Official Lake Sebu Tourism

From our earlier posts, we talk about how the T’nalak is a finely woven and dyed cloth made by the T’boli tribe. But do you know what conditions help create these wonderful pieces?

Traditionally, the t’nalak is created on a backstrap loom called a legogong that consists of two beams – one attached to the ceiling, while the other is attached to the weaver’s lower back. They are usually woven in a longhouse, a horizontal structure made to accommodate the long length of the cloth.

Do you have any photos of a legogong or a traditional longhouse? We’d love to see some of your photos!

Weaving is only one part of creating and completing a t’nalak cloth. Temugo, or dyeing, is what the T’boli call the process of submerging the abaca fibers into natural dyes that are taken from trees and plants. It is a tedious process that requires the threads to be boiled for up to 5 days, with fresh grated roots or leaves added to the mixture each day, to help saturate the color.

No wonder it takes up to 3-4 months to completely finish one beautiful roll of t’nalak cloth.