A detour had us learning more about the Jama Mapun banig weavers
“A shear line”,
according to weather reports, hovered over Palawan’s skies, triggering gale
warnings and causing severe flooding in the island’s southern reaches just days
before our arrival. And so, our journey to the remote islands—hailed as among
the world’s most spectacular—was over before it even began.
Normally, I would
have been gutted. The weight of disappointment had barely settled when an
unexpected optimism took hold. We’re in Palawan, I reminded myself.
There was always more to see, more to uncover.
 |
| One of our side-trip destinations include Sabsaban Falls |
As if reading my
mind, Ash, our tour coordinator, offered reassurance. “Don’t worry,” she said.
“We’ll still explore some islands and waterfalls in Brooke’s Point and Quezon.”
Her words confirmed what I already hoped for; our AsianTraveler Palawan
coverage would yield more than enough stories for our readers.
Just like that, our
thwarted journey to Balabac transformed from a setback into an invitation to
return and visit the islands some other time. My attention shifted to what lay
ahead: new landscapes, and local culture waiting to reveal itself.
Of Mat Weavers and
Accidental Farmers of Brooke’s Point
With the roads leading to Balabac Islands in our rearview mirror, we headed towards the quiet southern town of Brooke's Point, the next-town neighbor of Bataraza and away from the famed beaches of Palawan. Here, a community of Jama Mapun, or the "People of Mapun," have found settlement. Originally from the islands of Tawi-Tawi, they brought with them traditions and a craft perfected over generations: the intricate art of mat weaving.
.jpg "Jama Mapun Banig Weavers") |
| Colorful banig designs |
At the heart of
their mat weaving creations is a technique known as tupi, or "fold,"
a method that allows weavers to manipulate each pandan leaf, which is already
dyed with different colors, with precision, changing its direction to form
complex geometric patterns.
.jpg "Nanay Arita Kulihim Jama Mapun Banig Weavers") |
| Nanay Arita Kulihim |
The leaves
themselves are gathered from a nearby riverside plantation, a short 15-minute
walk from the community. “Malapit lang,” says Nanay Arita Kulihim, the
president of the local weaving collective, Takin Bawat Tipo. The association
takes its name from the Jama Mapun Sama-Bajau language—Takin referring to their
barangay, Bawat meaning “work”, and Tipo translating to “banig” (mat).
 |
| Lola Talmala, the oldest among the Jama Mapun banig weavers in Brooke's Point, Palawan |
Inside the modest
weaving centre, only one weaver was at work during our visit. “The others weave
from home,” Nanay Arita explains in Tagalog, tracing her fingers over a
half-finished mat. The eldest of the group, 85-year-old Lola Talmala, still
practices the craft with remarkable vigor. A large mat takes her a month to
complete, while a medium-sized one requires a couple of weeks. Yet despite the
painstaking process and exceptional artistry, their work remains
undervalued—their mats selling for as little as 3,500 to 6,000 PHP, a price
that scarcely reflects the hours of labor and skill woven into each piece.
.jpg "Jama Mapun Banig Weavers") |
| Lola Talmala |
More than
functional objects, the mats displayed inside the weaving center instantly
astounded me with their colorful designs and patterns that will make you ask,
“How’d they come up with these designs?”
.jpg "Jama Mapun Banig Weavers") |
| Who doesn't want this in their home? I WANT |
Beyond the wow
factor of each mat, it carries stories of the Jama Mapun’s journey, told in
color and texture, woven with care and passed from one generation to the next.
It is a living tradition, not just of inherited skill, but also of lasting
identity.
.jpg "Chaolong noodle soup (2)") |
| Chaolong noodle soup |
Following a hearty
lunch of Chaolong—the Filipino version of Vietnam's Pho, introduced to the
local culinary scene by Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon in 1975—we
visited a couple of emerging farms, which local tourism authorities are
considering as potential sites for farm tourism and agricultural training for
visitors interested in growing their own produce.
At Alba Farm in
Brooke’s Point, Palawan, Gabriel Alba leans against a wooden post, surveying
the land that changed his life. At 38, the former security guard turned
full-time farmer and a father of three talks about the moment of realization
that set him on this path.
 |
| Accidental Farmer Gabriel Alba |
“There I was,
clocking in and out as a guard in the city, while this land I inherited from my
parents, just sat here,” he recalls, shaking his head. He then told us how a
moment of realization came about. A conversation with his fellow guards, who shared
dreams of retiring and owning a farm someday. That was all it took. Instead of
waiting for “someday,” Alba packed up, went home, and got his hands dirty.
Bit by bit, he
transformed his 14-hectare property into something more than just farmland.
Rice fields, vegetable patches, a coconut plantation, fishponds, and the likes.
But Alba’s vision goes beyond crops. His farm now welcomes agricultural
students for on-the-job training, turning it into a place where knowledge is
cultivated as much as the soil.
“This land is a
blessing,” he says, his voice sounding with pride. “This is our family’s only
wealth.”
At the nearby Mel Farm
Hydroponics and Garden, Aldrin and Normelyn Sali never planned on becoming
farmers. But fate plus a global pandemic had other ideas.
.jpg "Accidental Farmer Normelyn Sali") |
| Accidental farmer Normelyn Sali |
In 2020, Aldrin,
52, was working as a civil engineer in the Middle East, a career he’d built for
over a decade. Then the world shut down. Expatriated and then becoming stranded
in the Philippines and unable to return to his job, he found himself with
nothing but time, and a backyard. What started as casual gardening quickly
became an obsession. He experimented with vertical farming, growing basil,
mint, celery, lettuce, and more.
Soon, their
small-scale setup wasn’t just putting food on their table, it was feeding
Puerto Princesa’s hotels and restaurants. Before they knew it, Mel Farm had
become Brooke’s Point’s first hydro farm, and the money followed. In the years
after the pandemic, the couple was raking in over ₱100,000
a month.
From civil
engineering to hydroponics, Aldrin swapped blueprints for green thumbs. And as
it turns out? Best career change ever.
.jpg "Tagusao Historical Marker of Magellan-Elcano first circumnavigation (1)") |
| Tagusao Historical Marker of Magellan-Elcano first circumnavigation |
We wrapped up our
time in Brooke’s Point with a visit to one of the 34 historical markers
commissioned by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to honor
the 500th anniversary of the Magellan-Elcano expedition’s first
circumnavigation of the globe. Nestled in Sitio Tagusao, this marker, like the
rest, stands at a site where the legendary voyage is believed to have touched
or passed through Philippine shores.
.jpg "Tagusao Historical Marker of Magellan-Elcano first circumnavigation (6)") |
| The marker faces the waters of Sulu Sea |
These
quincentennial markers are more than just plaques; they’re artistic statements.
Designed by sculptors Jonas Roces and Francis Apiles, each piece features a
dust-marble relief inspired by muralist Derrick Macutay’s sketches, which
reimagine the historic landings from the perspective of the locals rather than
the explorers.
