The unggoy of the mangroves
Balabac's monkeys are Philippine long-tailed macaques. They live in the forests and mangroves. Please don't feed them.
Written from public sources to get this page started. We'll replace it with the story as Balabac residents tell it.
Balabac's monkeys are Philippine long-tailed macaques, a kind of crab-eating macaque found only in the Philippines. Balabac is one of the islands where they live, along with Palawan, Busuanga, Culion and many more.
Unggoy is the everyday word for monkey, and many Filipinos call this one matsing. It eats almost anything and lives in forests and woodlands, and especially in mangroves.
It's listed as near threatened. Like all wild animals in the Philippines, it's protected under the Wildlife Act, and catching one or keeping one as a pet without a permit is illegal.
If you meet one
- Don't feed them. Monkeys that learn people mean food start raiding bags and camps.
- Keep food sealed and packed away on beaches and at camp.
- Don't buy a monkey as a pet, or pay for a photo with a captive one.
