Tboli people

The Tboli people[2] (IPA: ['tʔbɔli]) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to South Cotabato in southern Mindanao in the Philippines.

Tboli
An elderly Tboli woman in Tboli attire.
Total population
144,951[1]
Regions with significant populations
 Philippines (Soccsksargen, Davao Region)
Languages
Tboli, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Filipino
Religion
Christianity, Tboli polytheism
Related ethnic groups
Austronesian peoples, Lumad, and Sama-Bajau peoples
A Tboli sculpture, on display in the Tboli museum near Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Philippines.
A Tboli rural residence.

Tbolis currently reside on the mountain slopes on either side of the upper Alah Valley and the coastal area of Maitum, Maasim and Kiamba in the province of Sarangani. In former times, the Tbolis also resided in the upper floor of the Alah Valley. After World War II and the arrival of settlers from other parts of the Philippines, they have been gradually pushed to the mountain slopes. As of now, they have almost been expelled from the fertile valley floor.

Like their immediate neighbouring ethnic groups, the Úbûs, Blàan, Blit, Tàú-Segél, and the Tasaday, they have historically been described as pagans, animists, etc., as opposed to Muslim peoples or Christian settlers. In political contexts, however, the Cebuano term "Lumad" ("native") has become an umbrella term for the various polytheistic peoples of Mindanao.

In ethnographic and linguistic literature on Mindanao, their name is variously spelt Tboli, T'boli, Tböli, Tagabili, Tagabilil, Tagabulul and Tau Bilil. Their endonym is Tboli. Their whereabouts and identity are somewhat imprecise in the literature; some publications present the Tboli and the Tagabili as distinct peoples; some locate the Tbolis in the vicinity of Lake Buluan in the Cotabato Basin or in Agusan del Norte.

They are considered to be an indigenous people in Philippine law.

Music
Main articles: Music of the Philippines and Agung

The Tboli have a musical heritage consisting of various types of agung ensembles – ensembles composed of large hanging, suspended or held, bossed/knobbed gongs that act as drone without any accompanying melodic instrument.

Other instruments include the hegelung.[3]

Tboli religion
See also: List of Philippine mythological figures
T'nalak cloth of T'boli dream weavers have patterns inspired by dreams and blessed by Fu Dalu, the god of abacá[4]

The T'boli have a highly complex and unique religion composed of the life ways and belief systems inherent to their psyche. However, in modern times, their religion has been degraded to an extent due to the influence of Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. Nevertheless, some communities continue to preserve the religion practices of their ancestors, which is thousands of years old.

Immortals
  • Bulon La Mogoaw: one of two supreme deities; married to Kadaw La Sambad; lives in the seventh layer of the universe[5]
  • Kadaw La Sambad: the second supreme deities; married to Bulon La Mogoaw; lives in the seventh layer of the universe[6]
  • Cumucul: son of the supreme deities; has a cohort of fire, a sword, and shield; married to Boi’Kafil[7]
  • Boi’Kafil: daughter of the supreme deities; married to Cumucul[8]
  • Bong Libun: daughter of the supreme deities; married to S’fedat; could not bear children[9]
  • S’fedat: son of the supreme deities; married to Bong Libun; could not bear children; asked Bong Libun to instead kill him, where his body became the land from which plants spout from[10]
  • D’wata: son of the supreme deities; married to both Sedek We and Hyu We; placed the land-body of S’fedat on the sea[11]
  • Sedek We: daughter of the supreme deities; married to D’wata[12]
  • Hyu We: daughter of the supreme deities; married to D’wata[13]
  • Blotik: son of the supreme deities; married to S’lel[14]
  • S’lel: daughter of the supreme deities; married to Blotik[15]
  • B’lomi: daughter of the supreme deities; married to Mule[16]
  • Mule: son of the supreme deities; married to B’lomi[17]
  • Loos K’lagan: son of the supreme deities; married to both La Fun and Datu B’noling[18]
  • La Fun: daughter of the supreme deities; married to Loos K’lagan[19]
  • Datu B’noling: daughter of the supreme deities; married to Loos K’lagan[20]
  • Children of D’wata and Hyu We
  • Children of D’wata and Sedek We
  • Fu: spirits that inhabit and own the natural environment[35]
    • Fu El: the spirit of water[36]
    • Fu El Melel: the spirit of the river[37]
  • D’wata (general): the generic term for the gods;[38] guard lives and determine fate and destiny[39]
  • Muhen: a god of fate in the form of a bird whose song when heard is thought to presage misfortune; any undertaking is immediately abandoned or postponed when one hears the Muhen sing[40]
  • Glinton: the god of metallurgy[41]

References
  1. "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) - Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  2. Rebollido, Rommel (May 5, 2023). "IP advocates: no apostrophes in Blaan, Tboli". MindaNews. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  3. Mercurio, Philip Dominguez (2006). "Traditional Music of the Southern Philippines". PnoyAndTheCity: A center for Kulintang – A home for Pasikings. Retrieved November 21, 2006.
  4. Lush, Emily. "Making of: T'nalak Weaving, Philippines". The Textile Atlas. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  5. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  6. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  7. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  8. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  9. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  10. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  11. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  12. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  13. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  14. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  15. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  16. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  17. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  18. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  19. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  20. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  21. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  22. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  23. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  24. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  25. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  26. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  27. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  28. Hyndman, D., Duhaylungsod, L., Thomas, B. (1994). To the last grain of rice: T'boli subsistence production. Springer.
  29. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  30. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  31. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  32. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  33. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  34. Casal, G. (1978). The T'boli Creation Myth and Religion. T'boli Art: in its Socio-Cultural Context, pp. 122-123.
  35. Cudera, R. B., Razon, B. C., Millondaga, K. J. I. (2020). Cultural and ecological significance of Odonata (Insecta) to the T'boli of Lake Sebu, Mindanao, Philippines. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity.
  36. Cudera, R. B., Razon, B. C., Millondaga, K. J. I. (2020). Cultural and ecological significance of Odonata (Insecta) to the T'boli of Lake Sebu, Mindanao, Philippines. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity.
  37. Cudera, R. B., Razon, B. C., Millondaga, K. J. I. (2020). Cultural and ecological significance of Odonata (Insecta) to the T'boli of Lake Sebu, Mindanao, Philippines. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity.
  38. Talavera, Manalo, Baybay, Saludario, Dizon, Mauro, Porquerino, Novela, Yakit, Banares, Francisco, Inocencio, Rongavilla, Cruz (2013). The T'boli: Songs, Stories and Society. University of the Philippines.
  39. Cudera, R. B., Razon, B. C., Millondaga, K. J. I. (2020). Cultural and ecological significance of Odonata (Insecta) to the T'boli of Lake Sebu, Mindanao, Philippines. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity.
  40. Manzano, L. C. The T’boli. National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
  41. Manzano, L. C. The T’boli. National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
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