South Cotabato Sojourn

MANILA, Philippines - At a time when Cotabato City, Zamboanga and North Cotabato are making headlines for hostage takings and bombings, South Cotabato strives to shine through as a safe haven for tourism in Mindanao.

“We just share a last name with them,” our hosts would often say during our stay in South Cotabato. Despite the stigma and safety concerns that often plague the region, South Cotabato’s officials and residents remain positive that visitors will be put at ease by their warm and welcoming smiles.

“There are great challenges left for us, but I am very confident that if we put our heads together and work hard, we can achieve our dream for our province,” says Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes. “Our people are very proud of our province and you can feel that pride as you go around.”

For the adventure-seeker, South Cotabato is a paradise. There are many caves to explore and mountains to hike, offering different challenges and levels of difficulty.

The landscape of South Cotabato is virtually unsullied and affords the daring explorer a majestic yet intimate experience with nature.

Another rewarding experience that cannot be found anywhere else is an immersion in a T’boli community. It is an authentic way to take part in their culture as the community welcomes visitors with genuine warmth and readily shares their food, music, art, and homes.

Larry Alon, a full-blooded T’boli and tour guide on the Lake Sebu lake cruise, echoes the sentiment of Gov. Fuentes: “We are very proud of Lake Sebu and we are very accommodating because we want to share our culture with other people.”

For those who are not seeking as wild an adventure, South Cotabato has equally exciting tourist attractions.

Seven Falls is a group of waterfalls and is one of South Cotabato’s most popular sites. Each of the seven waterfalls has a T’boli name: the first, Hikung Alu, means passage; Hikong Bente means immeasurable falls; Hikong B’lebed, coiled falls; Hikong Lowig means booth; Hikong Kefo-i is wild flower; Hikong Ukol is short falls; and Hikong Tonok means soil. Together, they weave into a wonder of nature.

One can get up close to the pounding falls by trekking a paved path, or going on an exhilarating flight via zipline – the highest in Southeast Asia at an elevation of 200 meters.

Cut into two legs, the first part of the zipline is 740 meters long, which gives 35 seconds of flight and, literally, a breathtaking sight of waterfalls 2 to 5. The rest of the zipline is 420 meters long, offering a bird’s eye view of South Cotabato.

Speaking of birds, the Baras Bird Park in Tacurong is worth a quick visit. It is quite small – just a short stroll around, but the sanctuary houses a variety of bird species, like the great egret and the heron.

Tacurong is located a little bit outside of South Cotabato, in neighboring Sultan Kudarat, which also has its share of arts and culture to offer tourists.

Ultimately, what makes South Cotabato most worth exploring is the vibrant culture.

Lang Dulay, master dreamweaver and 1998 Manlilikha ng Bayan, welcomes visitors into her weaving center. Here, t’nalak weaving can be seen in its various stages and Lang Dulay’s patterns are showcased.

The Gawad Manlilikha Center is located at Sitio Tukolefa, Lamdalag, Lake Sebu. Lang Dulay founded the center with the grant from her award and uses it as a training center where she passes on her gift to the next generations of weavers.

Through training the young T’boli women of Lake Sebu, Lang Dulay hopes to sustain the life of t’nalak weaving because this is what gives them pride.

The House of Gongs is a nearby stop that takes visitors into a traditional T’boli long house lined with gongs, brass sword handles, and other T’boli items. Souvenirs are for sale here, but the one-stop shop for T’boli items to take home is the Cooperative of Women in Health and Development (COWHED), located at Tuko Fol, Poblacion.

COWHED has an assortment of trinkets and traditional handicrafts. T’bolis are best known for their weaving, intricate beading, wood carving, and brassware, all of which are available at the center.

What makes COWHED different from other souvenir shops is that it supports a fair trade market and is committed to improving the quality of life of T’boli women.

The residents of South Cotabato are indeed proud of their culture and are taking great measures to preserve it. Through education at the School of Indigenous Knowledge and Tradition (SIKAT), T’boli children learn about their traditions – dances, music, and art – that have been passed down from generation to generation.

SIKAT organizes musical performances and traditional dances, offers souvenirs and even arranges homestays. Most of all, SIKAT gives the community hope that their culture and traditions as T’boli will stay alive and vibrant for generations to come.

Running through all these attractions – from adventuring to visiting tourist spots to enjoying a cultural immersion – is Lake Sebu, the life blood of South Cotabato. Going on a lake cruise is one way to take in its humbling majesty.

The lake is lined by tilapia pens, the fish being the most popular in the province, and interpreted in various ways by the chefs of South Cotabato.

Lotus flowers dot the lake, making it all the more picturesque amidst the backdrop of tree-filled mountains. Even without the locals telling stories – there are many legends surrounding the lake – one can feel the mystical powers that envelop the lake.

The Tri-People Monument stands tall and proud in the heart of Surallah, South Cotabato. At the center of the landmark is a 60-foot T’boli musical instrument, the hegalong. Two giant drums, t’nonggong, house larger than life sculptures of pairs of T’bolis, Muslims, and Christians.

Each pair is playing a musical instrument, dancing, or holding local produce. The pairs are made up of an old master of the craft and a young apprentice whose skill is being honed.

The monument, created by Mindanaoan sculptor Kublai Ponce Millan, celebrates the three major groups living in Surallah.

In a way, it represents South Cotabato itself, and the unity among its peoples as they work together to keep their culture alive in their youth and prove to the rest of the country and the world that South Cotabato is not only a safe place to visit, but even more, a beacon of hope and pride for T’bolis, Muslims, and Christians alike.