EXISTENCE

Anthropologists say that the Tboli could be of Austronesian stock. It is believed that they
were already, to some degree, agricultural and used to range the coasts up to the
mountains. With the arrival of later groups, however, these people were gradually
pushed to the uplands.

T'BOLI

 The Tboli people are one of the indigenous peoples

of South Cotabato in southern Mindanao. In the
body of ethnographic and linguistic literature on
Mindanao, their name is variously spelt Tboli,
T'boli, Tböli, Tagabili, Tagabilil, Tagabulul and Tau
Bilil. Their endonym is Tboli which came from Tagu
and Tao Belil, 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 in the
vicinity of 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 floor of the Alah Valley. After
World War II and the arrival of settlers from other parts of the Philippines, they
have been gradually pushed to the mountain slopes. As of now, they have almost
been expelled from the fertile valley floor. According to the census 2020, the
population of T'boli tribe is 101,049.

LANGUAGE

 They speak Malayo-Polynesian language, T'boli

B'laan at Tiruray Ilongo

Example:

Hyu Hlafus- Goodmorning

Tey Bong Nawa hu Kuy- Thank you

BELIEFS

 According to T'boli mythology, all things, living or

inanimate, contain a spirit or energy. The T'boli offer
bracelets and other gifts to the spirits of forests and
rivers. In order to shield their children from evil spirits,
parents often place a sword next to their beds. Folklore
frequently includes talking horses, crabs, or other
creatures.
 Kadaw La Sambad -The sun god and supreme god.

CLOTHING

 T'boli clothing is colorful, not

like other tribes that only wear
 very colorful clothing as a costume whenever there are festivals and
visitors from other tribes

WOMEN'S CLOTHING

1. EARRINGS:
 KAWAT (brass ring)
 B'KETOT(round glass with glass beads),
 NOMONG (Chandelier -type with glass beads)
 B'KOKU (Like the NOMONG except, with pieces
of shells and sea-made miniscule ornaments)

2. NECKLACE
 "Hekef" — choker of red, white, yellow and black
beads. Forgotten — multi-stranded necklace
with red, white and black beads in graduated
sizes. "Lieg" — brass with beads and
hawkbells. Belt or "Hilot" — chain-mail brass belt
with square buckles. "Hilot Lmimot" —
Different from the ordinary hilot in that the
dangling strands are not brass chains but strings of beads.

3. BRACELETS:

 Blonso- around 6 centimeters thick and 8

millimeters in diameter, usually worn loosely, 15 to
20 to a wrist. Kala- thicker than the blonso, worn
tightly, five to an arm Anklets
 Tugul- 5 cm flat black banda worn tighly on the
calves Singkil linti- 10 cm in diameter and 6 - 10
mm thick with simple geometric ornamentation,
worn loosely
 Singkil babat- a more ornatelt decorated version of the singki linti, using
cord and zigzag designs in high relief along the outer edge, worn loosely.
 Singkil slugging -15 mm thick but hollow and filled with tiny pebbles which
make it rattle softly, also worn loosely.

4. RING

 Tsing- worn insets of five on each finger and

toe, often with the brass rings alternated by
carabao-horn rings. The rings can be plain or
compound bands with simple triangular
ornamentation.

5. HEAD DRESS


KAYAB (Yard long silk wrapped loosely around
their hair
 S'LONG KINIBANG- Round salakot made of
bamboo and strips, worn only when working in
the field
 BAGATS'LAONG- Long band made of beads
and brushed horse hair, worn only on occasion
or when the babas is getting married

6. DECORATION AND MAKE UP

Colorful borloloy and make up

 Tamblang- silob or ilot Using gold Tattoo

Bakong- stylized animal Hakang- Human
Blata- fern Ligo bed- zigzag pattern Placement
of a scar

7. DECORATIVE COMBS

 Suwat Blakang- made of bamboo. Suwat

Tembuku- decorated with a mirror. Suwat
Lmimot- decorated with colored glass beads.
Suwat Hanafak- made of brass.
 MEN'S CLOTHING

 KUBUL- Wooden ear-plugs

 ANGKUL- Worn by the Datu, a piece of special
cloth that is piled up, wrapped around the chest
 NIT TEBED- Coat made of sewn bark Also part
of the men's clothing are their weapons
 BAHO-NE-FET- bow and arrow made of
bamboo
 SULIT - Spear made of rattan and with a brass tip
 BOLO ESPADA-KLUNG- Wooden shield/shield
 KABAHO- knife, but mostly used by women for defense and utilitarian.

CULTURE AND TRADITION

AGRICULTURE

 They use kaingin farming to grow rice,

cassava, and yams.
 Hunting and fishing

ARTS

 According to myth, the T'boli's ancestors fashioned musical instruments to imitate

the sound of the souls of those who had perished in the deluge. Other
instruments are the t'nongnong (a deerskin-headed wooden drum), the agong (a
large gong struck by the household head to ward off evil spirits), the k'lintang (a
horizontal set of eight graduated gongs, played with two sticks), the s'loli (a 0.6-m
or 2-ft bamboo flute), the s'ludoy (a bamboo zither), and the feu (a small horn).
FESTIVALS

1. T'NALAK FESTIVAL


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIBU51_MfdU

The T'nalak is an intricately woven tapestry of intense
and striking colors. The hues of intertwined abaca
fabric depict the vivid spirit of the people whom this
unique and artistic weaving has invariably come to
represent. This symbol of woven dreams is a fundamental part of the South
Cotabato culture, a culture steeped in mystique. The T'nalak Festival is an
annual celebration that commemorates the Foundation Anniversary of the
dynamic South Cotabato province amidst the dual presence of tradition and
progress.

2. LEMLUNAY FESTIVAL

 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 rituals that 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. However, Lemlunay Festival is
renowned by the 6 major tribes of South Cotabato (T´boli, Ubo,
Manobo, Kalagan, Maguindanao, Tasaday) together with
representatives from the different tribes in Davao (Tirurays, Mandaya,
Surigao tribes, Langilan, Bilaan, Bagog, Mansaka).
 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 rituals
that 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. However, Lemlunay Festival is renowned by
the 6 major tribes of South Cotabato (T´boli, Ubo, Manobo, Kalagan,
Maguindanao, Tasaday) together with representatives from the
different tribes in Davao (Tirurays, Mandaya, Surigao tribes, Langilan,
Bilaan, Bagog, Mansaka).
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=fCC9kmFhEo4&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2F2.gy-118.workers.dev/%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fcdn.iframe.ly
%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

3. HELOBUNG FESTIVAL

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7GMuhDaUc4

 November 9-15
 Helobung Festival is held to celebrate the Tboli culture.
It is also celebrated to commemorate the founding of
the scenic town settled more than 700 meters above
sea level in the mountains of South Cotabato in
Mindanao. It is said to be the liveliest time of the year
in the town. The festival allows its streets to be
adorned with geometric ethnic designs with striking red and deep black colors,
hues that represent the indigenous Tboli culture. Red represents the bravery and
love and black

LIVELIHOOD OF THE T'BOLI PEOPLE

 The Tboli were initially hunter-gatherers while

being at the same time swidden farmers. Hunting
with baho-ne-fet (bow-and-arrow) and sulit or soit
(spear) used to be one of the prime sources of
Tboli livelihood, supplying them with wild pigs,
deer, monkeys, snakes, frogs, birds, and bats.
The forests have also supplied them with rattan,
bamboo, wax, honey, and other wild fruits and
plants for their own use and as items for barter
with neighboring groups and lowlanders.
 The rivers, lakes, and streams of the region
supply them with fish, shrimps, and snails caught
with fishing rods, spears, nets, and other traps.
They raise ducks along lakeshores. They raise
domestic animals, the most distinctive being
horses, which enjoy a singular stature.
Possession of horses is an indicator of financial and social prestige.

T'BOLI TRADITIONAL VILLAGE SYSTEM

  The concept of the village is nonexistent in the traditional Tboli political system
since every house or household cluster operates rather independently, except
during marriage and funeral feasts. The Tboli have the datu or chieftain to whom
people go for interpretations of customs and traditions and for the settlement of
intertribal disputes. Wisdom and proficiency in the knowledge of traditions are the
deciding factors that make litigants consult one datu and not another.
 The community’s respect for the datu is based on his success, wealth, and the
percieved righteousness of his life. His kimu (great wealth) includes suspended
gongs, the klintang (gongs laid in a row), betel nut boxes, jewelry, and
accessories. Because of his wealth, the datu can have many wives, though the
libun gna (first wife) holds the greatest right and responsibility. T'boli people does
not follows laws of the country instead they follow their own traditions and
folktales. If someone in the tribe violate their law or did a crime they will punish
them through "Tamok" or bail/ land fine or horse etc. Also they allow community
service instead of tamok. They will reject or kill someone that did the worst crime
in their tribe.

T'BOLI TRADITIONAL HOUSE AND COMMUNITY

 The Tboli consider the household as the basic

social and economic unit; hence, they do not
have villages. At most, they form clusters of
three or four houses whose occupants are close
relations. The gunu (houses) are built on
hilltops, primarily for security. Tboli houses are
not permanent because of tnibaor slash-and-
burn farming, which exhausts the land after a
number of years; the kimu, the transfer of
property on the occasion of a marriage; and the
practice of burning or abandoning houses and
moving whenever a member of the household
dies.

RITES OF PASSAGE

 Parents arrange their children's marriages as early as just after birth. Taking a
child's illness as a sign that he or she needs a partner, parents will ask to borrow
a bracelet or other object belonging to a child with whom they wish to match their
own; Once their child recovers, the family visits the other child's family to propose
marriage. The girl's parents visit the boy's for a feast during which they settle the
bride-price (gongs and horses or water buffalo). As they are already considered
 married, the children may sleep together, and the boy helps the girl's family with
chores.

MARRIAGE RITES

 Marriage in T'boli has three processes

1. Childhood
2. Puberty
3. Adolescence.
 They also allowed Polygamy if they can provide
the needs and bribe them.
 Banahung- needs someone to be with for life

 There is also a divorce that can take place:

1. Incompatibility
2. Sterility
3. Infidelity
 The wife's unfaithfulness to the man means killing him immediately
 Returning Kimo

T'BOLI TNALAK WEAVING

 Tboli weaving is another skill that has been raised to the level of art. Their
traditional cloth, the tnalak, is made of krungon or kdungon (abaca fiber),
especially the krungon libun (female abaca), extracted from the mature, fruit-
bearing wild abaca. They identify four types of abaca: wogu (someone older than
you); gindanao, which probably refers to “Maguindanao,” with its subtype
lenewen, probably related to the lowlanders’ liniwan (fine pineapple fibers); luden
(long); and genulon (banana-like). The Tboli do not mix different types of abaca
fiber because the threads would break easily while they are being woven. Each
fiber is carefully dried in the sun and stretched on the gono smoi, a comb-like
wooden frame with teeth pointing up, to preserve the length and silkiness of each
fiber.

Singapore PE personnel and members of the Filipino community during the

seminar-workshop tried on samples of Philippine indigenous attire

 Nykee Kyla Kinan, a member of the

indigenous T’boli group, demonstrates
how to properly wear the elaborate dress
of her group. Nykee Kyla Kinan and
Kenneth Michael Dalimbang (rightmost
and leftmost, respectively) teach
participants the native T’boli dance. Dr.
 Edwin Antonio, Founder and President of Katutubo Exchange Philippines, taught
participants how to write and read Baybayin, PH’s indigenous script.
 Dr. Edwin Antonio, Founder and
President of Katutubo Exchange
Philippines, taught participants how to
write and read Baybayin, PH’s
indigenous script. The Philippine
Embassy, in coordination with the
Katutubo Exchange Philippines and the
Philippine Bayanihan Society Singapore,
hosted

“Kasaysayan at Kalinangan: A
Seminar-Workshop on Philippine
Indigenous Culture” under the
auspices of the Sentro Rizal on 11
August 2018 at the Bayanihan Center.
The event featured Dr. Edwin
Antonio, Ms. Nykee Kyla Kinan, and Mr.
Kenneth Dalimbang. Dr. Antonio is the
Founder and President of Katutubo Exchange Philippines, while Ms. Kinan and
Mr. Dalimbang are members of the T’boli indigenous group. Katutubo Exchange
Philippines is an organization that promotes traditional arts and indigenous
cultures, especially among Filipino indigenous youth groups. Aside from a lecture
by Dr. Antonio, the event also involved a T’boli dance presentation by Ms. Kinan
and Mr. Dalimbang, and interactive activities on reading and writing Baybayin,
PH’s indigenous script, and the proper wearing of indigenous attires.
 Dr. Edwin Antonio, Founder and President of Katutubo Exchange Philippines,
taught participants how to write and read Baybayin, PH’s indigenous script. The
Philippine Embassy, in coordination with the Katutubo Exchange Philippines and
the Philippine Bayanihan Society Singapore, hosted “Kasaysayan at Kalinangan:
A Seminar-Workshop on Philippine Indigenous Culture” under the auspices of
the Sentro Rizal on 11 August 2018 at the Bayanihan Center. The event featured
Dr. Edwin Antonio, Ms. Nykee Kyla Kinan, and Mr. Kenneth Dalimbang. Dr.
Antonio is the Founder and President of Katutubo Exchange Philippines, while
Ms. Kinan and Mr. Dalimbang are members of the T’boli indigenous group.
Katutubo Exchange Philippines is an organization that promotes traditional arts
and indigenous cultures, especially among Filipino indigenous youth groups.
Aside from a lecture by Dr. Antonio, the event also involved a T’boli dance
presentation by Ms. Kinan and Mr. Dalimbang, and interactive activities on
reading and writing Baybayin, PH’s indigenous script, and the proper wearing of
indigenous attires.

REFERENCES
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%20people%20were%20gradually%20pushed%20to%20the%20uplands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tboli_people?
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https://omniglot.com/writing/tboli.htm?
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fbclid=IwAR375HvSWEfo0qUIzqUnhZS7D_0TWUWfiZAyfugWVCbFLerNDgCRY_a4xbk#:
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https://www.traveling-up.com/souvenir-guide-lake-sebu/?
fbclid=IwAR0qiPk_h26Wt48fiCjXn9nvS3lnnFGIvnQ5bjtRz3imTrXA_WfCPB_uxdk

https://www.slideshare.net/gomigomi/t-boli

https://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/showcase-of-philippine-indigenous-culture-in-sg-
highlights-the-need-for-its-preser

Submitted by:

Crizaldo, Clarens Isaac N.

Macasabuang, Jellian G.