Meet Mindoro’s Taw’Buid Tribe at Indigenous People's Month Photo Set

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Taw’buid is the largest of the eight Mangyan tribes of Mindoro. Once occupying Mindoro’s lowlands, they were pushed deep into the mountains by both Spanish colonizers and Filipino immigrants.

Many still sport loincloths called amakan, hunt game with spears called tulag, bows called gadun and spike traps called silo. Unlike other Mangyan who chew betel-nut, nearly all Taw'buid men smoke tobacco – children included.

A collaboration between WWF, Far Eastern University, National Geographic Channel, Primer Group of Companies, Banco de Oro and the Philippine government aims to improve the lives of Mindoro’s secretive tribesmen, while conserving the Tamaraw, Earth’s rarest buffalo species.

Meet the Taw’buid people through this set shot by Gregg Yan, which is now on exhibit at the FEU campus in Manila.

The photo above are the dedicated rangers of the Tamaraw Conservation Programme, led by flag-bearer Rodel Boyles, Protected Area Superintendent for the Iglit-Baco National Park.