PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Weaving
magical
experiences
EXPERIENCE THE
T’NALAK FESTIVAL,
CELEBRATED IN THE
PROVINCE OF SOUTH
COTABATO, FOR A
UNIQUE CULTURAL
IMMERSION
A great way to immerse yourself in
Filipino culture is to experience one of
the country’s many festivals. This July,
catch the 20th T’nalak Festival (from
July 12 to 18) held annually in South
Cotabato, Mindanao.
The festival was first celebrated
in 2000, after former Philippine
president Fidel Valdez Ramos awarded
traditional weaver Lang Dulay, of Lake
Sebu, a National Living Treasures
Award, for her contributions to the
culture of t’nalak weaving. From there,
the cloth — made of abaca fibers that
are dyed with indigenous materials —
inspired the festival’s name.
The cloth and its weavers, of whom
there is mysticism about — the
weavers are visited in their dreams
and handpicked by Fudalu, the spirit
of the abaca hemp; once anointed
as “dreamweavers”, they
receive guidance from
Fudalu to weave the
patterns — have since
been tied to the
identity of the South
Cotabato people.
In particular,
the orientation
and perspective of
the well-established
festival is derived from
For more information, visit fb.com/provlgovtsocot or fb.com/tnalakfestival.
the process of the
traditional cloth
being dreamed
up before the final
execution — this
is a process that
requires self-evaluation
and critical analysis on
the part of the weaver. The
celebration can be seen as one huge
t’nalak tapestry, with each pattern
representative of the activities held
during the celebration. The tapestry
shows how the festival is people-,
product- and development-oriented.
At the heart of it, the T’nalak Festival
is a celebration of South Cotabato —
the cohesion among its peoples (the
indigenous T’boli and B’laan, as well
as the Muslim and Christian groups),
cultures and faiths. And this year, it
coincides with the province’s
53rd Foundation
Anniversary (July 18).
Visitor numbers
increase each year
and, this July, the
Provincial Tourism
Office is expecting
an attendance
of approximately
300,000 local and
foreign guests. Key events
to catch include the
T’nalak Festival
Tri-People Grand
Parade, the Street
Dancing Showdown
and the Bahay
Kubo Competition.
Throughout the
celebrations, 10 towns and
one city in the province will be
represented and will adorn their pop-
up nipa huts, called bahay kubo, with
local vegetables, fruit and flowers. The
competition is then capped off with
the annual Lechonan sa Bahay Kubo,
where all towns provide free roasted
pig for everyone to enjoy.
For other types of sustenance
during the festival, there’s the T’nalak
Food Garden, a food court anchored
in a central area that showcases the
different flavors of the province.
There, people can sample the best
flavors as offered by the province’s top
cafés and restaurants.
Visitors are also encouraged to
experience the province’s other
tourists destinations — hop easily
to Mount Matutum in Polomolok,
Seven Falls in Lake Sebu and Lake
Holon in T’boli.
Culture, Adventure, Nature — South
Cotabato can!