History of the T’Bolis
The
Philippine Islands contain a patchwork of various people groups and religions.
In fact, more than 190 ethnic groups inhabit the Philippines. Some of the
groups profess Christianity, others are Muslim, and a few follow their ancient
animistic religions (believe that non-living objects have spirits).
For
over a thousand years, the island of Mindanao, the second largest island in the
archipelago of the Philippine Islands, has been occupied by tribal peoples,
believed to have migrated from Indonesia and Malaysia. These people have lived
for centuries in the same tribal customs, sustaining themselves in the rich
tropical forest through hunting and foraging. Through these years they
developed a very rich culture founded in the tribal traditions and in harmony
with the nature around them. They remained untouched by Western Civilization
and in contact only with other tribes living in similar fashion to theirs.
In
Mindanao live 18 tribal Filipino groups. The most well-known are the T'boli
and the B'laan (or
"Bla-an"). The other groups
are the Ata, Bagobo, Banwaon, Bukidnon, Dibabawon, Higaunon, Kalagan, Mamanwa,
Mandaya, Mangguwangan, Manobo, Mansaka, Subanen, Tagakaolo, Teduray and the
Ubo.
This
great diversity has been the cause of much conflict and bloodshed among the
various ethnic groups. The T'boli have often been caught in the crossfire as
various groups have battled each other.
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| The T'boli distinguished their selves, like all other "tribal Filipinos", by their colorful clothes and specific ornaments like rings, bracelets and earrings. |
The T'boli, according to their myths, are
descendants of La Bebe and La Lomi, and Tamfeles and La Kagef, two couples that
survived a big flood after being warned by the deity Dwata to take precautions.
Taking a huge bamboo that could accommodate countless people; they filled the
vessel with food. When Mt. Hulon was inundated, the four got into the bamboo
while the rest of the population drowned in the swollen waters. When the floods
subsided and the days grew warm, the fortunate couples split the bamboo open
and emerged into the sunlight.
RELIGION
AND CULTURE
Only
a few T'boli are Christian or Islamite. More than 95 percent of The T'boli
people still have their animistic religion. They were hardly influenced by the
spread of the Islam on the island. The Spaniards too, didn't succeed to
Christianize the T'boli during the Spanish colonial period. Main reason was
that the T'boli withdrew to the hinterlands in the uplands.
The T'boli and
members of other indigenous tribes like the Higaunon, still believe in spirits
who live on several places in the natural environment.
I. Components of Culture
A. Symbols
For the past few years
there are some changes that happened in the T’Boli tribe this includes the
symbols they use in their day to day activities. In this section we will tackle
about the symbols they use and the changes that happened to it.
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| T’Boli women are dancing the Kadal Heroyon. |
Polygamy.
T’boli
society permits the practice of polygamy. A T’boli man can take as many wives
as he can, as long as he can afford to pay the dowry (bride prince) and support
his wives and children. A T’boli man is looked up to and respected if he has
more than one wife. For them, to have many wives is a “status symbol.”
Raising
a daughter. To raise the girls or daughters,
especially the beautiful ones, is a good family investment. The family claims
and even demands dowry (bride prince) from a man interested to marry their
daughter. The family of the bride dictates what dowry the man is to give. The
dowry can be any or a combination of the following: horses, carabaos, agongs or
money. A dowry of greater value is collected if the bride is a daughter of a datu.
B. Language
The T’Boli speak a
Malayo-Polynesian language called Tboli. In addition to their native language,
many of the T’Boli also speak Ilongo or Bilaan.
C. Values
and Beliefs
Unlike most people of
the Philippines, the T'boli follows their traditional animistic religion,
believing that aspects of nature have spirits. If the spirits are not appeased,
they can cause the people much harm.
The T’boli believe in a
pantheon of deities, supreme among which are Kadaw La Sambad, the sun god, and
Bulon La Mogoaw, the moon goddess, who reside in the seventh heaven. They have
seven sons and seven daughters who end up marrying each other and who become
the lesser deities. They consider a bird called muhen the god of fate, whose
song is believed to cause misfortune. Aside from these deities, the T’boli
believe that everything has a spirit which must be propitiated for favorable
fortune. Busao, or malevolent spirits, can wreak havoc on humans, causing
misfortune or illness.
D. Norms
Different culture,
tribes, places we live in, etc., has differences in it especially its norms.
The T’boli’s follows the patriarchal tradition that’s why most of the decisions
come from a man or in a family it is the father.
The absolute authority
of the father in the household is anchored on the T’Boli’s traditional belief
that the father is the stronger sex; therefore, he is used to protect his
family from danger and harm. He cannot perform this if his orders are not
obeyed.
On the other hand, the
T’boli men believe that any decision that they make for their family should
conform to their ancestral teaching and appease their gods in anything that
they do. Failure to conform could bring disgrace to or even death to the
family.
From the perspective of
the T’boli women, in a family, they are faithful and obedient wives. They
believe that taking of their children, maintaining the household, helping earn
a living are their duties and obligations. They believe there duties and
obligations to their family are part of the teachings of their ancestors, which
they have to follow.
T’boli
adolescence. The T’boli adolescents are given
household responsibilities according to the dictates of gender role. A logi (boy) assists his father in some
manly work such as gathering firewood in the forest, clearing the kaingin for planting, taking care of the
domesticated animals and fishing in the lake. A libuan (girl) assists her mother in doing some household chores
such as preparing the food and washing clothes. She also fetches water, chops
firewood, plants and sows seeds, weeds the field, and harvests the produce. The
girl learns how to weave and dye abaca fiber and also embroiders T’boli
dresses.
II.
The Family, Political and Economic
System of the T’boli
A. Family
System
The T’boli family is
basically patriarchal. A typical T’boli household includes the immediate
family, the grandparents, and the extended family. Authority is vested on the
father whose decisions and orders are followed and obeyed by the family members
while the mother merely gives opinions or suggestions.
B. Political
System
Since the founding of
the municipality of Lake Sebu, majority of the local officials have been
T’boli. Thus, the transfer of power and authority from the traditional datu to the elected officials of the
government units was not a problem.
The traditional power
and authority of the Datu decreased,
but the local government units (LGU) have continued recognizing the wisdom of
indigenous leadership that they call Council of Elders.
Generally, the T’boli
are fearful of breaking ancestral laws on respect for elders. Despite the
incorporation of the T’boli into the mainstream of the local government system,
the leadership of the datu is still
strongly upheld.
Thus, the local
government officials coordinate with their datu
on matters affecting directly the welfare of the constituents of their
municipality. The Council of Elders is also consulted by the local government
officials. Recommendations particularly in drafting their local government are
sought for from the council.
C. Economic
System
The T’boli is abundant
of goods that can be harvested from the land and from the lakes.
The T'boli people live
in the southern part of the province Cotabato, in the environment around Lake
Sebu, west of the city of General Santos. It is estimated that there are
between 100000 and 150000 T'boli’s. In the past the T'boli practiced the
primitive way of agriculture "slash and burn". "Slash and
burn" means that the people will
clear a part of the forest by cutting the big trees and burning the lower and
smaller trees and bushes, after which they use the cleared plots as arable land
for some years without any fertilization. Rice, cassava and yams were the most
important agricultural products. Next to that, the people went hunting or
fishing for additional food.
Aonther agri-based livelihood of a
typical T’boli family is fishing. Because lake Sebu is blessed with three (3)
major lakes, tilapia is easily and widely cultured. Selling tilapia is one of
the common sources of income among the T’boli families living near the lakes.
III.
Changes in the culture and their causes
In the course of time,
T’boli society has undergone dramatic changes in their religion and in their
view of the world.
These changes can be
attributed to acculturation that is caused by two factors: education
(Christianization) and the media (popular culture).
Santiago Son, a second
generation informant, recalled that the coming of Catholic missionaries to Lake
Sebu in the 1950s was the beginning of the integration of the Catholicism
because Catholicism shares “common denominators” with that of their indigenous
religion.
Renato Yundang, who
works with the liturgy ministry of Sta. Cruz Mission, concurs with Son’s
statement by saying, “The Catholic missionaries did not change much the
indigenous religions of the T’boli.” As a matter of fact, he adds, the holy
mass in Sta. Cruz Mission (Lake Sebu) is regularly said in the T’boli language.
Education.
Education is one of the primary agents that brought changes to the T’Boli
society. In and interview, Agatha Temen, second generation informant, pointed
out several changes that education has introduced into the T’boli culture.
These changes are as
follows:
1. T’boli
girls are allowed today to study in Sta. Cruz Mission School, Inc.
2. T’boli
arts, music, and dancetaught in Sta. Cruz Mission School are well-understood
and appreciated by the T’boli.
3. Ancestors’
teachings on respect for elders and authority are still practiced reverently.
4. T’Boli
parents (second generation particularly) give their children the liberty to
choose whom to marry. Thus, child marriage is rarely practiced now among the
younger generation.
5. T’boli
men now adhere to the Catholic precept of monogamy in marriage. Hence, polygamy
is less popular among the men of the younger generation.
Mass Media. The
rural electrification project of the local government in the early 80’s has
given T’boli access to the mass media. Typical T’boli households today own a
portable radio transistor while the affluent ones may have a television set and
files of local and national dailies and magazines. All the six (6) informants
of the book the I have read affirm that popular culture, through mass media,
has influenced the T’boli culture greatly.
These
influences are noted in the following changes in the T’boli culture:
1. T’boli
men no longer wear their hair long.
2. T’boli
men no longer blister their skin with tattoos.
3. T’boli
women do not expense their breasts anymore. They wear something to cover them.
Only women (married) in far-flung barangays bare their breasts until now.
4. T’boli
houses no longer have detachable stairs to protect them from wild animals at
night, although they still have detachable windows, which could be hung at
daytime for them to dry their fish on.
5. The
T’boli utilize modern farming / fishing methods now.
IV.
Conclusion
Due to mass media, the
arrival of different religions here in the Philippines especially Christianity
and Islam, the technological innovation and advancement, these things generated
a big change in the culture of the T’boli. But the T’boli still continues to
believe in what they have believed in the past. Even there are some changes but
they used the changes to develop and help them preserve the culture and
tradition of their tribe. Thus, we should also help them and the other tribes
to perpetuate in changing world.
Sources:
Sources:
Book/s
Catral,
Erika I. Reflections of the T’Boli textile at the cusp of socio-cultural
change.
Website/s
T’Boli
History. Lake Sebu. http://lakesebu.webs.com/tbolihistory.htm
The
indigenous people of Mindanao. The Philippines. http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/mindanao2.htm
History
of Mindanao and the T´bolis. Suanalange. http://suanalange.de/missionpage/historytboli.htm
Lumad
Suite,"Forgotten Tribes." Hiyas Philippine Folk Dance Company.
http://www.hiyas.org/lumad.html
Tiboli, Kiamba of
Philippines. Joshua Project. http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?peo3=15470&rog3=RP
