Thursday, August 20, 2015

Sarangani Provincial Agriculturist Supports Cultural Practices

 When Agriculture supports Culture...sustainability is a big possibility.

"Dili namo tandogon ang inyuhang nahibal-an na tradisyunal nga pagtanom sa inyuhang upland rice, kun dili amoa lang dugangan inyuhang nahibal-an ug motabang , gamit ang ubang teknolohiya kung unsaon pagpugong sa mga peste nga nagaatake diha sa inyuhang mga kaumahan”. (We will not disturb your existing traditional practices, knowledge and skills regarding your mode of planting instead we will help you provide modern technology to control the influx of insecticides in your farm). These was the message of Sir Jonathan Duhaylungsod the provincial officer from Office of Agriculturist (OPAG) during demo planting to the Blaan upland rice growers in Kihan Malapatan. He distributed eight sacks of organic fertilizer and promise to give two (2) unit of prayer, vegetable seeds for the FFS students.
Source: Sulong Tribu Program 




Photo credits: Iner Toguin, Sulong Tribu Program

Monday, August 17, 2015

Kanfulung Bai:The Masterworks of Yabing Dulo

Design & Photo credit: Leonardo Rey S. Cariño

Photo credit: Kim Windell Villafranca Tiblani
Yabing Masalon Dulo is an active Blaan weaver who is a master of the Mabal Tabih technique. Her works are prized by textile collectors and has been featured in the 2004 WOW Mindanao Tourism Expo in Davao and in the Second ASEAN Traditional Textiles Symposium on 1-3 February 2009 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She is the first cultural master for the School of Living Tradition (SLT) in Lamlifew  Tribal Village and is starting her own SLT in Amgu-o, Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato, Philippines.

Kalyak Blaan Exhibit during the CIOFF 2015


 "One of Fu Yabing Dulo works the only known Tabih Master of South Cotabato displayed at Hibla Exhibit of The National Museum of the Filipino People. See her works of Tabih a Blaan Abaca Ikat at Kalyak Blaan: An Exhibit of the Unique Blaan Cultural Materials @ FB Hotel & Convention Center Lobby, Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal.
Exhibit runs until Aug. 18, 2015 in celebration of Pyesta Kolon Datal & Koronadal International Folklore Festival ‪#‎CIOFF2015‬." - Jm Lavega, South Cotabato cultural advocate and Kalyak Blaan exhibition curator.

Photo credit: Rap Buendia

Blaan Tabih Collections of JM Lavega and Leonardo Rey S. Cariño featured in this exhibit. The two left Tabih Fule (red Tabih) were works of Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo from Amgu-o, Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato.

Original weaver on the loom photo taken by Kim Tiblani           Photo credit: Rap Buendia

Kmagi  Photo credit: Rap Buendia

Sabitan Tlayong (brass belt), Singkil/Babat (Anklets)    Photo credit: Rap Buendia

Swat (traditional comb and head dress)  Photo credit: Rap Buendia
Traditional designs of  Blaan blouses  Photo credit: Rap Buendia

Saul Ansif (embroidered upper garment) and Salwal Tabih (with beaded embroidery)  Photo credit: Rap Buendia 

The Kalyak Blaan curator, JM Lavega, at the National Museum with one of the works of Fu Yabing displayed
This is the first Blaan culture specific exhibition in the history of South Cotabato. It is aimed to bring awareness to some rare and unique cultural identifiers of the Blaan Indigenous Peoples group and the very few cultural masters alive doing some specific skills transfer to the younger generations.

Photos were also featured at the I Love South Cotabato FB Page.

Kaflehew di Amgu-o

Photo credit: Leonardo Rey S. Cariño
This is a community event in honor of the last known alive Mabal Tabih Cultural Master in the province of South Cotabato, Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo. She is actively doing skills transfer on the Mabal Tabih (Blaan ikat weaving) to her daughter Lamina and some other community members.
Photo credit: Department of Tourism Region 12
Photo credit: Department of Tourism Region 12

Photo credit: Department of Tourism Region 12
Visit the Blaan Mabal Tabih in Landan Facebook Page for all details of the skills transfer.

Blaan Cultural Icons of Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato

 Five Blaan cultural masters of different skills were honored during the 3rd Kaflehew Festival of Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato. The portraits below were painted by Josseth Ante Malida and awarded respectively to the honorees during the formal program.

Bai Yabing Masalon Dulo (master in Blaan Mabal Tabih, Embroidery, Basketry, Traditional Cuisine, Maral and Malem)


Bai Sally Sugue (Master in basketry and bag making)

Fulung Domingo Maladianon (Master in Faglung Making and Faglung Playing)
Bai Gusabin Diamod (Master in Embroidery, Mat Making and Weaving Tabih)

Bai Gulmari Maladianon (Master in beaded accessories making like Blaan comb, and other bead works)
 They are all actively engaged in skills transfer in their respective communities to preserve parts of the Blaan culture.

Photo credits: Joven Ryan Malida

The traditional practices, knowledge and skills of the Blaans on planting upland rice

 By Iner Toguin, Sulong Tribu Program Community Development Officer

A Blaan tribal elder ritualist Molan Lagalkan, 65 year old, together with the tribal women and upland land rice growers in Barangay Kihan, Malapatan made a ritual before the planting of upland rice. Lagalkan started by placing a half sack of upland rice on top of small altar made of sapling called by the blaan “Tnê”.


“Tnê” is a blaan belief performs prior to planting for protection of pesticides and insecticides in the field. In the course of the ritual, one of the members of the team will choose among themselves a person to lead
the group. They have representatives from women and leaders. They started walking eight 8 times around the “Tnê” the men will perform the digging or “todak” in the Blaan terminology while the women will do the planting. They form a single circle and mark a point where they started planting the seeds, and stop at the same point when they’ve finished counting. Through this ritual, they will never get tired but instead rejuvenated while planting, said Lagalkan.

After fixing the Tnê” and planting the field, the famers will plant root crops in the surroundings like, camote, gabi, onion, lemon grass and sugarcane, after which a good harvest and abundant blessings is expected. 



Many of the students of Farmers Field School (FFS) are upland rice growers in Kihan, Malapatan. The classes were held every Thursday for four (4) months conducted by the Agriculture Technician from the Office of Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG) in partnership with the Municipal Agriculturist Office (OMAG).
This said FFS training is part of the activity of the Sulong Tribu Program under IP Resource Development and Management of the Provincial Governor’s Office.

Jonathan C. Duhaylungsod, went to the place and had observed personally the ritual. He assured the students in Bisayan dialect, “Dili namo tandogon ang inyuhang nahibal-an na tradisyunal nga pagtanom sa inyuhang upland rice, kun dili amoa lang dugangan inyuhang nahibal-an ug motabang , gamit ang ubang teknolohiya kung unsaon pagpugong sa mga peste nga nagaatake diha sa inyuhang mga kaumahan”. (We will not disturb your existing traditional practices, knowledge and skills regarding your mode of planting instead we will help you provide modern technology to control the influx of insecticides in your farm) 



Barangay Kagawad Renato Salway added, there are 45 varieties of upland rice planted by the Blaan to the different Sitios of Barangay Kihan and they preserved it until today.

Photo credits: Iner Toguin 

Launching of the RMMC Blaan Studies Center

Photo credit: Leonardo Rey Salazar Carino

Photo credit: Leonardo Rey Salazar Carino
In support to the First Blaan Day celebration in General Santos City, the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges (RMMC) launched the Blaan Studies Center with an ethnographic exhibition on Blaan Culture and Identity.
Photo credit: Pia Manilay Millado

The Tabih Fule (Red Tabih) worn by Ms. Pia was one of the works of Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo. 
Photo credit: Pia Manilay Millado

Photo credit: Pia Manilay Millado
The ethnographic exhibit was curated byLeonardo Rey S. Cariño highlighting important cultural identifiers that are unique to the Blaan culture from his collections and that of the RMMC management.

First Blaan Day Celebration in Gensan

Photo credits: Russell Delvo and Cocoy Sexcion
Photo credit: Edwin Espejo
Photo credit: Edwin Espejo          Graphic Design: Ian John Lagare
The Office of the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) of General Santos City partnered with the KafyeBlaan Empowerment Inc. for the grand celebration of the First Blaan Day in the history of General Santos City held at July 22, 2015 at the Oval Plaza covered.