The primeval island of Coron—inhabited by the indigenous Tagbanua peoples and haunted by powerful spirits
“I think the engine is shy of the foreigner,” Renejal muttered as he fiddled with the engine of the outrigger. We were in the middle of the gulf, halfway between Coron Town and Coron Island, in a flimsy wooden boat being tossed by the waves. It was the second time the engine had died, and the waves were pushing us toward the open sea. It was also the second time, in less than 20 minutes, in the company of the Tagbanua, that my presence had caused shyness and breakdown. The first time—at the pier—Rogelio Aguilar, the chief of Cabugao village and Renejal’s father, had acted in a tetchy and furtive manner when he met us. Averting his gaze, he sheepishly explained to Rose, my girlfriend, in Tagalog: “I am shy of this foreigner, and I have prepared the best bed for you.”
