Discovering the Heart of Palawan Through Its Local Crafts and Artisans

Palawan is famous for its limestone cliffs and turquoise lagoons. But there is a different side to the island. It has 87 distinct cultural groups, and their crafts tell stories that go back generations. If you only see the beaches, you miss what makes Palawan unlike anywhere else in the Philippines.

Palawan is called the “Last Ecological Frontier” because it has the biggest forest cover in the Philippines. Indigenous communities like the Tagbanua, Pala’wan, and Batak live inside those forests, and their crafts come directly from what the forest provides — rattan, bamboo, pandan, nito vines, and natural dyes from plants and trees. When you buy a woven basket or a carved figure, you are holding a piece of that forest and the knowledge of families who have been making them the same way for generations.

The Crafts You Will Actually See and Touch

Beyond these three main crafts, coastal communities also create shellcraft — intricate jewelry, decorative items, and mosaic-style artworks using shells found along the shores. The connection to the ocean runs as deep as the connection to the forest. Art galleries in Coron and El Nido now showcase both traditional indigenous work and contemporary mixed-media art that blends indigenous motifs with modern styles.

When to Go and What Changes Your Trip

Palawan tourism saw a nearly 90% increase in visits during 2023. That means more people are discovering the crafts, but it also means crowds and higher prices during peak season (November to May, when the weather is dry). If you visit during those months, expect more travelers in Coron and El Nido and potentially higher accommodation costs. The high-end resorts like Amanpulo and El Nido Resorts charge over $2,000 per night during peak seasons — that gives you a sense of the upper range of the market, though budget options still exist.

Here is the thing most first-timers miss: the best time to engage with artisans is not peak tourist season. The weavers and carvers work year-round, but they are more accessible and less rushed during the quieter months (June to October). The rains can make travel on the southern highway slower, but the trade-off is that you get more time with the makers and better prices on crafts.

The Baragatan Festival is a month-long celebration of Palawano culture, and the Culture and Arts Summit launched in 2024 is working to create a cultural inventory across the province. If your trip lines up with these events, you get a concentrated look at music, dance, and crafts all in one place.

Getting to the Crafts: Routes and Communities

Puerto Princesa as Your Base

Puerto Princesa is the central trading point for the entire province. The southern highway connects it to the weaving communities of Aborlan, Bataraza, and Quezon. You can easily base yourself in the city and take day trips south. The Palawan Heritage Center in Puerto Princesa opened in 2012 and features interactive holograms that give background on indigenous groups before you go out to meet them. It is a good first stop to understand what you are looking at.

Southern Highway Communities

Along the highway south of Puerto Princesa, you will find families weaving rattan baskets right by the road. George, a weaver for two decades who learned from his father, makes pliable, sturdy baskets from rattan stems used for transporting agricultural produce. Basket-making is a family affair: women set up the base while men weave the sides, with children watching and learning. Further south in Aborlan, Rodel Francisco has been making baskets since 1979, learning from his brother-in-law. His baskets are known for quality, and his eldest son — a school teacher — plans to take over the family business.

Bataraza and the Pala’wan People

In Bataraza, you find the Pala’wan indigenous people, believed to be descendants of the Tabon people from 50,000 years ago. They live on the fringes of the modern world and use the tingkep basket for storing rice and grains. Younger weaver Emily demonstrates bamboo processing, striking the stalk and removing strips to start weaving. She works quickly and prefers evening hours to keep the material from becoming brittle. Near Quezon, the town closest to Tabon Cave (a national treasure that holds one of the oldest-known human skeletal remains in the Philippines), the Palawan Museum has exhibits on the Tau’t Batu — “People of the Rock” — an ethnic group found only in Palawan.

What to Actually Do There

Visit the Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation

Czarina started the Rurungan sa Tubod Foundation in 1999 after a ban on kaingin (traditional upland farming) threatened the livelihood of indigenous communities. With Adelaida, she taught women to extract pineapple fiber, and with help from the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA), they learned to weave piña fabric. The foundation celebrated its 20th year in September 2019 and has trained 250 women — 35 of whom stayed on and now train others. The commitment is simple: “Family first, and then weave.” Visitors can arrange to see the weaving process and buy directly from the weavers.

Take a Multi-Day Boat Trip from Coron to El Nido

Three-day boat trips from Coron to El Nido (or the reverse) are offered by operators like Green Gecko Eco Hostel and Tours. These trips stop at islands where artisans sell woven baskets directly from their communities. You get the island-hopping experience and a chance to buy crafts at the source. The trip also lets you see how coastal communities use shells for jewelry and decorative items — a craft that reflects the ocean’s role in their daily life.

Explore Artisan Markets and Galleries in Coron and El Nido

Both towns have galleries that showcase local and visiting artists working in painting, sculpture, and mixed-media art. Contemporary artists in Palawan incorporate nature and indigenous motifs into their work. Evening Sea Entertainment, founded in 2011 by Matt Lubetich and Ester Lubetich, is one example of how the contemporary art scene blends with traditional influences. Walking the markets in either town gives you access to beadwork by Tagbanua and Pala’wan communities, wood carvings, baskets, and textiles.

Attend the Baragatan Festival or Culture and Arts Summit

If your visit aligns with the month-long Baragatan Festival, you get to see traditional music and dance alongside craft demonstrations. The Tagbanwa use instruments like the gimbal, babarak, aruding, and babandil. The Culture and Arts Summit, launched in 2024, is working to place cultural officers in local governments and create a province-wide cultural inventory. Check the Palawan provincial government tourism page for dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Route Before You Go

The crafts of Palawan are not集中在 one museum. They are spread across the southern highway, on islands between Coron and El Nido, and in small workshops in Puerto Princesa. The best approach is to pick one or two communities and spend real time there rather than trying to see everything in one day. Bring cash, ask permission before taking photos, and buy directly from the makers. That is how the tradition survives.

If this was useful, you might also want to read our guide to respecting and learning from Palawan’s indigenous cultures.

Sources

Island Hopping Adventures in El Nido, Palawan — If you plan a boat trip to reach artisan communities, this guide covers what to expect on the water.

Renting a Motorbike in Palawan — Useful if you plan to drive the southern highway to reach weaving communities on your own.

Palawan: A Journey Into Filipino Crafts. Best Diving Philippines.

Palawan Island’s Art and Culture Groups Confront Development Boom. Forbes, 2025.

Palawan’s First Culture and Arts Summit. Province of Palawan, 2024.

PhilFIDA Supports Pineapple Fiber Weaving in Palawan. Philippine News Agency.

Palawan Heritage Center, Puerto Princesa. Evendo.