Batak people (Philippines)

Not to be confused with Batak of Indonesia.
Batak
Batak people in Palawan (c. 1913)
Total population
1,531 (2020 census)[1]
Regions with significant populations
 Philippines
Palawan
Languages
Palawan Batak, Filipino, English
Religion
Christianity, Anito, folk religions
Related ethnic groups
Aeta, other Negrito peoples
Demographics of
the Philippines
Filipinos

The Batak are one of about 140 indigenous peoples of the Philippines. They are located in the northeastern portions of Palawan, a relatively large island in the southwest of the archipelago. Since ancient times, the Batak have inhabited a series of river valleys along the coastline of what is today Puerto Princesa City.[2]

There are only about 1,500 Batak remaining according to the 2020 census.[3][2] Also called Tinitianes, the Batak are considered by anthropologists to be closely related to the Aeta of Central Luzon, another Negrito tribe. They tend to be small in stature, with dark skin and frizzy or curly hair, traits which originally garnered the "Negrito" groups their name. Still, there is some debate as to whether the Batak are related to the other Negrito groups of the Philippines or actually to other, physically similar groups in Indonesia or as far away as the Andaman Islands.

  1. ^ "Ethnicity in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing)". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Jagmis, Noel. "The Batak". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Ethnicity in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing)". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 4, 2023.