The Palawan grow most of their food on small plots of land in the forest. Before clearing an area for planting, they consult and appease various spirits and interpret omens in their dreams.

Palawan planting upland rice in the Philippines. © Dario Novellino

Wild pig is the Palawan’s favourite meat, and they must make a request to the pig animal ‘master’ before catching it.

Bees are also believed to have their own master, who can only be seen by the beljan (shaman) during trance.

Some communities perform a ceremony every seven years to ‘cleanse the world’ and restore the cosmic balance.

The Palawan collect and sell resin, rattan canes and wild honey. The more settled of the Palawan also grow rice and coconut to sell, and raise domestic animals such as cows, buffalos and pigs.

Mining has already made it difficult for some Palawan communities to grow and hunt enough food. Parts of their forests have been devastated, their rivers have silted up and their sacred sites have been destroyed.

The huge nickel mining projects will destroy miles of forest, depriving the most vulnerable Palawan of their livelihoods.