1928 - 2015
Lang Kambáy Dúlay
A skilled traditional weaver of the fabric “T’nalak,” belonging to the tribe of T’boli.
Lang Kambáy Dúlay, commonly known as "Lang Dulay", was a skilled traditional weaver of the fabric “T’nalak”, and is renowned as a “T’nalak Master Weaver”, belonging to the tribe of T’boli. She was born on August 3, 1928 at Tukó Lifá, Lake Sebú, Mindanao, Philippines.
Her mother, named Luan Senig, taught her how to weave and Lang Dulay started weaving at the age of 12 years old. Although Lang Dulay could neither read nor write, she maintained a bank account which she used some of her funding to found and run a workshop for weaving at the Manlilikha ng Bayan Center in Sitio Tukolefa, Lamdalag, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
Lang was said to have dreamt of a hundred designs that she used for the T’nalak. They say that Fu Dalu, the T’boli god of abaca, visited her dreams and showed her intricate designs that she would use for her weaving.
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She was proficient in these designs that were also inspired by her environment, such as bulinglangit (clouds), bangkiring (hair covering the forehead), kabangi (butterflies), crocodiles, and flowers found in the mountains and streams.
She is known for her exceptional skill in creating intricate designs for t'nalak weaving, maintaining traditional motifs despite commercialization and modern designs introduced by non-T'bolis.
In 1998, Lang Dulay was awarded the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, also known as the National Living Treasures Award, the highest recognition for Filipino traditional artists, for her significant contribution to T'boli culture, particularly her dedication to preserving the traditions of weaving t’nalak.
In the same year, Lang Dulay showcased her works at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., as part of the Philippine Independence Centennial Celebrations.
After winning the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, Lang Dulay established a workshop in her hometown to promote the traditional art of t’nalak weaving and to share different stories about the T’boli community residing near Lake Sebu in Cotabato, guiding younger weavers in preserving in preserving cultural heritage.
On April 30, 2015, a female national treasure, Lang Dulay, passed away at the age of 86. Dulay’s passing was mourned by the t’boli community and the nation as a whole, but her legacy continues to inspire future weavers and artists. Her intricate work of t’nalak designs is captivated in museums and galleries around the world, ensuring that her contributions to Philippines traditional arts and culture are recognized, valued, and appreciated.