T'boli

The T'boli are somewhat different from other tribes in the area because of their geographical location in the mountains around Lake Sebu and two valleys. There are no historical photographs of this territory until the 1960s. The T'boli ikat-dyed abaca cloth appears more complex than others in the region and, surprisingly, are used for tailored menswear only. The plain abaca without any ikat were reserved for the women but they make up for it in their use of jewelry and accessories. 

The T'boli use abaca to weave the "t'nalak," which is the traditional textile woven by the women. Although most designs today are passed on from mother to daughter, a few of the master weavers still believe that they are "dreamweavers," so named because of the belief that they are endowed a design in their dreams by the T'boli Goddess of abaca, Fu'dalo.