Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao Camotes Island | Cebu | Bohol Lake Sebu | Davao ● Homepage ● Mission ● F.A.Q. ● Tours Web mingsworld.com ● Service mingswebdesign.com pupprincess.com ● Contact Us ● About Ming ● Blog ● Shop T’BOLI: People from the South ● Links ● Site Map ● Guestbook ● PHP Currency Do you like my site? Support Ming's World Updated: October 29, 2007 Template design by Round the Bend Wizards Indigenous People in the Philippines There are about 110 indigenous groups of people in the Philippines. Owing to the country’s geographical make-up, and that’s about 7,701 islands, there is as much cultural and linguistic diversity to marvel about. Consider Mindanao, the second biggest island south of the country, which has eighteen indigenous groups namely: Ata, Banwaon, Bla-an, Bukidnon, Dibbawon, Higaunon, Mamanwa, Mandaya, Mangguwangan, Manobo, Mansaka, Matigsalug, Subanen, Tagakaolo, Talaandig, T’boli, Teduray and Ubo http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (1 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao (Rodil, 2003). According to the National Census taken in 1990, they composed 5% of the island’s population. One of the more recognized tribes are the T’bolis, also known as Tiboli, Tboli and Tagabili, who generally live in South Cotabato or in an area known as Tiruray highlands, formed by the municipalities of Suralla, Polomolok and Kiamba. In a census undertaken by the National Museum in 1991, there were close to 70,000 T’bolis still living in South Cotabato. top The Tribe that Survived the Flood photos by Joji Alcantara www.witerary.com The T’bolis believed that they are descendants of two couples who survived a great flood. Based on their myths, their diety D’wata warned the people of an impending great flood. The warning went unheeded, except for two couples: La Bebe and La Lomi, Tamfeles and La Kagef. They stocked food inside a bamboo so huge it could fit people inside it. Then that catastrophic day came --- Mt. Hulon erupted, out came water and inundated the villages for a long period of time. But the two couples survived, as they hid inside that bamboo. Only when the water began to subside and the bamboo started to grow warm did the two couples split open the bamboo and stepped out to a new world almost entirely their own. According to their legends, children of La Kagef and Tamfeles begot 12 children who repopulated the land: 1. From Sudot Henok and Nayong came the tau sequil or the lowlanders 2. From Dodom and Eva came the tau mohin or the sea dwellers from Kiamba 3. From Bou and Umen came the tau sebu or the uplanders of Lake Sebu ad Sinulon 4. From La Bila and Moong came the Bilaan of Tui 5. From Dugo and Sewen came the Ubu (Manobo) 6. From Kmanay and Sodi came the people who became Muslims http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (2 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao From the couple La Bebe and La Lomi came the Ilongos and other Visayan groups, the Ilocano and the Tagalog. top The T’bolis in the Past Centuries photos by Joji Alcantara www.witerary.com Based on their oral traditions, the T’bolis along with other upland people, used to live in some parts of Cotabato Valley until the advent of Islam, sometime in the 14th century. Those who accepted the Muslim faith remained in the valley, while those who resisted retreated to the mountains (Saleeby, 1974). There were accounts of conflicts, with the Muslims taking non-Islamized people for slaves. By the 20th century, migrants coming from Luzon and Visayas gradually settled in Mindanao. Part of the areas in Mindanao that was opened to them was the 50,000 hectares in Koronadal Valley was used for homesteading. This migration affected the T’bolis – as commercial ranching, mining and logging activities began to encroach their homelands. top The T’boli Economy The T’bolis have a great affinity with the forests – it is not only a place to live, but it is the main source of their food. T’bolis are classified as “people in the mature hunting-gathering stage” as well as horticulturists. Their usual fare includes wild animals (pigs, monkeys, snakes and bats), wild http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (3 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao fruits, honey and other plants. What they gather in excess, they barter or exchange with neighboring groups or lowlanders. In forests where there are rivers, streams and lakes, they catch fish, shrimps and snails using traditional tools such as rods, spears and other traps. As Christian communities and commercial activities expand upward, T’bolis’ life is slowly changing too. Barter is not much practiced today, as money becomes the main currency of exchange. Things for the house are no longer made, but bought. Even their traditional products, such as the Tinalak woven cloth, have become popular tourists mementos. Due to the good climate and soil condition, multinational companies are establishing pineapple and banana plantations near their areas. top T’boli Political System They call their leader Datu(or chieftain), who is usually sought for interpretation of T’boli customs and traditions, and in settling inter-tribal disputes. The position is not hereditary and to be elevated as a Datu, a T’boli must have wisdom and an expansive grasp of their traditions. One Datu cannot dominate another group – respect might be given to him in deference, but it does not mean he exercises superiority over the others. T’bolis are not governed by written laws nor a Datu can give a decree. Instead, they submit to their custom law and tradition, usually contained in their folktales and folk beliefs. Those who commit a crime or break a law are penalized by tamok (fines) in the form of land, horses and other properties, or render services to the “aggrieved party for a period of time”. Ostracism or death is handed against grave offenses. Physical Structure T’bolis are considered smaller and leaner than average Filipino man or woman. Women are petite and narrow in the hips. They have light complexion and brown eyes. They are quite vain – for as young as 5 years old, T’boli women know how put on make-up. Traditional make-up includes: face powder mostly made-up of lime, lipstick from a juice of certain fruit (but today, some are already using make-up that can be bought from a local store). Their traditional hairstyle is to “part the hair along the front of one ear, up across the head’s top a couple of increase behind the hairline, and down along the front of the other ear, with tufts of hair hanging loose along both cheeks and forming bangs on the forehead (shaped like a comma)”. http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (4 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao photos by Joji Alcantara www.witerary.com They also pierced their earlobes and the ear’s outer rim, dangling as many types of earrings as possible. T’bolis prefer their teeth colored with the belief that “white, toothy smiles makes one look like a busao” (evil spirit). They file their teeth into regular shapes (nihik) and then they blacken it with the sap of a wild tree’s bark (silab or olit). Teeth may be covered with gold, signifying prosperity (though it is usually the Datus who have gold teeth). Tattooing is another practice of the T’bolis. They believe that tattoos not only enhance one’s look, but it also “lights up one’s journey into the afterlife”. On men’s chests and forearms, and on women’s calves and forearms, they tattoo stylized images of bakong (animal), hakang (man), b’lata (fern), or ligo bed (zig zag patterns). They are also fond of geometric patterns. top T’boli Fashion and Traditional Costumes http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (5 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao photos by Joji Alcantara www.witerary.com T’bolis are known for their bright colored costumes, which they wear daily, unlike other tribes who wear their costumes during tribal feasts or presence of visitors. Women wear K’gul yaha soung (plain black or dark navy blouse, tight fitting, waist length, with opening down the front or the back), and their luwek (ankle- length tube skirt). Other traditional garbs include K’gal nisif (embroidered blouse), fan de (skirt of red and/or black cloth), K’gal binsiurt (embroidered could with triangular shell), and tredyung (black, pin-stripe linen skirt, mostly an heirloom). Adornments or accessories worn by T’boli women include: ■ Earrings – kawat (brass rings), b’ketot (round mirror with glass beads), nomong (chandelier-type with glass beads), and b’koku (chandelier-type with triangular pieces of shells). ■ Kowal (or beklaw)- it consists of several strands of tiny, colored beads, suspended under the chin, from the left ear-lobe to the right. It frames the face of the women like a veil. ■ Necklace – hikef (choker of pure beadwork, in black, red and while), l’mimot (hangs against the woman’s chest, with strands of back and red tiny black beads), lieg (long, thick necklace with double-triple linked brass chain, has wide tassels and beads at the ends. The most difficult accessory to acquire because this is considered an heirloom. ■ Girdles – hilot (3-inch wide brass chainmail), hilot t’noyong (a regular hilot with hawk bells) that makes tinkling sound as a girl wearing it walks, and hilot l’minot (a solid beadwork, with tiny red- http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (6 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 Tboli Lake Sebu Mindanao white-back-yellow beads in dazzling designs).