Madal: Dancing in her footsteps

T’boli lore speaks of Fu Dalu — an entity that shows itself in dreams and brings visions of color and beauty. She serves as a guide that brings inspiration to women dubbed the ‘dreamweavers.’

It is because of this that the T’boli are known for their beautifully crafted T’nalak cloth made from Abaca fiber, a material that is endemic among T’boli communities.

But times are changing, and modernization is quickly taking its pace. Some, however, choose to keep things alive.

Mae Aindraby Bansil, a first year Social Work student, is a pure blooded T’boli. She comes from South Cotabato. Mae never expected that she would end up at Central Philippine University. She said she was once offered a scholarship in a university in Mindanao, but then she decided to forgo the said offering and chose to consider CPU instead. Having been accepted to Central, Mae expected that she would be a working student to sustain her studies. Her brothers also graduated from CPU.

To her surprise, however, she was invited to President Robles’s office for an interview. She was asked about her knowledge of her culture and if she could dance. Little did she know she will be given a scholarship grant through the Sari-Saot Dance Troupe.

The T’boli are known to be the shy, conservative, and humble, but they can also be very hospitable and sensitive to the needs of others. Mae proves herself to be a little bit of everything, always being the jolly type who never backs down.

Adat T'boli

CULTURE

“I’ve never been shocked,” said Mae when she was asked if she experienced culture shock when she entered CPU. “Tao ang na shock sa akon (They're the ones who were shocked to see me).”

Oftentimes her classmates would ask her how she can speak really good Hiligaynon if she is a T’boli. Some would even assume that she is an Aeta because of certain stereotypical views. But Mae, despite growing up speaking their own dialect, was already well aware of the Hiligaynon language.

Furthermore, whenever she was asked to speak in their own dialect, people who are not familiar with T’boli culture would usually mistake it for Thai. By educating her friends about their dialect, she believes that it is one of the many ways that she can help preserve their culture.

Stereotypes, however, are still present, and Mae faces them from time to time. One of which is how others would look down on people like them, presuming that they are low class. There are even times when people would avoid speaking in English to her, thinking that she might not understand. This, for Mae, is a big surprise because she knows it is not true.

“Pag indigenous ka or T’boli, daw dira ka lang ya. Basi grabe gid ni guro na agyan niya sa kabuhi niya hambal nila. (If you are indigenous or a member of the T’boli, it’s like you can't be more than that. Maybe she’s been through a lot of mishaps before, they would say).” Words like these have been stirring up the stereotype against people like Mae, a stereotype that she wishes to break by embracing newer cultures in a culturally diverse university, while at the same time preserving her own.

According to Mae, people should look at other people as human beings too regardless of culture, color, orientation, and the like.

Kenhulung

GIFTS

Dancing and singing are two of the things that Mae is really passionate about, and it is something that is really integrated in her blood by virtue of her culture. But there are times, according to her, that some people would assume that those are the only things she could do, even to the point that they would think that those are the only reasons why she was able to get a scholarship. Of course these things have hurt her, but she is positive that those two things are just a small fraction of her entire personality. She wants to show that indigenous people can also be very creative and very gifted. This can be seen through the creation and use of instruments that are, amazingly, mostly exclusive to their culture. Just by looking at other people play, T’boli players can quickly learn, and when it comes to impromptu compositions they also prove themselves highly skilled.

But the skills of the T’boli go beyond that. The creation of beautiful T’nalak cloths and other crafts should also elevate the way we see them. As a matter of fact, they may live simple lives, but at least they stay true to their culture.

Things like this make Mae proud to be a member of the indigenous community.

Ke H'lomi

CHANGE

Going back to the idea that times are changing really fast and development is quickly picking up the pace, we asked Mae how she and other members of the their community can cope. She said that there are certain parts of their culture that need to adapt to the modern times, yet they keep their roots. For her, their culture is everlasting, and can be seen as a very innate and integral part of the total Filipino culture. A good example of this was when Catriona Gray wore a gown made from T’nalak fiber and a headdress inspired by T’boli culture.

But despite being unique, Mae reaffirms that T’boli culture is still a big part of the overall Filipino culture, and there should be no fear for being divided because there is always unity in the midst of diversity.

Belonging to a younger generation, Mae also struggles to balance the “new” life and her traditional roots, but she gives more importance to preserving her culture. It’s the idea that being “in” makes you cool that Mae wants to combat. Instead, she urges her fellow millennials to never forget about their roots even in the middle of embracing change, and to always accept who you are.

She also aims to further educate people about her culture by joining programs that would allow her to share what needs to be shared about their community and way of life. By doing this, she believes that she can preserve her culture, a culture that she hopes will remind us all of the beauty of being Filipinos. “Let us be reminded that our culture is a way of our living. We must know our culture and embrace where we came from or else, one day, we will just become an entry in a history book. Our cultures signify our descriptive personality or belongingness. A person who doesn’t know his own is akin to a living tree without roots. God is not impressed by the things we do but by what steps we can take to brighten the lives of others. We are made with a purpose and we know that whoever or from whatever race, culture, and values, you are living to be a light of change for progress and preservation because the more you understand the importance of one’s culture, the more you understand the essence of your living,” she finally added. /CE