T’Boli

Tribe of South Cotabato

Local IP Group
 INTRODUCTION
More than 40 different ethnic groups can be found in the
Philippines. There are 18 tribal groups on the island of
Mindanao, the most well known is the T’Boli Tribe. The T’boli
people belong to one of the ethnolinguistic indigenous
groups in the Philippines, known as the Tiboli or Tagabili, the
MINDANAO
T’boli tribe mainly settle in south western Mindanao,
particularly in South Cotabato. The T’boli tribe is also known
for its three prominent lakes that are culturally significant to
its people. These include Lake Sebu, Siluton, and Lahit.
SOUTH COTABATO
 T’BOLI
The Tboli people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to South
Cotabato in southern Mindanao in the Philippines.
Tbolis – known among the lowlanders as “Tagabili”, and the same,
derived from the word “Tao Belil” which means, man living in the
hills in their own tongue
They are renowned for their tie-dyed abaca cloth and metal industry,
including intricate lost-wax brass casting.
 Lake Sebu
Lake Sebu is the largest of the three lakes, covering an area of 354 hectares. It’s not
just a lake; it’s also the namesake of the town. People rely on it for water, and it’s
essential for irrigation. Legend has it that a princess once met a magical frog here.

Lake Lahit
Lake Lahit is the smallest, only 24 hectares. It’s at the lowest elevation. Unlike the
other lakes, there are no fish pens here. The government keeps it as a free fishing
zone to preserve its natural beauty.

Lake Seloton
Lake Seloton is smaller, about 48 hectares, but it’s the deepest. Locals call it the
“Sunrise Lake” because you get the best sunrise view here. Even on cloudy days, the
lotus flowers bloom beautifully.
HISTORY
A T'boli legend tells that the T'boli are
descendants of the survivors of a great
flood. A man named Dwata warned the
people of an impending great flood.
But the tribe refused to listen, except
for two couples, La Bebe and La Lomi,
and Tamfeles and La Kagef. Dwata told
them to take shelter in a bamboo so
huge they could fit inside and in this
way survive the flood. The story tells
that the first couple are the ancestors
of the T'boli and other highland ethnic
groups The second couple descended
the other Filipino indigenous groups.
LANGUAGE
Phonology Basic Greetings

/b/ beng ‘door’ /ng/ nga ‘child’ Hyu h’lafus. Good morning.
/t/ tulud ‘to pull’ /f/ fet ‘rope’ Hyu kimel. Good afternoon.
/d/ d’wata ‘god’ /s/ sumong ‘lip’ Hyu kifu. Good evening.
/k/ k’sila ‘corn’ /h/ helek ‘sand’ Bong s’lamat. Thank you very much.
/g/ gawi ‘ladle’ /w/ wong ‘spider’ Beleem sekom. You’re welcome.
/m/ megel ‘heavy’ /y/ yaku ‘worm’
/n/ nelem ‘deep’ /l/ logi ‘man
 FIGURATIVE USES OF NAWA
THAT INDICATES EMOTION
T’boli Term Literal Meaning Figurative Use

bong nawa ‘big breath’ love

maan nawa ‘light breath’ joy

blat nawa ‘heavy breath’ sadness

lungun nawa ‘coffin breath’ worry/anxiety

 FIGURATIVE USES OF NAWA THAT
INDICATES CHARACTERISTICS
T’boli Term Literal Meaning Figurative Use

sidek nawa ‘bad breath’ bad character

kesut nawa ‘light breath’ short tempered

sotu nawa ‘one breath’ unity

tikaw nawa ‘clear breath’ honesty

FAMILY AND HOUSING
In a T’Boli family, the father is the head of the family. Depending upon his
economic resources and ability to support, a husband can have a number
of wives. To them, it is prestigious to have several wives. However, a
husband who wishes to marry again must seek the permission of the first
wife. All the wives live under one roof.
Houses are spread sparsely over the entire T’Boli area. The house is
raised about six feet or more above the ground with the side always barely
more than three feet high. The roof is made of cogon or other dried grass
which is strung and sewn down to the bamboo rafters with strips of raw
abaca or rattan.
The posts are of bamboo except for the three stump till rooted to the
ground hat are occasionally utilized as posts for the inner portion of the
floor. The walls of the house are of bamboo split from the inside and
flattened out or of woven bamboo strip
LIVELIHOOD
Like other hill people, the
T’boli subsist on hunting,
fishing and cultivation. The
f
rivers, lakes and marshes o
n
the region have always bee
e so u rce of th e fis h cau g h t
th
,
by using fishing rods, spews
sh,
nest and other traps. Mudfi
catfish, fresh shrimp, and
snails are common food
ite m s. D uck s are a lso raise d
along the lake’s shore
 FOOD
Rice or meso is the
staple food of the
T’boli people. They
also eat root crops
such as ubi (camote),
ubi koyu (cassava)
and k’sila (corn).
TRIBAL FASHION
Traditional T’boli wear:

(a) for men, shirt and

pants of t’nalak fabric;

(b) for women,

embroidered blouse
with geometric motifs
and skirt of t’nalak
fabric.
 NOMONG, LIEG,
BLUSU
T’bo li w o m en h a v e v ari o u s
co lorfu l acc e ss o rie s th at
are m ad e o f b ra s s, g las s
beads and shells. The lieg
is the most priceless
heirloom of a T’boli
woman.
 TATTOOING
Tattoos range from
being restricted only to
certain parts of the
body to covering the
entire body. Tattoos
were symbols of tribal
identity and kinship, as
well as bravery, beauty,
and social or wealth
status.
INSTRUMENTS
The T’boli tribe also
has a wide variety of
percussion and
stringed instruments
that they use during
wedding feasts,
celebrations, healing
and religious rituals.
 ARTS AND LITERATURE
ARTS LITERATURE
The T’boli people use simple basic colors,
Most of the T’boli literature is orally passed on from
especially red, white and black when they
one generation to the next. These include Ana ne Tau
weave their T’boli dresses. However they use
Bawik (Ana and the Spirit of the Dead), Oko ne Ye'en
sophisticated patterns which are never repeated in
(Oko and His Mother), Walo Nga Libun (Eight Maidens)
any T’boli dress. These patterns include geometric
and Bulol Hulon (Mount Hulon). Their epic songs
styles, animal and human designs and
include the famous Tudbulul that depicts the T’boli
repetitive lines and curves. These colors and
origin, Lemlunay (Paradise) and O D’wata Holi
patterns are manifested in the dream weavers’
Kemudung.
work that is famously known as the t’nalak.
 DANCES
’b o li trib e als o p e rfo rm s d ances
The T
rin g th e ir m a rr ia g e ce le b ra tions
du
god
and rituals to appease their
’w a ta a n d oth e r sp irit s. T hey dance
D
) during
the madal tahu (true dance
eir
religious rituals to imitate th
ng the
mythical hero Tudbulul. Duri
tin g a n d h a rv est se a so ns, they
plan
rm th e m ad a l ta h a w (b ir d dance)
perfo
g o o d p ro d u ce . T h e y als o p erform
for
e m a d a l so yo w (w a rr io r d a nce) to
th
e p ic t th eir b a tt le s d u rin g tr ibal wars.
d
nok
They dance the madal be to
f their
(healing dance) when one o
relatives gets sick.
Festivals and Celebration

Mo ninum Lemlunay Festival

 Festivals and Celebration

Helobung Festival T’nalak Festival

 MARRIAGE
Child Marriage
T’boli parents usually arrange their children’s
Feasts, Visits, Dowries
marriages at an early age. The parents usually do
this when their child falls severely ill. The tao The groom is required to give sungod (bride
d’mangaw (shaman) helps them find a partner for price), which may consist of a number of
their child. The sick child is dubbed as a carabaos, agongs and other properties. He is
binahung, or someone who needs a lifetime also required to give kimu (bride endowment).
partner. The partner may be from another tribe
and is required to give the sick child a ring or
bracelet to cure him/her.

Marriage Ceremonies S’ko or Divorce

Divorce is allowed in the T’boli culture.
Polygamy
The marriage ceremony takes place at night. Partners must present themselves before a
Polygamy is acceptable in the T’boli
Dressed in their respective wedding attires, datu and bring up their grievances, which
culture. Unlike the Muslim tradition
the lifetime partners prepare for the may be sterility, incompatibility or infidelity.
where a man may only marry up to
wedding in separate houses. When the case is settled, the woman must
three wives, the T’boli man or datu may
return the bride price fourfold.
have as many wives as he can.
 POLITICAL STRUCTURE
The Datu Sebila (Friendship pact)
The datu is the tribal leader of the community, T’boli families also have a concept of friendship
who imposes the traditional laws, settle agreements, where two families may perform a sinum
misunderstandings and conflicts and perform lito (blood compact) to seal their friendship. Such a
marriage rituals. He makes decisions along ceremony would mark the eternal unity of the two
with a group of wise men and leaders. families. Their motives include financial and
economic securities.

Jurisdiction Religion
The T’boli political system employs strict jurisdiction During the Spanish colonization, Dominican priests
rules to settle misunderstandings and conflicts. The introduced Christianity to the T’boli tribe.
datu presides over the conflict and employs different The people still believe in their gods and also
trials for different types of criminal cases. recognize God and Jesus. With the introduction to
the Christian tradition of baptism, they name their
children with a T’boli and Christian name.
 BELIEF AND HEALING RITUALS
The T’boli people believe their sicknesses are always caused by their angry gods, and they
have to perform rituals and offer densu to appease the spirits. They believe that these are
punishments because they violate the customary ways of intervening with nature.

T’BOLI MEDICAL PLANTS

Herbal Medicine Illness

Seket gembon (herbe buena) For kini ne m’kow (fever and cough)
bulok bukay (white flower) For hali (wounds)
nook hulo- dolil (root of red sugarcane)) For lemwol lito (eye disoder)
 DEATH
MYTHS The T’Bolis do not regard death as inevitable,
rather it is a trick played by the busao or evil
spirits, or a punishment inflicted by gods. This
is rooted in the belief that one’s spirit leaves
The T’Bolis supreme deities are married couple,
one’s body when one is asleep, and one
Kadaw La Sambad, the sun god and Bulon La
awakens the moment the spirit returns. Thus,
Mogoaw, the mood goddess. They reside in the
should the spirit not return, death occurs.
seventh heaven. They beget seven sons and
daughters who end up marrying each otherCumucul,
the eldest son is given a cohort of fire, a tok (sword),
and shield. Cumucul is married to Boi Kabil Sfedat,
the second, the second is married to the second
dauther, Bong Libun.
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THANK
YOU!