They were also used in making baskets and backpacks of various forms for specific purposes. Products included baskets, fish traps and containers. Rattan continues to be domesticated and is also valued because of its fruit and its young shoots that are cooked especially during the summer months. Forests are also important to sustain the supply water. Springs from mountain forests were channelled to the rice terraces and to the villages as well. Natural forests were communally owned by the villages and, until recently, were not be privatized. Certain areas in the forests were designated as sacred groves in which the spirits lived.
Text: Prof. Dr. Leah Abayao