The first notable change in the lives of the Tasaday came with their meetings with Dafal, who introduced new ideas and tools and foods. Bigger change came with the sudden realization in June of 1971, when Elizalde arrived, that there was a vast unknown world out there beyond the forest--a world with people and astonishing things, helicopters, radios, medicines, foods, clothing--an endless array of items they’d never seen before.  They acquired shiny steel bolos and quickly became fond of rice supplied by visitors.

    Over time, one of the new products the Tasaday valued most was modern medicine. It eased pains and healed injuries, and, the Panamin doctor said, may have saved as many as

three Tasaday lives over the first three years of contact.

    They Tasaday became curious about radios and cameras, and intrigued with flashlights (tried to catch the light),  shoes, dark glasses, and certain foods (although most of their visitors’ food they didn’t care for). Lighters and matches suddenly made obso- lete their traditional method of spinning a stick into a wooden hearth to make fire; just as steel bolos made their stone tools less valuable.

    The Tasaday maintained many traditional beliefs, however, and had to instruct visitors about rules of behavior. One rule was that nobody should break or damage plants in front of the caves, which they believed were sacred to their spiritual Higher Power, or the Landlord of the Forest.  Damage to these plants could bring rain, lightning, thunder, or even sickness and death, the Tasaday said.

After watching their visitors make wooden platforms on which to sit and sleep, and racks to dry firewood, the Tasaday used their new steel bolos to do the same for themselves. This meant each family required more space in the caves, so some families had to move from the main habitation cave to other caves to find room.

    The wooden platforms allowed food particles to fall between the slats and lodge in the rocky floor below, which attracted insects and smelled unpleasant-- the Tasaday had a new sanitation problem, and had to be taught to lift the platforms and clean beneath them.

    Some people--particularly elders--found they were not as adept as the younger Tasaday in adapting to the new technologies. And some disliked cameras, particularly the larger ones for television, which peered at them, made them feel uncomfortable. And some Tasadsay were so pleased with their new sharp bolos that they cut down small trees needlessly and let the fallen branches litter the ground.   

    Some Tasaday began to feel stress from all the new people and things. They talked among themselves about holding onto their traditional values, and their practice of sharing and cooperation. “Remember,” said Mayahag, “we are Tasaday--we call all men one man, all women one woman.”

In the Early 1970’s