TRAVELIFE Magazine Isabela Issue

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ISABELA THE HOBBIT TRILOGY IN

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THE NORTHERN

ESCAPE A

t midnight, the TRAVELIFE team left Manila for an eight-hour drive up north to the province of Isabela. Delighting in sunny skies and fields extending for miles and miles, we anticipated an adventure brimming with heritage, wilderness, and culture – a distant memory from the city’s frenetic pace.

Isabela, the number one corn producer and biggest supplier of rice in the Philippines, is known for its vast agricultural landscape, beautiful old churches, pristine and hidden beaches, and the grand Sierra Madre. It also holds a special place in Philippine history, as this was where one of the great Filipino generals, Emilio Aguinaldo, was captured during the Philippine-American war in 1901.

Photography by BRYAN AREVALO. Model KIM KILGROE. Hair and make-up SHER PUA. Styling TWINKLE FERRAREN. Special thanks to the LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF THE PROVINCE OF ISABELA. Patterned maxi tank dress, Luna, Rustan’s Makati.

T RIBAL CLASS One of the few remaining Aeta groups in the Philippines, the Agta tribe has been thriving in the Eastern part of Isabela, specifically in Divilacan and Maconacon, where they live on hunting and spear fishing. It is a tribe known to be seminomadic, fulfilling their daily needs like shelter and food through frequent relocation.

Sequined sweater, Sinequanone, Rustan’s Makati; Batik hand-painted scarf, Tepina; necklace and shorts, Twinkle Ferraren.

A RIVERWILD HUNTER Home to the Philippine crocodile or bukarot, the local government of San Mariano, Isabela organized the Mabuwaya Foundation to preserve this critically endangered species. Hunting, destructive fishing, and loss of habitat due to deforestation are causes of its dwindling nu mber. Eggs and hatchlings are nurtured by the foundation until they are released in Dunoy Lake, Disulap River, or Dinang Creek.

Orange pi単a combo top and pi単a-cotton beaded suspenders, Style isle/ Twinkle Ferraren.

VISIT ING OLD CHURCH RUINS The province derived its na me from Queen Isabella II of Spain during the Spanish occupation. It is also home to many beautiful old churches, one of the oldest being San Pablo Church, built in 1624. It has the tallest belfry in all of Cagayan Valley, but only its altar and facade remain intact from its first construction.

Lime green shirtdress, U, Rustan’s Makati; scarf, Terrie Beverly; and necklace, Island Girl, both from Chicify.com.

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Queen BEFITTING A

GABBY MALVAR uncovers the mysteries within Isabela’s grand landscape

Traversing the main highway linking Santiago, Cauayan, Ilagan and the other townships where commerce and trading prevailed, it was in the open road in between, and in the wide spaces, where the province of Isabela revealed itself. Heading northwards towards Cagayan, pastures stretched out to the east and west, bordered by two striking mountain ranges – the Cordillera and the Sierra Madre – that made it a valley.

Isabela’s expanse insinuated itself as I delved further into the province. Nature was a prevailing presence.

ISABELA

THE GREAT PLAINS The soil is extremely fertile, constantly fed by water from three main rivers: the Cagayan, Siffu and Magat rivers. Other smaller waterways flow from the Sierra Madre watersheds.

With so much water, almost anything can grow on the ground. Farming thrives; it is no wonder agriculture is the main industry.

It is the land that defines the province and its ways. Life revolves around the sweeping stretches and the mountain ranges beyond, determining its cultures, practices, and traditions.

A PROVINCE OF PLENTY Festivities come with abundance. Fiestas are held to celebrate the land’s bounty. While each municipality celebrated festivals particular to their inimitable produce, it is the Bambanti or Scarecrow Event that is considered the main fete, with its vibrant parades, merrymaking and street dancing.

A wide range of crafts and delicacies are on display, sampled from all over the province yet fundamentally grounded on the lay of the land.

What are delicacies like muriecos and binallay anyway but variations on glutinous rice sweetened by coconut milk or glazed by latik, a sugary concoction?

MAIN PHOTO BY BRYAN AREVALO

How else can you describe the butaka, the relaxing chair with elongated armrests, but a lavish exemplification of the copiousness of narra wood?

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NAVIGATING A MOUNTAIN RANGE

Fields of rice or corn rule the world outside my window, providing further evidence that Isabela is the granary of the country.

It had not always been like this though.

When the Spanish colonizers stamped their presence in the area in the 17th century, tobacco was the primary crop they introduced along with the semi-feudal encomienda system that consolidated land into huge tracts, virtually institutionalizing large-scale farming. And with colonization came evangelization. The province is home to centuries-old places of worship such as the oldest church in San Pablo, which similarly takes the name of the town, with its imposing bell tower. The municipality of Tumaini hosts the red-bricked Church of St. Matthias, another notable structure highlighted by a rare cylindrical bell tower.

Isabela is regarded as the Queen Province, not merely because it is the second largest in the Philippines in terms of land area, but it was also named after one – Queen Isabela II – when it was carved out from the territories of Cagayan and Nueva Viscaya in 1856.

And indeed, it is a province fit for a Queen.

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The great plains are only part of the picture. The Sierra Madre accounts for the other half of the land area. How then does one experience the Sierra Madre, the predominantly unexplored mountainous rainforests (one of the largest remaining in the world) that is home to yet undiscovered species of flora and fauna?

THE AGUINALDO TRAIL Found in the Sierra Madre, the Aguinaldo Trail is the traditional path used to cross the Cagayan River since Spanish times. The path leads to Palanan, Isabela, where the Americans captured General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first Filipino president. Aguinaldo was a wanted man by the Americans, because he led the resistance during the Philippine-American War. The Americans were able to capture Aguinaldo with the help of the Macabebe tribe, who were known for their bravery and military skills.

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The most comprehensive immersion would entail traversing the width of the mountain range on foot, cutting through the heart of the woodland from a town on the western side like San Mariano, to terminate in a coastal community like Palanan. There are no roads across. The journey would take at least three days to complete and require hardship and a substantial amount of physical effort.

President Aguinaldo made a similar crossing over a hundred years ago when he sought the sanctuary of Palanan, at the far reaches of Luzon, to elude capture from the pursuing American forces. Even now as it was then, Palanan and the other slumbering coastal towns remain isolated from the outside world, separated by formidable rainforests rooted on rising and falling terrain.

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Another option would be to fly in small aircraft over the mountains that rise to over 2,700 meters. While this experience provides an encompassing view, the engagement is detached and from a distance. You see the forests and not the trees. You make out the streams but you don’t slip on mossy boulders.

A final alternative would be to engage the Sierra Madre in multiple points, to sample different aspects of its essence up close.

Jungle tourism is still non-existent in these parts but a primordial experience can be had in proxy areas of the park.

BACK TO NATURE Meanwhile, San Mariano’s lowland ecosystems are a good representation of the biodiversity that is prevalent in rainforests of the Sierra Madre National Park. Residents in this area include the Philippine eagle, tree frogs and the Isabela oriole foxes. But the quintessential involvement with nature here is releasing endangered crocodiles back to the wild. The Mabuwaya Foundation has championed the efforts to protect these reptiles and offers opportunities for close wildlife encounters in its sanctuaries.

The foundation has also released over 50 crocodiles in Lake Dicatian in Divilacan to re-populate the diminishing count of the reptiles in the surrounding areas. A relaxing paddle around the local version of Lake Placid, where crocodiles lurk, or an overnight stay in the tower overlooking the entire area, enable the observation of a distinctive ecosystem.

A short ramble to the foothills of the Sierra Madre range in Palanan brings you to a contained watering hole called Blue Lagoon, hemmed in by forest. The deep cool waters refreshed, and diving down to as deep as I could possibly could was the activity that preoccupied me. I never reached the bottom, the water merely turning a darker blue the further I went into the deep.

TRIBES IN ISABELA Commonly known as Negritos, the Agtas belong to the Negrito ethno linguistic groups. There are many Agta tribes scattered in Luzon, with some of the sub-tribes found in Isabela like the Dumagat, and the now-extinct Dicamay. Agtas are characteristically short, darkskinned, kinky-haired, thick-lipped, and small-nosed.

Their traditional clothing is tapis (skirt) for women and bahag (breechcloth) for men. Hunting is their main means of livelihood, as well as farming and fishing.

Today, many Agtas take on seasonal jobs like copra and charcoal-making, and gold panning.

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A GRAND EXPLORATION OF ISABELA’S NATURAL WONDERS Isabela’s great land mass offers some of the best natural wonders in the country

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ILAGAN SANCTUARY

Covering over 800 hectares of land at the Fuyot Springs National Park, the sanctuary features various attractions such as a mini zoo, a butterfly park, bird watching spots, and the Pinzal Falls whose water cascades down to the park’s pool areas. It is most famous for its chambered caves with stalactites, stalagmites, and impressive rock formations that glow like crystals in the dark. It also boasts of the “fastest zipline in the Philippines,” which goes as fast as 80 kph in 15 seconds on a 350-meter long cable, on an elevation of 700 feet above ground.

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NORTHERN SIERRA MADRE NATURAL PARK

The Philippines’ longest mountain range is the Sierra Madre, the “backbone” of Northern Luzon. One of the most protected biodiversity areas in the world, part of it is the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (NSMNP), which is located in eastern Isabela.

While the exterior of the Sierra Madre has been damaged due to illegal logging, its interior remains intact, with a topography ranging from low hills to high mountains.

Steep slopes make it difficult to explore the area, even for experienced mountaineers. Nevertheless, its natural beauty and the rare animal sightings of the Philippine eagle or the cloud rat entice outdoorsmen to trek the region.

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BONSAI FOREST

The Bonsai forest, found at Sumanget, Dinapigue along the Pacific coast, is reportedly 20,000 hectares in land area. As one of the province’s eco-tourism attractions and one-of-a-kind in the country, it is spiked with mystery but it is said that the plants in the area’s pygmy height was caused by the soil’s exposure to nickel which is abundant in the area.

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PALANAN BEACHES

Known as “the town that time forgot,” Palanan is situated off the Pacific coast and bordered by the ranges of the Sierra Madre.

Because of its location, very few have actually witnessed its historical and beautiful features, most promising of which are its beaches.

Undeveloped and untouched, the town prides itself on its white sand shores, off which pointed nose dolphins and hump back whales can often be seen.

The strong waves of Didadungan beach are perfect for surfing, jet skiing and wake boarding, while Dipaguiden’s coastal waters are a fish haven ideal for diving and snorkeling.

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MACONACON

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ABUAN RIVER

Like Palanan, Maconacon is cut off from Isabela by the Sierra Madre and can only be reached via a 30-minute flight on a small plane or a 12-hour bus ride from Tuguegarao. Because of its coastal location, however, seafood – particularly lobsters – are very cheap, giving the town its reputation as the lobster capital of Isabela.

Touted as the Philippines’ next whitewater rafting destination, this river stretches 65 km. It’s the main river channel at the Abuan Watershed in Ilagan, Isabela.

Trekking or kayaking on the river from Suliman Falls also allows one to marvel at the lush hills and grasslands of Sierra Madre including the three-tiered falls.

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A SPIRITUAL EXCURSION

TRAVELIFE lists the top 6 churches to visit in Isabela

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SAN MATIAS CHURCH Tumauini

A National Historical Landmark, it boasts of a beautiful brick architecture with fine details like flowers, cherubs, and saints. This structure uses baked clay for wall finishings and ornamentation. Beside the church is an equally unique belfry, the design of which is reminiscent of a round, white wedding cake. The church, though partly damaged in World War II, remains Isabela’s best-preserved church.

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SHRINE OF PIAT BASILICA MINORE Gamu

Devotees and pilgrims come together every July to offer prayers and personal intentions to the miraculous Lady of the Visitation. At this time, the shrine comes alive as locals and devotees celebrate the feast day of the Lady of the Visitation. Travelers en route to Cagayan or Nueva Vizcaya also frequent the national shrine, which located along the Maharlika Highway.

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SAN PABLO CHURCH San Pablo

Built in 1624, this church is reportedly the oldest in Isabela. It is the only church not made of bricks; instead it was constructed out of adobe.

The San Pablo Church also claims to have the tallest belfry in Cagayan Valley. Today, only half of the church is being used, while the other half remains in ruins. The interiors have mostly been renovated, but the façade and the altar remain untouched.

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STA. ROSA DE LIMA CHURCH Gamu

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OUR LADY OF ATOCHA CHURCH Alicia The balustrades of this church are unique, while its façade is reminiscent of Cauayan Church. Perfect for a Holy Week pilgrimage, Our Lady of Atocha Church is recognized by the Department of Tourism as a national religious tourist attraction.

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CALVARY HILLS AND THE CHAPEL OF TRANSFIGURATION Santiago

Hiking up Dariok Hills, one can observe scenes of Jesus Christ’s passion and death up close with life-sized stations of the cross, in what is popularly known as Calvary Hills. Waiting at the top is a white cavelike structure called the Chapel of Transfiguration, where pilgrims and faithful can meditate and pray.

TEXT BY PAU MIRANDA

PHOTO BY JEAN MANGONON

A pilgrimage destination in its own right, this church has high ceilings and 17th century brick walls. Though it generally follows the Spanish

design seen in many of the other Isabela churches, it is simpler and quainter, decorated with some bas-relief symbols of the Dominican Order. A perfect, distraction-free space for silent reflection.

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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL The ultimate experience, however, is to thrust yourself inside the Northern Sierra Madre National Park itself to explore even just a section. When I embarked on a trek inside the forest, just off a barangay in Maconacon, I took on the additional objective of spotting a Varanus Bitatawa, the tree-dwelling monitor lizard “discovered� just recently by scientists.

PHOTOS BY GABBY MALVAR

Accompanied by a forester who had been able to capture several for study, I strayed around the jungle, hacking and felling stems and thick vines with a bolo to create new trails under canopies cloaked in mist, sunlight hardly piercing through. Though the bitatawa remained elusive, I managed to enjoy a unique experience in the rich ecosystem, leeches and thorns aside.

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THE MANY FACES OF THE COAST Over 100 kilometers of lovely white sand beaches such as Dicotcotan beach make up stretches of the Isabela coast, and in the summer months bustle with revelers and sun seekers. A lobster festival is held in Maconacon in June, celebrating the bounty from the sea.

The other side of this reality is that from October to February, the sea is untenable when habagat winds are blowing. And the coastal towns of Maconacon, Divilacan and Palanan are cut-off from the rest of the world, the great Sierra Madre isolating them. And during this time, while it’s a far cry from the tropical idyll of palmfringed, white sand truisms, the panoramas become untamed and primal. Which stirs something totally different inside.

A different coastal experience can be had at the channel where the Blos River and the Pacific Ocean meet. The dark-skinned and curly-haired Agta, the indigenous people said to be descended from stone-age pygmies, can be seen fishing along the banks of the river with their spears.

Sightings of a crocodile larger than Lolong have been confirmed here. A carabao was said to have been cut in half from a single bite and extrapolating from the size of the bite, the crocodile’s length was placed at more than 40 feet. On a raft used to ferry folk across the river, the water was inviting. But I dared not jump in. n

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explore NAVIGATE YOURSELF: ISABELA

RAMOS CAFÉ Ramos Café in Echague, Isabela offers Italian favorites and Isabela’s best pizzas, within cozy interiors. It is also known as “Café by the Park” because of its surroundings, which give an ‘oasis’ feel. Villasis Highway, Santiago, Isabela | Echague Junction WHERE TO STAY SANTIAGO WILMER RESORT HOTEL AND RESTAURANT This hotel in Santiago City has wellmaintained, affordable rooms. The resort’s Bar ni Mokong offers guests a taste of native delicacies while chilling in a traditional kubo serenaded by acoustic music in the evenings. wilmer.awardspace.com

HOW TO GET THERE Isabela is an eight-hour drive from Metro Manila, and many local bus companies offer daily departures. Cebu Pacific Air is the only airline that flies regularly, three times a week, to Cauayan airport, Isabela’s only commercial airport with flights from Manila. An alternative is to fly to Tuguegarao, which is an hour away from Ilagan.

WHEN TO GO The best time to go to Isabela is from late November until May when the rainy season has ended. Being on the northeast side of Luzon, Isabela is frequently hit by typhoons.

WHERE TO EAT FELI-CITA’S FAST FOOD AND RESTAURANT This restaurant has been serving Isabela’s famous pancit cabagan for many years, building many branches all over Isabela.

Feli-Cita’s also offers other well-known noodle dishes from the Cagayan Valley, including Tuguegarao’s batil-patong, which has chicharon and an egg on top. National Highway, Cabagan, Isabela

CAUAYAN THE HOTEL ANDREA Hotel Andrea in Cauayan is a cinema converted into a hotel, with modern furnishings amidst a laidback provincial ambiance. thehotelandrea.net PALANAN DICOTCOTAN WHITE BEACH RESORT AND NATURAL PARK This white beach resort offers cottages for rent along Dicotcotan’s three-kilometer coast where guests can enjoy sightings of dolphins and whales. Along Dicotcotan Beach

MUSHROOM CENTRE, CAUAYAN CITY This serves the best mushroom dishes in Isabela, using the many varieties of oyster and ganoderma mushrooms grown locally.

Hungry travelers sample mushrooms in tempura, sisig, patties, lumpia, salad, empanada, dinakdakan and even ice cream. Mushroom Centre, Tagaran, Cauayan City.

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TEXT BY PAU MIRANDA

TRAVELER’S CHECKLIST

HOTEL AMANCIO Hotel Amancio is one of the biggest hotels in the region. It offers accommodations for leisure and business travelers who wish to experience modernity in the middle of historic Santiago.

Panganiban corner Arellano Street, Santiago City

PHOTO BY GABBY MALVAR

NEED TO KNOW Located in the Cagayan Valley, Isabela is the country’s second largest province and is primarily known as the rice and corn granary of the North. Its climate allows for lush flora and diverse fauna. The province offers many historical sites, pristine beaches and coastal towns.

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PARADISE FOUND Known as the melting pot of the north, Isabela is full of sights and secrets just waiting to be discovered.

Here are 9 ways to experience it.

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Visit churches. Isabela is known for its Spanish colonial churches, many of which still retain their original structures. See the wedding cake-shaped belfry of the San Matias Church in Tumauini, and the ruins of Isabela’s oldest church in San Pablo, built in 1624. Many of these churches are hailed as pilgrimage sites, so you need not travel too far for a spiritual journey.

The less sticky inatata is equally delicious. Usually sold in bundles resembling machine gun bullets, inatata is another rice-based delicacy similar to biko, but wrapped tightly in banana leaves.

These small, bite-sized treats are so easy and quick to eat that you’ll hardly notice that you’ve gone through the whole bundle.

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TEXT BY PAU MIRANDA.. PHOTOS BY BRYAN AREVALO

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Eat binallay and inatata. Take a bite or two of binallay, Ilagan’s Holy Week delicacy. Eaten traditionally during the season of abstinence and fasting, binallay is a sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaves and served with a sweet, dark red syrup called laro. Because of its popularity during Lent, it has come to symbolize Christ’s body and blood. The making and eating of binallay is also said to mirror the Ilagueño traits of being God-fearing, industrious, persevering, and intelligent.

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Seeing the endangered Philippine freshwater crocodiles. The Philippine freshwater crocodile, bukarot, endemic to the country, can be found in the northern part of the Philippines, particularly in San Mariano, Isabela. There are less than 300 of these critically endangered crocodiles remaining in the wild, according to National Geographic.

The Mabuwaya Foundation, which is located right in the Cabagan campus of the Isabela State University, helps care for and protect the remaining Philippine crocodiles. They monitor the crocodile population in Dunoy Lake, in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. This lake is also a nesting site for the crocodiles.

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Buy a butaka. Ilagan, Isabela is the home of the butaka, an armchair made of narra and rattan with a long back and arms. A staple in northern Luzon households, it was first discovered in the houses of Ilagan’s native aristocrats.

Barangay Alinguigan in Ilagan is known for crafting quality butaka. Furniture makers from this barangay made the world’s biggest butaka, which stands at 11.4 feet, 20.8 feet long, and 9.7 feet wide. Twenty-five workers made it in 30 days.

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Fill up with Pancit Cabagan. Many have tried to replicate the taste of Pancit Cabangan, but nothing compares to the original from Isabela. Pancit Cabagan, unlike most pancit dishes, comes with a special soy sauce-based soup. The noodles also come with cabbage, chicharon, carrots, Baguio beans, spring onions, lechon carahay, and quail eggs.

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Go beach combing and sunbathing at Palanan islands. Located on the eastern coast of Isabela, Palanan is known in Philippine history as the place of the last stand of the Philippine’s First Republic, as marked by the Aguinaldo Shrine. Aside from its historical significance, Palanan is also home to several beaches. You can catch a glimpse of dolphins, humpback whales or marine turtles at Dicotcotan Beach in the northeastern town of San Isidro, enjoy water sports at the white sand beach of Didadungan in eastern Palanan, or go for a dive at Dipaguiden Beach.

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Cave and trek in Sta. Victoria. Found in the 200-hectare Ilagan Sanctuary, the Sta. Victoria Caves are a mustvisit for their unique rock formations and underground waterfalls. These caves are also believed to have housed the nomadic Agta and Dumagat people long ago.

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Go spelunking in Sta. Victoria’s limestone caves head for the Fuyot Springs National Park where the Ilagan Sanctuary is located. The 20-meter-high Pinzal Falls is the main source of water for a nearby pool that’s perfect for swimming.

Try the ludung. It’s not called the “President’s Fish” for nothing.

The ludung is known to be the best tasting and most expensive fish in the Philippines because of its rarity.

Endemic to the Cagayan River and its tributaries, ludung can only be caught after its downstream migration. The ludung’s unique taste is attributed to its diet: it only eats algae, making it cleaner than most fish.

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Hike up the Sierra Madre. The Palanan Rainforest, or the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park covers 300,000 hectares of rainforest. It’s said to be the largest protected area in the Philippines, and it’s home to rare species of animals like the golden crowned flying fox and the Philippine eagle owl. The coastal area of the park is ideal for scuba diving, while the mountain area itself serves as a trekking challenge for tourists. n

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TRIBAL ENCOUNTERS OF A LOST CULTURE JACOB MAENTZ captures the life of the Sierra Madre’s Agta tribe

HOW DID YOU FIND THE AGTAS? A biologist friend who has done a lot of work in the Sierra Madre often hires Agta guides. I came across her photos online and I was instantly attracted to these – particularly to her photos of Agta men with freshly killed deer on the banks of a beautiful river in the middle of a pristine forest. With my friend’s help and further research, we were able to find several different Agta communities.

WHAT MADE YOU TAKE THEIR PHOTOS? Visually, and from the photography standpoint, the Agta people have a distinct look and lifestyle. My initial trip has developed into a long-term project, which my wife and I have called “The Katutubong Filipino Project.”

WHAT DID YOU DISCOVER ABOUT ISABELA AND THE AGTA?

But I always have a wonderful time when I’m with the Agta.

Generally, they are very open. They let me be present during their activities. Sometimes there are communication problems, but that just helps to break barriers and puts a good smile on everyone’s face.

HOW LONG DID YOU LIVE WITH THE AGTA? I spent over a month in total with the Agta people, documenting their everyday life, struggles, and personal stories. I will be back in Isabela in early 2014 for two or three more weeks.

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PHOTOS BY JACOM MAENTZ

My first trip to Isabela was an eye-opener. I had no idea that there were people who were so cut-off from the rest of the country. They still lived very simply. There must be many indigenous people in the Philippines with similar untold stories.

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WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LIKE, FOR AN AGTA? They hunt and gather food on a daily basis, and money doesn’t mean much to them. They will often exchange the fish they catch for rice, coffee or sugar. Luxury items for the Agta include instant coffee, sugar, tobacco, and sometimes gin for the men.

They live without electricity so their days start and end early.

Everything is cooked over open fires and their homes are very basic forms of shelter. What little clothes they own are washed in the river. Bathing is also done in the river.

Life is simple and raw – much different than most of the world’s fast pace culture.

HOW DID THE AGTA RECEIVE AN OUTSIDER LIKE YOURSELF? The Agta are among the most hospitable and friendliest people I have come across. Most of them were interested in why we were there, and this created a good avenue for communication. For instance, one Agta community heard about us and they waited for four hours for us to arrive. When we arrived they offered coffee and snacks, and all of the children wanted to have their photos taken. I think they were excited to get visitors.

WILL THE AGTAS SURVIVE THE INEVITABLE URBANIZATION OF ISABELA? I don’t believe anything will be fully preserved forever, because change is inevitable especially in the modern world that we live.

However, I believe it’s important for change to come from within and not be forced upon. What we are seeing with many indigenous groups throughout the Philippines and worldwide is a struggle for ancestral land.

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explore ISABELA For indigenous peoples, land is the source of their livelihoods, food, pharmaceuticals, inspiration, religion and overall peace of mind.

As history shows, when land is forcefully taken away, everything else follows, including the loss of culture and traditions.

In the truest sense, indigenous peoples are our living history.

They are our ancestors and they hold a lot of knowledge, ideas and wisdom that makes humanity so rich and grounded. I believe we will always want to come back to this to better understand ourselves and where we are going. Giving our respect and encouragement is the starting point to helping people choose their own destiny on their own terms.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO THE AGTAS FACE RIGHT NOW? The Agta face many struggles. They are very poor, their diet is not always enough to feed them, and they often do not have access to proper medicine. Some lowlanders also take advantage of them because many Agta are not educated in schools. They may live in an “idyllic” location with a simple lifestyle, but life is still challenging and difficult.

HOW HAVE YOUR PHOTOS HAVE IMPACTED THE LIVES OF THE AGTAS? I can only hope that by putting meaningful narratives into the world, that a greater awareness and respect for the Agta will start to blossom. We are in a unique position to help tell important stories about the struggles, and the history and culture of people who don’t have the resources to do so themselves. n Jacob Maentz is a travel and documentary photographer based in the Philippines. His exhibit on “The Forgotten Ten” runs from January 10 to 23, 2014 at The Water Dragon Gallery, Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, Makati. Admission is free. www.katutuboproject.org | www.jacobmaentz.com

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