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http://www.mingsworld.com/tboli.html (1 af 13)03-09-2010 13:09:22 

Camotes Island | Cebu | Bohol 

Lake Sebu | Davao 

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T’BOLI: People from the South 

Indigenous People in the Philippines 

There are about 110 indigenous groups of people in the Philippines. Owing to 

the country’s geographical make-up, and that’s about 7,701 islands, there is as 

much cultural and linguistic diversity to marvel about. 

Consider Mindanao, the second biggest island south of the country, which has 

eighteen indigenous groups namely: Ata, Banwaon, Bla-an, Bukidnon, 

Dibbawon, Higaunon, Mamanwa, Mandaya, Mangguwangan, Manobo, 

Mansaka, Matigsalug, Subanen, Tagakaolo, Talaandig, T’boli, Teduray and Ubo



(Rodil, 2003). According to the National Census taken in 1990, they composed 

5% of the island’s population. 

One of the more recognized tribes are the T’bolis, also known as Tiboli, Tboli 

and Tagabili, who generally live in South Cotabato or in an area known as 

Tiruray highlands, formed by the municipalities of Suralla, Polomolok and 

Kiamba. In a census undertaken by the National Museum in 1991, there were 

close to 70,000 T’bolis still living in South Cotabato. 

The Tribe that Survived the Flood 

photos by Joji Alcantara 

www.witerary.com 

The T’bolis believed that they are descendants of two couples who survived a 

great flood. 

Based on their myths, their diety D’wata warned the people of an impending 

great flood. The warning went unheeded, except for two couples: La Bebe and 

La Lomi, Tamfeles and La Kagef. 

They stocked food inside a bamboo so huge it could fit people inside it. Then 

that catastrophic day came --- Mt. Hulon erupted, out came water and 

inundated the villages for a long period of time. But the two couples survived, as 

they hid inside that bamboo. Only when the water began to subside and the 

bamboo started to grow warm did the two couples split open the bamboo and 

stepped out to a new world almost entirely their own. 

According to their legends, children of La Kagef and Tamfeles begot 12 children 

who repopulated the land: 

1. From Sudot Henok and Nayong came the tau sequil or the lowlanders 

2. From Dodom and Eva came the tau mohin or the sea dwellers from Kiamba 

3. From Bou and Umen came the tau sebu or the uplanders of Lake Sebu ad Sinulon 

4. From La Bila and Moong came the Bilaan of Tui 

5. From Dugo and Sewen came the Ubu (Manobo) 

6. From Kmanay and Sodi came the people who became Muslims 

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From the couple La Bebe and La Lomi came the Ilongos and other Visayan 

groups, the Ilocano and the Tagalog. 

The T’bolis in the Past Centuries 



Based on their oral traditions, the T’bolis along with other upland people, used to 

live in some parts of Cotabato Valley until the advent of Islam, sometime in the 

14 th century. Those who accepted the Muslim faith remained in the valley, while 

those who resisted retreated to the mountains (Saleeby, 1974). There were 

accounts of conflicts, with the Muslims taking non-Islamized people for slaves. 

By the 20 th century, migrants coming from Luzon and Visayas gradually settled 

in Mindanao. Part of the areas in Mindanao that was opened to them was the 

50,000 hectares in Koronadal Valley was used for homesteading. This migration 

affected the T’bolis – as commercial ranching, mining and logging activities 

began to encroach their homelands. 

The T’boli Economy 

The T’bolis have a great affinity with the forests – it is not only a place to live, but 

it is the main source of their food. T’bolis are classified as “people in the mature 

hunting-gathering stage” as well as horticulturists. 

Their usual fare includes wild animals (pigs, monkeys, snakes and bats), wild 

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fruits, honey and other plants. What they gather in excess, they barter or 

exchange with neighboring groups or lowlanders. In forests where there are 

rivers, streams and lakes, they catch fish, shrimps and snails using traditional 

tools such as rods, spears and other traps. 

As Christian communities and commercial activities expand upward, T’bolis’ life 

is slowly changing too. Barter is not much practiced today, as money becomes 

the main currency of exchange. Things for the house are no longer made, but 

bought. Even their traditional products, such as the Tinalak woven cloth, have 

become popular tourists mementos. Due to the good climate and soil condition, 

multinational companies are establishing pineapple and banana plantations near 

their areas. 

T’boli Political System 

They call their leader Datu(or chieftain), who is usually sought for interpretation 

of T’boli customs and traditions, and in settling inter-tribal disputes. The position 

is not hereditary and to be elevated as a Datu, 

a T’boli must have wisdom and an expansive grasp of their traditions. One Datu 

cannot dominate another group – respect might be given to him in deference, 

but it does not mean he exercises superiority over the others. 

T’bolis are not governed by written laws nor a Datu can give a decree. Instead, 

they submit to their custom law and tradition, usually contained in their folktales 

and folk beliefs. Those who commit a crime or break a law are penalized by 

tamok (fines) in the form of land, horses and other properties, or render services 

to the “aggrieved party for a period of time”. Ostracism or death is handed 

against grave offenses. 

Physical Structure 

T’bolis are considered smaller and leaner than average Filipino man or woman. 

Women are petite and narrow in the hips. They have light complexion and 

brown eyes. They are quite vain – for as young as 5 years old, T’boli women 

know how put on make-up. Traditional make-up includes: face powder mostly 

made-up of lime, lipstick from a juice of certain fruit (but today, some are already 

using make-up that can be bought from a local store). Their traditional hairstyle 

is to “part the hair along the front of one ear, up across the head’s top a couple 

of increase behind the hairline, and down along the front of the other ear, with 

tufts of hair hanging loose along both cheeks and forming bangs on the forehead 

(shaped like a comma)”. 

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They also pierced their earlobes and the ear’s outer rim, dangling as many types 

of earrings as possible. 

T’bolis prefer their teeth colored with the belief that “white, toothy smiles makes 

one look like a busao” (evil spirit). They file their teeth into regular shapes 

(nihik) and then they blacken it with the sap of a wild tree’s bark (silab or olit). 

Teeth may be covered with gold, signifying prosperity (though it is usually the 

Datus who have gold teeth). 

Tattooing is another practice of the T’bolis. They believe that tattoos not only 

enhance one’s look, but it also “lights up one’s journey into the afterlife”. On 

men’s chests and forearms, and on women’s calves and forearms, they tattoo 

stylized images of bakong (animal), hakang (man), b’lata (fern), or ligo bed 

(zig zag patterns). They are also fond of geometric patterns. 

T’boli Fashion and Traditional Costumes 

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T’bolis are known for their bright colored costumes, which they wear daily, unlike 

other tribes who wear their costumes during tribal feasts or presence of visitors. 

Women wear K’gul yaha soung (plain black or dark navy blouse, tight fitting, 

waist length, with opening down the front or the back), and their luwek (anklelength 

tube skirt). Other traditional garbs include K’gal nisif (embroidered 

blouse), fan de (skirt of red and/or black cloth), K’gal binsiurt (embroidered 

could with triangular shell), and tredyung (black, pin-stripe linen skirt, mostly an 

heirloom). 

Adornments or accessories worn by T’boli women include: 

■ Earrings – kawat (brass rings), b’ketot (round mirror with glass 

beads), nomong (chandelier-type with glass beads), and b’koku 

(chandelier-type with triangular pieces of shells). 

■ Kowal (or beklaw)- it consists of several strands of tiny, colored 

beads, suspended under the chin, from the left ear-lobe to the right. 

It frames the face of the women like a veil. 

■ Necklace – hikef (choker of pure beadwork, in black, red and while), 

l’mimot (hangs against the woman’s chest, with strands of back and 

red tiny black beads), lieg (long, thick necklace with double-triple 

linked brass chain, has wide tassels and beads at the ends. The 

most difficult accessory to acquire because this is considered an 

heirloom. 

■ Girdles – hilot (3-inch wide brass chainmail), hilot t’noyong (a 

regular hilot with hawk bells) that makes tinkling sound as a girl 

wearing it walks, and hilot l’minot (a solid beadwork, with tiny red



white-back-yellow beads in dazzling designs). 

■ Bracelets – blonso (plain brass bracelet worn loosely on the wrist) 

and kala (also brass, worn tightly on the arm). 

■ Anklets – tugul (2-inch black band worn on upper ankles), singkil 

linti (4-inch, worn loosely at the ankles), singkil babat (like linti, but 

with decorations on the outer surface), and singkil sigulong (thick, 

hollow with pebbles to make sound). 

■ Rings – t’sing (rings) comes in sets of five – the first, third and fifth of 

plain brass, and the second and fourth in carabao horn. 

■ Combs – worn on the head to crown a woman’s hairstyle -- su’wat 

blakang (bamboo). 

■ Headwear – kayab (a yard long wrapped loosely around their 

hairdo), s’long kinibang (a round salakot made of bamboo strips, 

worn when working in the field), and bangat s’laong (2 long bands 

of solid beadwork, with thick horsehair tassels at their ends, worn on 

special occasions and sometimes part of the T’boli girl’s bride price). 

The T’boli men also have their own accessories. These include: 

1. Kubul or an inch-thick wooden ear plugs, worn onto men’s ear lobes 

1. Angkul – worn usually by the Datus, which is a piece of special cloth, gathered into a thick 

band and worn across the chest. 

1. Onit tebed – coat of woven bark-strips. 

T’boli men carry weapon as part of the daily garb. 

1. Baho-ne-fet (bow and arrow) – tablos (made of bamboo and used for hunting board, deer, 

monkeys and big birds), senofil (looks like a centipede at the end), slufang (used for smaller 

birds), and husong (think bamboo reed). 

1. Sulit (spear) – buyus (made of rattan, with brass tip), soit (used for fish and snakes), and 

klouit (made of rattan, with end like the sinofil. 

1. Bolos – bangkung (short, single-edge bolo with wooden handle, used for clearing trees), 

bagung (similar to badung, but used for cutting wood), and tefok (used for cutting grass). 

1. Sword (used for fighting) – sudeng (long blades), tedeng (plain without any ornaments), 

kafilang (big, bolo-like sword), and tok (25-28 inch, single-edged blade, usually with 

geometric designs that matches the decorated hilt). 

1. Klung – rectangular wooden shields of about 16 by 30 inches.


1. Kabaho (knives) – a generic name for different knives of different shapes and sizes (but are 

mostly used by the women for defense and utilitarian purposes). 

Religious Beliefs 

The T’bolis’ supreme deities are a married couple: Kadaw La Sambad (the sun 

god) and Bulon La Mogoaw (moon goddess). They live in the seventh heaven 

and together had seven children who married each other: 

1. Cumucul (the eldest son), married to Boi Kabil, was given a cohort of fire, a tok (sword) and 

shield. 

2. Sfedat (second son) married to Bong Libun. They had no children. He asked his wife to kill 

him and his corpse became the land which sprouts all trees and plants. 

3. Dwata (third son), married to two of his sisters Sedek We and Hyu We. He asked for one of 

Cumucul’s powers, but was refused. He and his wives left heaven. He had six children with 

Sedek. His children with Hyu were: 

1. Litik – god of thunder 

2. Blanga – god of stones and rocks 

3. Teme Lus – god of wild beasts 

4. Tdolok – god of death 

5. Ginton – god of metallurgy 

6. Lmugot Mangay – god of life and all growing things 

7. Fun Bulol – god of mountains 

Dwata made a pact with Bon Libun for a land that was once Sfedat’s body. She 

agreed on a condition that one of Dwata’s sons marry her. When nobody took 

her as a wife, Bon Libun married her youngest brother Datu Bnoling. Together, 

they had six sons who became the scourges of the earth: 

1. Fun Knkel – god of fever 

2. Fun Daskulo – god of head diseases 

3. Fun Lkef – god of colds 

4. Fun Kumuga – god of eye afflictions 

5. Fun Blekes – god of skin disease 

6. Fun Lalang – god of baldness 

The T’bolis believed in a muhen (a bird considered to be the god of fate), whose 

song presages misfortune. They also believe that all objects house a spirit, and 

they must continually strive to gain good graces by offering little gifts. 

Finally, the T’boli afterlife has different destinations. Kayong, a place where 

everything is red, is for murder victims and warriors slain in battle. Kumawing, 

where everything sways and swings, is a place for those who committed 

suicide. People who died of drowning become citizens of the sea. Mogol is a 

place for those who died of illness, where day is night and night is day. 

Rituals 


The T’bolis practice several rituals – that to most sophisticated people today – 

would be downright incredible. 

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1. K’molot Libol (Trial by ordeal/judgment) 

If a person is accused of stealing or committing concubinage or adultery, 

and that while due process was explored and yet the people still doubt this 

innocence, the accused person is subjected to under the process of 

K’molot Libol. 

Administered by the Datu or the Libun Boi (Queen), grains of rice is placed 

in a pot with a stone in it, filled with water and then allowed to boil. The 

accused then has to get the stone inside. If his or her hand is not burned, 

then he or she is considered innocent. If the hand is burned, then the 

accused is proven guilty. 

For the thief, he or she is made to pay a fine and return the stolen thing/ 

amount. The fine may be cash or a property. 

For those who committed concubinage or adultery, the accused must 

return the bride price and pay a fine thrice the amount of the bride’s dowry 

together with his/her lover. 

1. Skeleng Luos 

This is a friendship pact between a T’boli family and a Ubo family. 

One party agrees to meet the other in the latter’s territory. Heads of the 

family takes a branch of rattan and cut it into two. The rattan will be tied in 

a piece of coffin, which signifies death to the family who breaks the pact. 

The visiting party when gives a kimu (property) to the host family. Feast 

and playing of tribal instrument herald the pact, lasting till the night. Then 

the visiting party becomes the next host and similar ceremonies are 

observed. 

Once the pact is finalized, members of both families may never fight nor 

intermarry. They are bound to assist each other, even after the heads of 

the families die. Violators of the pact will be meted death. 

1. Hegel Loyof (Ensuring the well-being of the child) 

When a woman becomes mulut (pregnant), all her food cravings must be 

provided by her husband. When the baby is born, she or he must be given 

two things. One is a gong, believed to give the child strong soul and the 

ability to acquire property with ease. The other thing is a bolo, a longbladed 

knife to be used to cut off the umbilical cord, believed to make the 

child brave. Bells are shaken inside the bab’s mouth to ensure the child 

speaks. 

After given birth, the mother brings the newborn downstairs or outside to 

touch the soil. The child must not be allowed to urinate on the ground, 

because it would make her or him sick. After that, the mother should rush 

inside and lie back on the mattress before anyone sneezes. 

After the umbilical cord is cut, it is exchanged for a gong and a betel nut 

box, wherein the cord is kept until the child grows up. 

1. Bulung Bleten (Ensuring the well-being of the mother) 

After giving birth, a mother’s first meal is bulung bleten, a broth of broth of 

boiled roots and herbs. She cannot eat vegetables or pork, though she



can have soups with shrimp, mudfish or chicken. In two weeks, she may 

eat roasted fish and may be considered fit enough to continue her day to 

day activities. 

1. Hetefod Kenugu 

The community welcomes the birth of a new baby boy with the ritual 

h’tefod kenugu. The Datu leads this ritual by cutting the nails of the child, 

which serves as a gift to the community. In return the Datu offers t’les 

kenugu (any property such as a house or a gong), or to symbolize that he 

grows up a skilled hunter and warrior, a pair of bow and arrow. Other 

members of the community give l’tok (rings, coins, etc.). 

1. Mo Nimum (Festival ritual) 

Literally, the term means the making of wine from sugarcane. This ritual is 

celebrated as wedding ceremony, renewal of marriage vows and healing. 

The T’bolis participate in this ritual to safeguard themselves from sickness 

and to assure good health for a lifetime. 

This ritual is six feasts, hosted alternately by the bride’s and groom’s 

families, with the former hosting the first feast. A tau mogot (shaman) 

oversees the proper observance of the ritual. To signal the start of the 

ceremony, tau soyow (male dancers) from the bride’s family dance, 

accompanied by the music of agong, hegelung (two-stringed guitar), 

tnonggong (bongo drum) and dewegey (T’boli violin). 

Driving the evil spirits away, the tau mogot, the couple and their parents 

gather bamboos and use these to construct a table, which will hold kumu 

(blankets) and to’ol (T’nalak cloth attached to a wooden hanger). People 

should touch the to’ol so that the couple will not get sick. 

If the feast is transferred to the groom’s side, they construct a booth called 

tebulel tied to a house and with other ornaments. 

There will be dance competition between the bride and the groom’s 

entourage. Two horses from both sides will be made to fight. 

Finally, the parents of the couple exchange gifts. The bride’s parents 

construct a m’ligey (hut) made of sugarcane for post and roof. Chicken 

will be tied to it as offerings. 

1. Demsu (Offering) 

The T’bolies believed that illness is either caused naturally or cast by 

angered spirits. They seek the help of mewa nga (tribal healer) or 

m’tonbu (herbal healer/shaman). If the illness is lingering, a demsu 

(offering) will probably heal the patient. 

The m’tonbu prescribes herbal medicine (concoction of various leaves), or 

ask the patient to drink a soup of chicken with dark flesh and boiled without 

spices or vegetables. To appease the spirits, they offer chicken and, 

cooked and wrapped rice. 

If the illness is serious, a d’sol be tonok (grand healing ritual) is 

performed. The patient is made to go inside a s’lung (booth), sit on an 

elevated floor and covered with kumu. The m’tonbu starts dancing 

around the patient, muttering prayer. A while feathered chicken with black 

feet tied to a post represents the soul of the patient. After the dancing, the 

chicken is freed, signifying the freedom of the soul of the patient and



freedom from illness. After the ceremony, the chicken is butchered for food 

and everyone is enjoined to partake it. 

Otherwise, the patient’s family builds a hatal dwata (altar), on which they 

place the tok (bolo), kefilan (kris), agong (gong) and other valuable 

things. The patient lies on the altar and the healer prays to the gods to 

return the soul of the patient and in exchange accept the gong for the 

patient’s soul. Water is poured over the gong and placed in a container. It 

is later used to wash the patient’s body. After the ceremony, they bring the 

patient home. At night time, they retrieve the food and other valuable 

possession. Food is shared, the object is stored in a safe place until the 

person recuperates. If the patient dies, then they belief they have not 

appeased the gods sufficiently. 

1. Kesiyahan (Marriage) 

Marriage is a three-stage process for the T’bolis: childhood, puberty and 

adolescence. It is pre-arranged by the parents and contracted at any age 

(even after childbirth). 

Betrothals can be a result of a child’s sickness, where a certain ritual 

determines if the child is banahung (in need of a life-partner). If the ritual 

determines so, the parents seek a spouse of suitable age, background and 

economic standing. When they find a partner, a piece of the chosen child’s 

body adornment is borrowed, and then brought to the sick child, whom it is 

suspended and then struck. After the recovery, the celebration of the first 

marriage ceremony ensues. Parents discuss the sungod (bride price) and 

the kimo (movables and immovables properties) to be given by both 

family, and will later constitute the properties of the bride. The first 

marriage is called gatoon. If one of the children dies, a close relative is 

made to take the place of the deceased (lomolo). If the other party does 

not accede to the substitution, then the kimo is returned. 

When they reach puberty, the marriage is solemnized on a full moon, when 

no rain is expected. 

Wedding feasts, the monimum, is done over a period raging from 2 to 6 

years, while each of the six feasts runs for 3 to 5 days and nights. 

1. Polygamy and Divorce 

Polygamy is an accepted practice in T’boli society, as long as the first wife 

consents. They believe that such arrangement is beneficial, for it means 

that there are extra hands for house and field works. 

Divorce is also possible on the grounds of incompatibility, sterility and 

infidelity. An unfaithful wife caught in the act may be simply killed on the 

spot or the bride price is returned.


1. Death 




Death comes as a trick played by the evil spirit or as a punishment inflicted 

by angry gods. The T’bolis believe that one’s spirit leaves one’s body 

when asleep, and when one awakes when the spirit returns. If the spirit 

does not return, death occurs. 

T’bolis don’t cry when confronted by death. They wait for the tau mo 

lungon (the person who makes the coffin) to verify if the person is actually 

dead. If the tau cries aloud, only can deceased family can start crying. 

The bodies of the dead are either buried, abandoned, cremated or 

suspended from a tree (in the case of small children). Wakes may last in a 

week or five months, depending on how much food the family has 

prepared. Food must be first consumed before the corpse is buried or 

abandoned. 

During wake, there is much dancing, singing and chanting of nged (riddles) 

to provide entertainment so that people do not fall asleep. They believe 

that an unattended corpse will be stolen by the evil spirits. 

After the burial, the mourners share a meal and leave a portion at the 

grave. Then, they return to the dead person’s house in a single file and by 

a different route. Upon reaching it, they leap over two swords struck on the 

ground (forming X), to rid themselves of the evil spirits. The family of the 

dead bathe themselves in a river so rinse off the evil spirits. 

Finally, the house of the dead is either burned or abandoned, ending the 

ritual of death. They also do not mourn the dead after that point, for fear 

that he or she will come back to life. 

1. Other Beliefs During Pregnancy 

A pregnant woman is never to be left alone or the evil spirits will harm her. 

She is spared from doing household chores, or the baby will be born with 

huge eyes. She is not to eat twin bananas, or she will give birth to a twin, 

forcing her to choose one and bury the other alive to prevent bad luck. 

She cannot eat the legs of pigs, chicken or deer, or the baby will be 

toothless. She cannot eat gizzards or leftovers, or she will have difficult 

childbirth. 

She must not listen to stories about evil spirits, or her child will be born 

evil. If she comes across a snake on her path, the baby will die in



. 

childbirth. During childbirth, the umbilical cord must not go over the baby’s 

head, or the child will grow antisocial (if this happens, it is better to kill the 

child). 

The T’bolis have not trouble performing abortion, particularly if the husband 

abandons the wife and refuses to support, she has more children than she 

can fed, she was dishonored or she wants to be spared from the difficulties 

of delivery. She goes to the tao matunga (abortionist) for the concoctions. 

If they fail in aborting the baby, she is mutilated, made to walk around with 

heavy stones tied to her womb or made to commit suicide. 

Alcantara 


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