Koronadal City—South Cotabato presents exciting cultural undertakings as part of the National Arts Month celebration this February, Arts, Culture, Tourism and Museum Officer-In-charge Indira Cagaanan said during Kapihan sa Kapitolyo.
“We have prepared meaningful cultural events because we believed that advocacy like this will make our people rediscover the beauty of South Cotabato culture,” Cagaanan said.
Today, February 8, Cagaanan and a representative from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts opened the 3-in-1 exhibit at KCC Mall of Marbel Activity area to showcase the 100 tnalak designs collected by Reden Ulo of Lake Sebu.
Ulo is in-charge of the Sta Cruz Mission Museum in Lake Sebu.
“We need to understand the love and the beliefs about the tnalak cloth,” Ulo said during the opening of the exhibit.
His collection started in 2017.
“All of these designs are made by a true dreamweaver,” Ulo said, stressing that not all weavers are dreamweavers.
In Lake Sebu, the home of tnalak weaving, the local tourism office accounted 57 dreamweavers. All are in their prime age of 40 and above.
“I love collecting tnalak designs to account and preserve the designs,” Ulo said.
The legendary tnalak designs on display is a manifestation of memory to loom, the tnalak design collector explained.
Tnalak cloth is a sacred cloth that only tboli women weave. The designs are gift from the god of abaca, Fu Dalu.
Tnalak weaving is a pass-on artistry of the tboli women. There are three colors that dominate in a tnalak cloth—red, black and white.
Red means bravery. Black is life. White represents peace.
“I thanked the Provincial Government of South Cotabato for helping us in preserving the tnalak designs,” Ulo said.
Meanwhile, the exhibit also displayed the Tantangan’s pottery.
Alfonso Villa, Tantangan Tourism Officer, said, “We have given the traditional earthenware an exciting color by inviting local artists to use our pots as their canvass.”
Tantangan’s pots are now sold for P30, 000.
On the other hand, four young fashion designers in South Cotabato are invited to exhibit their works during the opening of the province’s celebration of National Arts Month.
Fashion Designer Jared Servano, Runway Runner-up and South Cotabato’s pride, assisted the home-grown fashion designers during their production.
“We need to groom the next generation of designers. As of now, we have four but we will visit all towns to look for these talents,” Servano, whose works appeared in London Fashion Week, is the present interim president of the South Cotabato Fashion Designers Council.
Other colorful arts and culture activities this February is the 3D Mural painting at the South Cotabato Sports Complex. The mural painting is in collaboration of the local artists of the province and stakeholders like Powerhouse, a local paint trade company, and family owned mall ACE Centerpoint and The Farm@Carpenter Hill. The Sports Complex management and the ACTM also poured in funds for the mural painting.
The 3D mural painting is expected to launch on the last weekend of February.
At least a thousand choreographers are also coming to South Cotabato as the province will hold the Choreographers Summit this month.
Jingle Mana, South Cotabato Choreographers Association Secretary, said the summit will present series of workshops about street dancing.
A regional dance showdown will be presented at KCC Mall of Marbel.
The Provincial Government of South Cotabato will also hold a Governor’s Night to showcase the province cultural talents.
The summit is live-in seminar with pay.
