CHRISTIAN J C.

SEBELLINO BSCE-2A

T’BOLI TRIBE AND THEIR PRACTICES

Culture is characterized as a specific group of people that share traditions,

knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practiced, and passed from one generation to

another.

There are 18 Lumad ethnolinguistic groups in Mindanao that even today they

maintain their unique cultures, practices, and tradition. T’boli is one of the most well-

known tribe among the 18 tribes in Mindanao and they are found in the coastal areas of

Sarangani province, and the hilly parts of the provinces of South Cotabato and Sultan

Kudarat. According to the internet, the word T’boli has many various terms, Tboli, Tiboli,

Tibole, Tagabili, Tagabeli, Tagabulu. “Tau-bili” that is derived from the word tau means

“tao”, and bili means “bunga ng ligaw na baging.” Tao-belil means “taong nakatira sa

bundok.” They have a tribal leader called datu, who imposes the traditional laws, settle

misunderstandings and conflicts and perform marriage rituals. He makes decisions

along with a group of wise men and leaders.

In terms of their religion, T’boli continue to uphold and preserve the religion

practice and indigenous rituals by worshiping a spirits that lives in all things such as the

god of creation the D’wata and Fun Koyu or the spirit of the forest. They believes that

everything has a spirit which must be respected for good fortune. There are also some

bad spirits that can cause illness and misfortune. They also pray to the gods of the

moon, sun and stars for a healthy life or safe travel. They also practice ritual dance and

practices to the gods, for soliciting good harvest, seeking deliverance from pestilence,
preparing for war and even for the celebrating feast, birth, weddings and death. They

also have a wide array of traditional celebrations and occasions to mark significant

cultural beliefs and seasonal rituals and traditions.

In terms of their marriage, T’boli practiced polygamy. The chieftains or the datu

may have as many as wives as they can, by this they reflects their gods D’wata who

have many wives as well. However there are laws that men must follow, they must first

ask permission to their first wife if he can have another wife and if he has a finance that

he can provide for them all and if he can afford to support their several families. They

also has a divorce that is also possible on the grounds of incompatibility, sterility and

infidelity.

In terms of their lifestyle, T’boli practice swidden farming called ‘kaingin or

taniba’, cultivating highland crops and staple food. They usually cleared hilltops in order

for the T’Boli to establish their homesteads. Rice, cassava and yams were the most

important agricultural products, and other crops like corn, sugar cane, taro, sweeto

potatoes and various vegetables. They also know how to hunt wild pigs, deers,

monkeys and many more. They also how to catch a fish because of their watering

region as their source of fishing. They also raise a domestic animals, like horses and

ducks. Aside from agriculture, T’boli are also skilled in textile weaving and metalwork

which enable them to produce the distinctive T’boli cloth known T’nalak and various

metal artifacts ranging from swords to musical instruments and figurines. T'nalak

weaving is an art form perfected over decades of practice by T'boli women, and only a

handful of master weavers can be considered true 'dream weavers', the works of whom

are highly valued. While weaving a T'nalak, T'boli women practice abstinence in order to
maintain the purity of their art. They have different type of clothes and accessories that

they need to wear depending on their occasion. The Females wear their traditional

blouse called “kegal bentilas” and the skirt “lewek tedeyung”. T’boli also tattooed

themselves, usually mark their bodies and forearms, not just for vanity but because they

believe tattoos glow after death and light the way into the next world. T'boli have a rich

musical culture with a variety of musical instruments. The Tribal songs are a living

contact with their ancestors and a source of ancient wisdom. The T’boli tribe also

performs dances during their marriage celebrations and rituals to appease their god

D’wata and other spirits.

For me, being one of the Mindanao people, T’boli has unique culture, and

traditions. And also the T'boli’s traditional practices and beliefs are gradually changing

due modernization and because the world is improving, there are some T’boli still

maintaning their culture and traditions that their ancestors have passed to them so that

they can show knowledge and they will open our minds to understand about their

culture. And eventhough many have changed to their culture and beliefs, they still never

forget it. They show to us that they still give it value and importance.