Batak (Philippines)
The Batak are a small people on the Philippine island of Palawan . They are not to be confused with the Indonesian Batak in Sumatra .
They have Negritic roots and are the smallest ethno-linguistic group in Palawan with a purely Austronesian language .
The Batak live on the island of Palawan in the inner mountains north of Puerto Princessa and in the area between the Babuyan River and the village of Malcampo.
The system of slash-and-burn agriculture used by the Batak was still in operation in 1980. In the years that followed, this traditional economic system became increasingly unproductive. External political conditions played an important role.
Only in 1780, with 300 members according to other sources, the Batak community and culture are threatened with extinction.
To the origin
During the Chinese Three Empire period , "little dark people" were driven south by the Han people. Some settled in Thailand , others in Malaysia , and still others went even further south to Indonesia , Sumatra , Borneo, and the Philippines, using land bridges between Palawan and Borneo.
Web links
- Page about the Batak (English)