigenous people clings fast slowly disappearing land. Evolution is inevitable and with the transformations that happen in the modern world, choices to adapt and survive must be made. Choices that sooner or later would bury the wealth of their culture and tradition will be, but memories chronicled through literature and photographs. The study acknowledges the diverse culture and tradition of the Tau’t Bato tribe who are considered as national archeological treasures since the early 1900s. Using the available written literatures and photographs captured by Pierre de Vallombreuse, the study focused on the unique practices performed and observed by these people. The status of as well as the conservation and protection of the tribe had also been taken into consideration. Based from the available sources of information, it seemed that the Tau’t Bato tribe is losing itself to the modern world and together with them, the culture and the tradition which made their tribe unique.