UNDERSTANDING THE

TBOLI CULTURE AND

TRADITION

ENGR. BARY L. LUGAN, MPA

Municipal Information Officer
LGU-Tboli, South Cotabato
 “ Life
gains
greater
meaning
when one
knows
one’s
roots”.
BRIEF HISTORY
With lack of historical
records of the origin of the
Tboli people,
anthropologists believe
that the Tboli are closely
associated with the
features of the proto-
Malay races. Their influx
to the Philippines,
particularly in Southern
Mindanao could have
been connected to the
“balangay” expedition of
the Malays, at different
sources, in different times.
The Tboli culture,
traditions and
arts have also
resemblance to
the Malay and
Indonesian
groups especially
in terms of metal
crafts like the
gongs.
• The Tbolis are found in the costal areas of
Sanganari province, and the hilly parts of
the provinces of South Cotabato and
Sultan Kudarat.

• From a small clan, the Tboli have grown to

about 350 Thousand people based on the
2009 survey conducted by the National
Statistics Office (NSO)
 Tboli
 One of the Indigenous
Peoples or Tribes in
Mindanao
 “Taga-bili”- “ Tao Bilil”
 One of the colorful tribes
in terms of arts and
rich culture.
 Conservative / shy /
humble people
 Hospitable
 Sensitive to the needs
of others
 Close Family Ties
 Tradition
a long-established action or pattern
of behavior in a community or group
of people, often one that has been
handed down from generation to
generation.
 Culture
 Integrated pattern of human
knowledge, belief, and behavior that is
both a result of and integral to
humankind’s capacity for learning and
transmitting knowledge to succeeding
generations.

 the person’s way of life.

 THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE
• Family

In the Tboli household, the father is the

head and all his orders are followed.
However, this does not imply that he is in
a way exempt from the iron-clad
exigencies of Tboli tradition. That means,
while his order is absolute, he still cannot
treat his wife like a slave.
• The wife or wives, while being submissive
and respectful, they are given by the Tboli
tradition the right to explain themselves
and argue with their husbands.

• The husband can marry as many as he

can so long as he can manage his family
and with the blessing of the first wife. It is
called sedewey.
• The moment the father, and head of the
family dies, his rights and responsibilities
pass on to the eldest male child- never to
a girl, even when she happens to be the
first-born.

• Tboli families prefer to have male children,

where female children are considered
liability. Having male children signifies
power, strength and stabilility of the family.
• Tboli couples greatly desire that their first-
born be a boy, not because this is
considered lucky, but principally so that there
would be someone to assume the father’s
role, should the original head of the family
die.

• Otherwise, in the absence of a male child, all

the dead man’s wealth, which includes the
wives he leaves behind as well, is passed to
on to his eldest living brother, according to
the “lemolo” practice.
• Obligations of the Father
- Support of and control over his family

• Obligations of the Mother

- Maintains order in the family
- Takes care of the family’s daily needs

It is the duty of the Tboli parents to think

over their children’s happiness and
interests
• Parents had to ask favor from the gods
when their children are sick and offer
something through the ‘desu’. They use to
kill pigs or white chicken are offerings.
• The children are fully dependent to their
parents until such time they get married
and get a family of their own.
• In turn, the children render strict reverence
and obedience to their parents as in the
case when the parents choose, or even
merely suggest, their marriage partners.
• The bargaining for and settling of the most
advantageous marriage ‘kimu’ ( Material
properties connected to marriage
practices), however is the parent’s rights
and duty.
• Early child marriage, even when the
children are still in the mothers’ wombs are
also common among the Tboli
• Sunggod – Material things asked by the
girl’s parents
• Los- Material things asked by the boy’s
parents from the girl’s parents usually
lower than that of sunggud.
• According to the hebalu practice, when a
child violated his filial relationships
towards his parents through acts of grave
disobedience or very serious disrespect,
they sold him to any willing buyer. Of
course the ‘sale’ could not involve money
since Tboli society in the past had no
concept of it.
• Or perhaps, parents would have been
forced to into such deed if the family
found itself particularly pressed by
pursuing creditors.
• The brothers or cousins of the child’s
parents had the obligation of ‘buying back’
or redeeming the child from his non-
consanguineous buyer, or better still, of
going through the action of ‘buying’ the
child directly from his angered parents
before they had the chance of selling him
to someone extraneous to his family.

• Once the child had been sold, all

connections with the nuclear family were
severed.
 Some Beliefs in Child Raising
• The badak/ barak (jack fruit) that grows
reclining against the branch should not be
eaten. It is pulled down and thrown away
for fear that a child should eat of it and
become rebellious and insubordinate
towards his parents;
• Children are not allowed to eat the head of
pork lest they become hard-headed;
• Old folks guard the children from eating
frog’s heads lest they become
disrespectfully talkative;
• The burnt rice which sticks to the pot’s
bottom (sani) is never given to children.
This would make them indolent and
unmanageable;
• Children are not allowed to eat the wings
of cooked chicken or other fowl since it
would render boys incapable of ever
building a house, and girls, incapable of
learning how to weave;
• The eating of rodents heads disposes one
to steal other people’s property
 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES
“The T’boli people, since time immemorial, have
been deeply rooted to their belief and tradition,
believing that their lives are ruled and guarded by
”D’WATA”
 a.“Demsu”
 Propitiatory offerings
like T’boli ornaments
and crafts.
 Led by the “Meton Bu”
( Shaman) or a Datu
 A peace offering to
appease the bad spirits.
 A thanksgiving prayer
or ritual. “Olu”
 Can be done through
dancing, chanting and
playing musical
instruments.
3 ways to heal a sick Person/ Offer food
to the Spirit
1. Setengeb- For minor ailments for the sick
person only the cooked rice and egg.
2. Ket Du- semi-serious illness, the spirit demands
for all kinds of fishes found in fresh water
shall be offered.
3. Nesol be Tonok- a serious, illness healing a
booth is put and sick persons inside the booth
while the healer dances around w/ live chicken
on both hands. After the healing the people
joined together and shall the food offering.
 b. “Lemuhen Bird”

 Considered as the
god of fate.

 Any undertaking is
immediately
abandoned or
postponed when
one hears the
“Lemuhen”
sings.
 c. “Benon”

Sneezing

Any undertaking is immediately

abandoned or postponed when one
sneeze which leads to misfortune.
 d. B’was

• A ritual to deliver a person from being

possesed by a spirit of charm.

• An ability to rebuke the spirit of charm

or to cast away the illness of a person.
 e. Demangaw
• a medicinal act of
measuring by use of
hands, using the
span of the hand
between the tip of the
thumb and the tip of
middle finger.
• To determine or
prove that the subject
is either in good /bad
circumstances.
 T’boli Customary Laws
• Kemolut Libol
– still being done today to establish the
innocence or guilt of a person.
• Sekeleng Lu-os ( Bond of Friendship or
Brotherhood)
– The friendship would last forever. The one
who will breaks the pact between two parties
would die.
• Udof
– - a curse that cast over an area w/c the
community would like to protect.
• Hesek
– A curse used to catch the culprit. This
curse is directed against him which will
cause him to suffer various maladies.
• Keseb
– Is a form of body trap, which is, placed in a
certain area.
• Tufil/ Helugod/ Batang
– A trap usually placed at the tree
• Sebot-meso/halay ( Submerging of Rice)
– Usually done bet. Couple when the husband
suspected his wife who has personal relationship
w/ other man or committing adultery.
• Temwel el be lewek ( Pouring of water on
the Skirt)- It connotes bad omen when you do it,
you might shorten your life in case your suspicion is
not true. If the water seeps thourgh the skirt then
the person is guilty.
• Hekodok nga onuk (Cooking / Boiling of
Eggs)- Oftenly done by a person who is always
suspicious of others in stealing his belongings.
According to the Study conducted by
Lake Sebu Municipal Tourism Office
– “The advent of Christianization among the
T’boli’s began in 1961 when the Sta. Cruz
Mission was established by the missionaries
of the Congregation of the Passion headed by
Rev. Fr. Rex Mansman, C.P. schools were
built and Christian evangelization converted
hundreds of T’boli’s into the Catholic Faith.
Other religions are now also present such as
the Protestant.
While the Christianization of the Tboli in the
municipality of Tboli was introduced to the
place sometime in the late 1950’s when
the missionaries of the CMA or Christian
and Missionary Alliance came. Along with
that is the arrival of the SIL or Summer
Institute of Linguistics (SIL) purposely to
document the Tboli arts and literature.
 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES
– Despite the passing of time, the advancement
of technology and the sophistication of culture
in the 21st century, the T’boli’s still retain their
culture and tradition.
– While some have been converted to Christian
or Islamic faith, many of the T’boli people still
have their animistic beliefs. They were hardly
influenced by the spread of Islam on the
island and even the Spaniards failed to
Christianize them.
• The T’boli people, since time immemorial
have been deeply rooted to their belief and
tradition, believing that their lives are ruled
and guarded by the “D’wata”, the gods of
nature who determine their fate and destiny.

• The T’boli people believe in the power of the

supernatural and that all natures like
mountains, rivers, creeks, trees, and animals
have the spirit who own and guard them.
Thus, these people are in communion with
nature and have the highest respect for
creation.
• They are not different form the primitive
Filipinos who are Animist- those who
believe in the “Forces” and “ Beings” that
whenever they pass a sacred place they
have to say “Ehe”, ( excuse me); and “
miwes se”, ( my I pass) or in some
instances when crossing a lake or river
they have to throw a ring or any ornaments
as a token of respect and reverence.
 According to Myrna Pula
(Historian, Researcher & Cultural Expert of the Tboli tribe)

• Having dreams is one of the important

means of communication in their religious
life. It is through dreams that they can
communicate to the spirits. In their dreams
they are instructed of the proper way of
living, they are taught what herbs to be
used to heal a certain sickness and other
things that pertains to the lifestyle of their
tribe.
• In T’nalak Weaving, each
unique design of the T’nalak
cloth ( an abaca fabric woven in
a traditional loom by skilled
T’boli women) is believed to be
a gift by the deity “FU DALU” the
spirit of abaca to the chosen
weaver through dreams. The
weavers claim that in their
dreams the spirit communicate
with them and give instructions
as to how the designs should be
done. Thus, the T’boli they are
being guided through dreams.
• The T’boli’s are very religious in their own
rights. They are not only guided by dreams
but also with the “taboos and traditions”
that are very prevalent among them. One
example is the “ Lemuhen Bird”,
considered as the god of fate, whose song
when heard is thought to presage
misfortune. Any undertaking is
immediately abandoned or postponed
when one hears the Lemuhen sing
• The T’boli’s also believe in busao
( malevolent spirits) which wreak havoc on
the lives of human beings, thus causing
misfortune and illness.

• DESU or propitiatory offerings of “Onuk

Bukay” ( White Chicken) or SEDO ( Pig)
are made to placate or gain favors from
these spirits.
 Political System of the T’boli

• The Datu is considered as the head of

the community. His title is based on the
concensus of the community or of the
clan that is mostly succeeded by
competent male family member

• The person who settles problem/ conflict

in the society.
T’boli rites are normally presided by a morally
upright elder who is proficient in T’boli
tradition. Often enough the “datu” themselves
preside. On the other hand, there is the “
Meton Bu” (Shaman)- a religious specialist
who performs the rituals for the healing of the
sick. The T’boli Shaman is a person who
knows all cures of all sickness, has the ability
to seek a cure for the ailing person from the
enraged spirit by the rituals performed. To the
tribe, a Shaman is a person is gifted with the
healing power from the D’wata.
• Libun Boi – the female member of the
Tboli tribe, of appropriate age, who is
respected and valued by her influences
and social status. Usually a wife of a datu.

• Nga Libun Benoi- A girl treated as a

princess of the family who is not obliged to
do any chores
 Rituals and Celebration
1. Makat- it refers to the transferring of one house to
another. It is done when there are much wonderful
moments and good weather.
2. Mungkul- this ritual is being conducted when
you’re going to build a house, engage in farming,
and when entering marriage.
3.Kemini
4. Mulu
5. Lembeng/ Semabu
6. Seslong
7. Mo- Nimun
 Mo Ninum
• Considered as the
grandest wedding
ritual of the T’boli
tribe.
• It was known as the
most sacred
celebration rooted on
the tribal belief of
spiritual healing
through wedding
celebration.
• Mo-Ninum literally means the feast of
“Making Wine’ made of sugarcane, the
day of feasting and drinking of wine.
• Mo-Ninum is a celebration of propitiation,
of soul cleansing, and the renewal of
spiritual life.
• Its ordeal is a journey to complete
merriment of those who vowed to
celebrate the sacred ritual of Mo-Nimum
which is completed w/in six harvest
seasons or a period of six years.
 ISSUES AND CONCERNS
• The Tboli culture and traditions on their
way to vanish as evident in terms of:
- Language and literature
- Commercialized Arts & Crafts
- Shattered Leadership (Powerlessness)
- Degrading Economic Status
(Landlessness)
- Lack of Cultural Bonds
- Lack of Communal Direction
 SOLUTIONS
• Refocus the interests of the Tboli people in
the efforts to preserve, protect, and
promote the rich culture and traditions;
• Instill to the minds of the young generation
the value of knowing, understanding and
loving their roots;
• Plan out what is best for all not just for the
few;
When planning for
a year, plant
corn. When
planning for a
decade, plant
trees. When
planning for life,
train and
educate people.
Chinese proverb
Let us act now before it is
too late that all of us will
just become a history in
a book.
BONG SLAMAT!!!
(Thank You very Much)

Dwata Hol Muyag kem

Tao Tboli !
(May God Bless the Tboli People)
• The greatest thing a little lamp
can do which the big sun can't is
to give light at night. It shows
that no one is superior by size
but by purpose. If we can not do
great things, we can do small
things in a great way. Little
things make a big difference to
GOD". God is not impressed
with our size. He is interested in
our Life and the small but faithful
steps we take towards HIM each
day. Be a Lamp to everyone. A
blessed night everyone.