Formally established and registered in 1999, the gida t’nalak international is the marketing arm of the T’boli Cultural Heritage Foundation, which was itself established for the preservation, protection and continuation of T’boli culture and its artifacts. It is the thrust of the company, along with the foundation to improve the social and economic situation of the T’bolis since the acculturation of the tribe to mainstream culture is a recent event, and far from complete. Appalling poverty and illiteracy are still very much prevalent. It is our hope that by taking up weaving again, the women will have a means of livelihood, and therefore will be able to sustain their families, at the same time of course, continue the tradition of weaving.
The Gida T’nalak International focuses on the T’nalak fabric because it is arguably the most distinctive representation of the T’boli people. Ultimately, the aim is to strike a delicate balance between upholding the dignity of the T’nalak as a cultural marker and as a work of art, and creating new T’nalak designs that will make it more accessible to contemporary times. Thus, there is what we call the “Traditional Designs” which strictly use the three traditional colors red, black and white, and there are also the Modern and Contemporary Designs which are of varied inspiration and may be customized.
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 T’boli.
It is our advocacy to improve the awareness and appreciation of the T’nalak, and consequently of the T’boli culture among the Filipino people, and hopefully, the rest of the world as well.
We welcome any inquiries regarding the T’nalak fabrics, may it be the traditional designs which are most often collector’s item, or the modern and contemporary designs which can be turned into other value-added products. Incidentally, this is the new direction our company has recently taken to broaden the industrial and commercial applicability of the T’nalak weave.