It is always interesting to know what is taking place in all parts of the world. Sometimes, we tend to get wrapped up in the news and all of the world events that are taking place in front of the public eye but there are also many things taking place behind the scenes that are even more interesting. That is especially true of small tribes of people who have very unique skills and abilities. We are going to address one of them today.
In the Philippines, there is an aboriginal tribe known as the Igolot and they have a rather unique talent. They are known for their wood carving abilities, which isn’t unusual in and of itself. It is what they are doing with those wood carving abilities, however, that is really turning heads. They carve them into bicycles that are fully functional and more beautiful than most people could ever hope for.
Igolot is a word that stands for ‘mountain people’ in the Philippines Tagalog language. It had originally come from a name that was given them by Spanish invaders in the 16th century. At that time, it was used in a derogatory way to show that the people were uncivilized and were not adding anything to modern society. Little did they know how much they had to offer.
Today, this tribe is gaining attention because of their abilities to carve bicycles from trees that are fully functional. It is amazing to see the designs and craftsmanship that they have at their fingertips.
The skills to do such carving are passed down through the tribe from one generation to the next. It’s no surprise that the bikes are so breathtaking.
Each of the bikes is made entirely out of a carved tree and they differ from each other in their uniqueness. Each one will have the unique artistic style of the creator.
Some people may consider them to be more of a scooter but these are more like bicycles that are carved into a specific style, regardless of whether it is a Dragon, lion or any other creature. Each one involves painstaking hours of craftsmanship and detail.
It also takes an immense amount of skill to ride the bike. The brakes are rather basic and when you think about the bikes reaching the speed of up to 25 mph going downhill, you would need them to work.
The rider steps on the wooden paddle that is attached to the recycled tire. It creates friction when it is running against the road to slow the bike down. Eventually, the rider will stop it with his feet. Judging by the pictures, they use their bare feet or flip-flops/sandals, so it needs to be an acquired skill.
They also don’t wear helmets or other protective gear, but then again, not many people did until recent years.
There are a number of mountain tribes, including the Igolot that live on the largest island in the Philippines, Luzon
The rest of the village is able to come out to see the craftsmanship and they will often wear their native garb as they ride together.
Richard Haw is the photographer who captured these pictures. He said:
“… it just so happens that I had my camera on hand and snapped the cowboy-inspired scooter zooming downhill. Owning a motorcycle is considered a status symbol for people of a humble background. Since most of them do not really earn enough to afford the real thing they would just make imitations of scooters by whatever means they have.”
He lives with his wife in Tokyo, who is part-Igorot.
Richard doesn’t feel that there are many fatalities but he did say that they tended to have some scars on their legs. Perhaps they do get it an accident on occasion.
“When they race through the town, it is a chance to show off their scooters which is a source of pride for the carver.”
The Igolot are very religious and they feel that the gods they worship live in the mountains and trees in the nearby land. They have a respect for the land where they live.
They do still tend to struggle to break free of some of the oppression that follows them. They are attempting to be recognized as a self-governing people and at that point, they will be free to use the resources around them to the full.