T'Boli Tribe

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The Tboli are one of the indigenous peoples of South Cotabato in Southern Mindanao. From the body of ethnographic and linguistic literature on Mindanao they are variously known as Tboli, Tiboli, Tibole, Tagabili, Tagabeli, and Tagabulu. They term themselves Tboli or T'boli. Their whereabouts and identity are somewhat imprecise in the literature; some publications present the Tboli and the Tagabili as distinct peoples; some locate the Tbolis to the vicinity of the Lake Buluan in the Cotabato Basin or in Agusan del Norte. The Tbolis, then, reside on the mountain slopes on either side of the upper Alah Valley and the coastal area of Maitum, Maasim and Kiamba. In former times, the Tbolis also inhabited the upper Alah Valley floor. After World War Two, i.e., since the arrival of settlers originating from other parts of the Philippines, they have been gradually pushed onto the mountain slopes. As of now, they are almost expelled from the fertile valley floor.
Like their immediate tribal neighbors, the Úbûs, Blàan, Blit, Tàú-Segél and, for those who have serious doubts in the hoax argumentation, the Tasaday, they have been variously termed hill tribes, pagans, animists, etc., as opposed to the indigenous Muslim peoples or the Christian settlers. In political contexts, however, the term Lumad groups (derived from the Cebuano term for native people) has become popular as a generic term for the various indigenous peoples of Mindanao.

As the tradition of weavers started to decline, Lang Dulay, a traditional T’boli weaver in her 90s, remained steadfast, choosing to remain committed to preserving the value of the sacred T’nalak fabric.
For this, she was recognized in 1998 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for preserving and cultivating the art of T’nalak weaving. She was given the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan award in recognition of her mastery and expertise.

The Filipino T’Boli Embroiders

Lemlunay or also known as T'Boli Tribal Festival is an annual celebration staged at Lake Sebu, South Cotabato in Philippines. It is celebrated every third week of September that features tribal ritualsthat start at early down amidst sounds of gongs and native music, culminating at the town plaza where cultural dances and ethic sports like horsefight are held.

T'boli Accessories