Surely, the highlands of Lake Sebu’s captivating charm is partly due to its serene natural beauty, many local and foreign tourists are also captivated by the ethnic vibe of the local T’boli Tribe of South Cotabato.
The T’boli Tribe is a community of indigenous tribe living in the mountains of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato in the Southern part of the Philippines. Because of their interesting culture, the said tribe has already been featured to many local and international travel and lifestyle shows, even TV commercials.
The photos below were taken during my visit to a T'boli family friend followed by a short meet up with Lang Dulay, one of Philippines National Living Treasure. That trip was special as it pave the chance for me and my relatives to know more about the tribe's culture, members and leaders and their interesting T'nalak weaving which is very much recognized worldwide.
I can't help but get attracted to their costume, the dress made of t'nalak fabric from abaca fibers woven by their so called Dreamweavers. In addition, their tinkling gold and brass adornments are enough to make the entire outfit worthy of that second look, making them the most stylish tribe I've seen so far.
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| T'boli Women of Lake Sebu |
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| Lang Dulay, Philippine's National Living Treasure |
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| their way of ironing the t'nalak |
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| T'nalak Fabrics |
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| My newly bought original T'nalak, the "Bed Gondong" design from House of Lang Dulay |
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| T'nalak Costumes |
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| Us with a T'boli elder and her grandchildren |
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| T'boli women of Barrio Siete |
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| Gracious T'boli Dancers |
T'boli Dancers from Helobung Dance Troupe
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| Madal Tahug Dance |
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| Madalahelos Dance |
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| Bird Dance |
Want to see the actual Dance live? Watch the second part of Lake Sebu Tourism Video below
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| T'boli Elder |
Here's a short video on the T'nalak Weaving
Here are the stories behind these pictures:
Interesting post! I'm interested in meeting ethnic tribes so I really like to visit Lake Sebu someday. Thanks for sharing this :-)
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