LANG

LANG DULAY
DULAY
 biography
biography

Lang Dulay is a T'boli princess and a Filipino

traditional weaver from Sitio Tukolefa,
Lamdalag, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Her
mother, Luan Senig, taught her to weave
when she was 12 years old.

She is known as the “T’nalak Master

Weaver”

She was born on August 3, 1928 however, in

the year 2015, she fell into a coma and died
on April 30, 2015.
biography
biography

She is recognized for preserving traditional

T'nalak weaving designs in the midst of
commercialization, which saw the introduction
of more modern designs by other tribes.

In the 60's, T'nalak was famously used to

trade for horses which became her source of
income.

Lang Dulay's Weaving Center and

Memorial Garden is located at Lake
Sebu,South Cotabato.
FORM
FORM OF
OF ARTS
ARTS

WEAVING
Weaving is a textile production method that
involves combining two unique sets of yarns or
threads at right angles to make a fabric or
cloth. From harvesting abaca fibers to
stripping the abaca plant's stem into fine fibers
with an improvised manual metal tool. One
panel of cloth takes about 4-6 months to finish.
FORM
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OF ARTS
ARTS
T'NALAK CLOTH
T'nalak is a traditional hand-woven cloth made by the
T'boli people of Cotabato. It is woven to commemorate
and honor major life events such as birth, life,
marriage, or death in the community. It is made up of
three different colors: white for the unique patterns,
red for element relief, and black or brown for the
background. The fabric is made of abaca fibers and is
organically coloured with bark, roots, and certain
plants.
FORM
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OF ARTS
ARTS
T'NALAK CLOTH
T'nalak weaving is a time-consuming procedure that
begins with peeling the stem of the abaca plant to
obtain the fibers, then coaxing even finer fibers for
the textile, drying the threads, and hand-tying each
strand. Afterward, there is the delicate task of setting
the strands on the “bed-tying” frame made of
bamboo, with an eye towards deciding which strands
should be tied to resist the dye. It is the bud or tying of
the abaca fibers that define the design.
FORM
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OF ARTS
ARTS
Top 3 designs

Bulinglangit (clouds) Senkulu (head to head) Mebaga Klagan (klagan template)

ETHNICITY OF
ETHNICITY OF LANG
LANG DULAY
DULAY

T'BOLI
The Philippines is home to more than 40 different ethnic
groups. On the island of Mindanao, there are 18 tribal tribes.
The T'boli Tribe, which lives in the province of South Cotabato
around Lake Sebu, is the most well-known. Following the
arrival of people from other Philippine islands, they have
steadily gone to the mountain slopes to dwell in scattered
villages in the Highlands. This tribal tribe continues to live in a
traditional manner, similar to how their ancestors did decades
ago. The T'boli are distinguished from other Tribal Groups by
their colorful clothing, bracelets, and earrings; this tribe is well-
known for their intricate beadwork, excellent woven fabrics,
and lovely brass decorations.
ETHNICITY OF
ETHNICITY OF LANG
LANG DULAY
DULAY

T'BOLI
T'Boli have recently been recognized for their back-loom textile
t'nalak woven from tie-dyed abaca fiber. Personal jewelry made
of multicolored beads, as well as embroidered blouses and hats,
are very popular on a national basis. Using the lost-wax
process, small household manufacturers have expanded their
cast brass bolos handles, figurines, betel-nut containers, and
other ornaments. T'boli culture is deeply tied to and inspired by
nature; their dances are modeled after the movements of
animals such as monkeys and birds. T'boli music and songs are
not just for fun; they have a rich musical culture with a range of
musical instruments. Tribal songs are a live link to their
ancestors and a source of ancient wisdom.
YEAR OF
YEAR OF CONFERMENT
CONFERMENT

Lang Dulay was conferred the National Living

Treasures Award (Manlilikha ng Bayan) in 1998
from the National Commission for the Culture and
the Arts (NCCA) by Former President Fidel V.
Ramos. Moreover, in the same year, as part of the
Philippine Independence Centennial celebrations,
her art works were also recognized in an exhibit at
the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in
the United States.