UNIT III

Arts and Crafts

of
MINDANAO
1. Identify characteristics of arts and crafts in
specific areas in Mindanao.

2. Reflect on and derive the mood, idea or

message emanating from selected artifacts
and art objects.

3. Appreciate the artifacts and art objects in

terms of its utilization and its distinct use of
art elements and principles.

4. Trace the external (foreign) and internal

(indigenous) influences that are reflected in
the design of an artwork and in the making of
a craft or artifact.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
OF MINDANAO:
ATTIRE, TEXTILES
& TAPESTRIES
Give an examples of the
arts and crafts of
MIMAROPA and the
Visayas and let them
relate how these reflect
the daily lives of the
people involved.
Instruction:

Using the flash card , the

learners will identify the origin
tribe of the different traditional
clothing by pasting the flash
card on their corresponding
pictures.
 T' BOLI
BAGOBO
B'LAAN
MARANAO
YAKAN
TNALAK: A Short Documentary
about Tboli's emblem and
Masterweaver Lang Dulay by
Joefer Tacardon
 Guide Questions:

1. Who do you think is the person

featured in the video?

2. What is the product in the video clip?

3. Give similar or related indigenous ways

of weaving in your community to the
product shown in the video.
Different
traditional clothing
of Mindanao.

Identify how the elements and principles of

arts were used on each of the examples
1. Ikat of the Bilaans or B’laans
The Bilaan or B`laan are a tribal community of Southern Mindanao, the name of this indigenous
group comes from the words Bla and An, meaning Opponent People. The Bilaans in South
Cotabato were renowned hunters and food gatherers, they hunted wild animals and were reaping
grains, rootcrops, fruits and herbs in the once vast open space of cogonal land, known as Kolon
Datal, nowadys Koronadal City.

The Bilaan live in in Lake Sebu and other municipalities of South Cotabato and are one of the
major non-Islamic tribal groups in the Southern Philippines.They are famous for their rich and
colorful cultural heritage, ethnic art and handcrafts like the brass ornaments and traditional
beadwork. Colorful native costumes woven from abaca and decorated with embroidery, buttons,
beads and heavy brass belts with numerous tiny bells are worn by the women of the Bilaan,
making their approach heard, even from a far distance. The sequin-like capiz shells called takmon
are used to give a distinct design and color to their clothes, among the women, the intricately
beaded wooden comb, the swat san salah is a must.

The Bilaans have their own system of weaving using abaca fiber, before weaving the typical
patterns, rituals are held in accordance with the Bilaan culture, but only the weavers know about
these rituals and before making any pattern or design divine guidance is first sought. It is believed
that the designs were imparted to the dreamer through the l'nilong (fairies), who are considered
guardians of nature. Their handicraft and traditional attires are being brought to almost every
ceremony and are considered as priceless possessions that are offered as dowries during
weddings and used as payment for crimes committed against a person or clan or for settling
disputes among warring clans.
2. T’nalak of the Bagobos and
T’bolis
T'nalak is a traditional cloth found in Mindanao island made by a group of people in Lake Sebu,
South Cotabato called T'bolis, Tboli people. This traditional cloth is hand-woven made of Abaca
fibers which traditionally has three primary colors, red, black and the original color of the Abaca
leaves. The colorant of the materials are naturally dyed boiled in with bark, roots and leaves of
plants. It is a heritage and believed that the intricate and creative patterns of the Tinalak was seen
on their dreams and made it on to work. They can't create a design of the Tinalak if they haven't
dreamed of it. They are sometimes called the "Dream Weavers".
The T’nalak fabric holds a special and prominent place in [T’boli] culture. It is ever present in
significant turning points in a [Tboli] life, such as birth, marriage, and death. It is the medium which
sanctifies these rites, enveloping them in the length of its fabric like a benediction. It has also often
been referred to as “woven dreams”. It is exactly that, and more. In a culture which didn’t have a form of writing,
the T’nalak served as both Literature and Art. The [T’bolis] expressed everything they are in the T’nalak: their
dreams, beliefs, myths and even their religion. Making use of the various geometrical patterns and the trademark
red, black and white colors, the [T’bolis] weave the natural and the supernatural in the abaca strands of the
T’nalak. Furthermore, the weaving process integrates the personal, the social and the cultural. After a weaver
reaches a certain degree of expertise, she becomes a “master weaver” – someone who can interpret and take
inspiration from dreams, hence the term “dreamweavers”. By all accounts, this seems to be an intense personal
experience for the weaver, and the moment she succeeds in doing this is the moment she becomes an artist.
And then it is also social because the T’nalak binds together all that the [T’boli]people believe in. The skill of the
weaver gathers in the T’nalak all the elements that make the [T’boli] social life. Finally, it is cultural in that it is the
means through which other tribes identify the [T’bolis] since the T’nalak is uniquely and distinctly

Tinalak are also their prized possession at marriage, even the covering for childbirth for ensuring
safe delivery and for trading. Whenever they sell their work, they put a brass ring around it as for
the spirits to allow them or to please. It is believed that cutting the cloth would deliver sickness.
3. Malong of the Maranaos
The malong is a traditional "tube skirt" made of hand-woven or
machine-made multi-colored cotton cloth, bearing a variety of
geometric or okir designs. The malong is akin to the sarong
worn by peoples in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The
malong is traditionally used as a garment by numerous tribes
in the Southern Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago.-wiki

The malong can function as a skirt for both men and women, a
dress, a blanket, a sunshade, a bedsheet, a “dressing room,”
a hammock, a prayer mat, and other purposes. A newborn is
wrapped in a malong, and as he grows this piece of cloth
becomes a part of his daily life. When he dies, he is once
again wrapped in a malong. Among traditional tribal peoples,
the malong is used in everyday life. Even in areas where
people wear Western-style clothing during the day, the malong
is commonly used as sleepwear.The malong is also used in
very big festivals, they wear this to show respect
 KAPPA MALONG MALONG

Also called Sambi sa Malong, this Maranao

dance shows the many ways of wearing a
malong, a simple tubular yet highly
functional piece of cloth. The traditional
women’s version shows this cloth of
countless colorful designs; used mostly as
a skirt, woven in many different ways,
depending on the purpose of the wearer.
Other ways the women wear malong is as
a shawl, a mantle, or a headpiece.
 4. Seputangan, Badjulapi,
Sawal and Pinalantupan of the
Yakans
Yakan Wears (Semmek)

Trousers – Yakan Sawal, striped trousers with zig zag and diamond repeat
patterns made from bamboo fibers.

Mens button up shirt – Badju Yakan designed to match the trousers.

Head scarf – Yakan Pis, geometic intricate weave worn to cover the hair
on a daily basis.

Apron– Seputangan Teed has many different designs but is the most time
consuming and decorative weave of the Semmek.

Sash – Sakan Pinalantupan is made from a mix of Pineapple and bamboo

fibers.

Brides button up jacket – Pagal Bato is made from satin or cotton cloth
and sometimes mixed with lurex threads.

Brass buttons – Batawi, hand made and worn on the women’s jacket
The traditional clothes of the Yakan
man
SEPUTANGAN
 What are the
distinct
characteristics of
the traditional
clothing of
Mindanao?
What are the external
(foreign) and internal
(indigenous)
influences that are
reflected in the
traditional clothing of
Mindanao?
 Compare the different
traditional clothing of
Mindanao with those of
your own region/ locality
in terms of function and
the use of art elements
and principles
Describe the clothing, textiles and
tapestries of Mindanao by;

Identifying the
different traditional
clothing of
Mindanao.
Direction:
Identify the terms
referred to in each of
the following
statements. Write
the answer on your
paper
_____ 1. A traditional dance that demonstrates
the various ways of wearing a malong and its
uses.
_____ 2. Sacred cloth that is exchanged during
marriages and used as a cover during births.
_____ 3. The traditional tight-fitting trousers
made of a Yakan fabric characterized by its
vertical stripes design.
_____ 4. Sequin-like capiz shell used to give a
distinct design and color to their clothes
_____ 5. Most common material used by the
ethnolinguistic groups in Mindanao for weaving
cloth.
_____ 6. A process of dyeing the fabric in which
the yarns have been tie-dyed before weaving.
_____ 7. A square cloth used by the Yakan
women as a head cover or as a belt.
_____ 8. The common color tones found in a
Bagobo’s t’nalak.
_____ 9. The common color tones found in a
T’boli’s t’nalak
 Answer Key

1. Kappa Malong Malong or Sambisa Malong

2. Malong
3. Sawal
4. Takmun
5. Abaca
6. Ikat
7. Seputangan
8. Black or brown, red or orange (ochre) and
Ecru
9. Red, Black, Brown
Assignment:

Watch videos featured in

youtube.com
showing the process of
weaving of the
traditional clothing of
Mindanao.