Noemi Ofong, a Tboli artist from Lake Sebu, is renowned for her Tnalak textiles, woven from abaca fibre. These textiles are a cornerstone of Tboli culture, playing an integral role in rituals and ceremonial practices. Tnalak are crafted using the intricate ikat dyeing technique, within specially built longhouses where a legogong (backstrap loom) is suspended from a bamboo beam in the ceiling and secured around the weaver’s lower back.

The textiles are always rendered in three distinctive shades: white for the motifs, red for relief elements, and black-brown for the background. White reflects the natural hue of abaca fibres, red is extracted from the roots of the loko tree, and black-brown is derived from the leaves of the knalum tree. Motifs passed between generations are often uniquely combined by individual weavers, include kleng (crab), sawo (python skin), klung (shield), and tofi (frog). Once completed, the fabrics are polished with a cowrie shell, achieving a luminous finish.

Return to Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: Roots and Currents