Yab Trulan Man, a respected cultural leader (Boi) of the Tboli people, resides near Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. She is renowned for her Tnalak textiles, skillfully woven from abaca fibres, which hold deep cultural, ritual, and ceremonial significance within Tboli communities.

Tnalak are made on a backstrap loom with the ikat dyeing technique and are always rendered in three shades: white for the motif, red for relief elements and black-brown for the background. White is the natural colour of the abaca fibre, red is obtained from the roots of the loko tree and black-brown from the leaves of the knalum tree. Some of the many human and animal motifs passed between weaving generations are kleng (crab), sawo (python skin), klung (shield) and tofi (frog). When completed, the fabrics are polished with a cowrie shell to achieve a smooth lustre.

Tboli weavers are often referred to as ‘dreamweavers’, as they are said to receive new motifs in their dreams from the goddess of the abaca, Fu Dalu. Essential to wedding ceremonies, Man’s Yê Kumù is one of the most revered types of Tnalak and can woven exclusively by individuals who have undergone specific rites of passage.

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