The Dreamweavers of Lake Sebu
Text and photos by Jojie Alcantara

Dubbed as the Summer Capital of Southern Philippines, the young town of Lake Sebu in South Cotabato has tourism as its highest income earner. It showcases picturesque lakes, waterfalls, tilapia farming and the amazing handicrafts created by the gentle and colorful T�boli tribe who speaks Ilongo, T�boli and Hiligaynon/Karay-a.

What brought this quiet municipality into the international forefront, however, was the T�nalak -- a fine piece of T'boli cloth made and woven from krungon (abaca fiber). This intriguing fabric made foreign and national designers come over to marvel at the crude technology and the tedious process it undergoes from the skillful hands of the natives.

Lang Dulay, a respected T�boli weaver, was given the rare Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in recognition of a traditional artist's role in preserving and developing the indigenous artistic heritage.

The cloth, culled from tie-dyed abaca fibers of distinct red, white, and black, are stripped from the roots and leaves of trees. Stripping the abaca is the man�s only work, after which everything is left to the weaver. After softening the fibers, dyeing is a gruelling process that takes from several days to weeks. Abaca fibers are boiled and left soaking for sporadic periods to produce the intense color that lasts. Once the fibers are dried, they are ready for the loom.

Weaving is a very personal and arduous work for the woman, requiring patience, creativity, and a sharp memory to recall particular geometric designs. It is said that for the whole duration, the weaver should not mate with her husband because it may break the fiber or destroy the design. The men are not allowed to touch the materials, either.

The T�boli weavers are called �Dreamweavers� because this ethnic and sacred ritual is based on tribal designs that came from a dream. Unique patterns are handed down protectively from ancestors to their daughters. Some may deviate patterns from new dreams, so the tapestries evolve and modernize, yet the symbolic artistry and quality of craftsmanship never waver.

Weavers claim, however, that some people pretend to help market their products, only to steal information and copy the ideas, creating imitation fabrics that never match the original, and thereby endangering historical art. Today, these tribal women are wary of curious, probing strangers. Only a selected few are invited up in the highlands of Lake Sebu, to the remote settlements of weavers from Peoples Organizations. Here they work and try to augment a sustainable livelihood, with the help of the government, NGOs and private donors.

Unaware that a dying art needs to be rescued, the old ones with gnarled hands still stay under nipa huts, weaving steadfastly in their looms, confident that these amazing fabrics will tell stories of their colorful lives, for as long as they continue to dream. For as long as people will respect their cultural heritage.

HOW TO GET THERE: General Santos City is the gateway to Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. From Davao City, it is a 2-hour ride to General Santos City, another hour to Koronadal City (formerly Marbel), then an hour to Lake Sebu, South Cotabato on smooth roads.

* * * *