Indigenous Filipino creator goes viral for showcasing roasted rats cuisine: Video
An Indigenous content creator from Bukidnon, Philippines, is gaining viral attention for showing the world a traditional delicacy from her Langilan Manobo tribe, roasted field rats.
Rosel Sulin-ay Masaloon, known online as Ambow Girl, shares videos of her community’s daily life, including the centuries-old practice of catching, roasting, and cooking rodents. Her latest video, titled “Simpling kinabuhi sa tribu” (Simple life in the tribe), has garnered over 1.5 million views on Facebook.
“I am doing this because I want to promote and preserve our culture, to show everyone that this is who we are, and we are proud of our culture,” Masaloon shared with Viory.
The footage shows Masaloon collecting the rats with other tribe members before preparing them in traditional ways. She says the dish has been passed down for generations. “Our father, our mother, taught us how to catch them and cook. It has been eaten since the time of our ancestors... even by the new generation today,” she said.
Despite the growing support online, Masaloon has also faced online ridicule, with some commenters mocking her appearance. “All of those hurtful words, I just use them as a way to make myself stronger,” she said.
Ambow Girl has over 220,000 followers and continues to share her tribal life.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
