Remembering Helen Lumbos, LTWA Founding President
February 9, 1971 - February 6, 2016
A Skype video chat with Arjho Cariño Turner on June 1, 2015
Arjho: Please share to me the story and initiatives of the Maral Kafi Performing Arts.
Helen Lumbos: Ah, Maam Jho…what we are currently having is a Blaan Music and Dance School of Living Tradition (SLT) specifically teaching the use Blaan musical instruments like Del, Kubing, Faglung, Falimak, etc.. Each child will have their recital in playing the instruments and also sing original Blaan song compositions by my Mother Herminia Lacna. Our presentation is not just about the dance, it will showcase "The Tradition and Culture of Blaan"...it will be inclusive of healing, festival, dancing inserting the aral kafi (eagle dancing) and way of life of the Blaans to be depicted elaborately (planting, fishing, all Blaan lifestyle included in the presentation for story line). The SLT students will be the lead performers and original compositions of my Mother is used during the presentation. We are inviting other dance choreographers to comment during our recital. When we are invited to do presentations, the audience and organizers truly appreciated and love our performances because we are showcasing authentic Blaan culture. We just need to improve the stage presence of the kids part of the group because they are still shy to perform outside the community. Those early kids we trained back in 2005 are now helping encourage younger generations. Most of the younger ones we have now were not born yet when you were here. Sir Toto (Sulong Tribu Program Manager under the Office of Governor Steve Solon) truly suggested that the presentation and for SLT anniversary will be held at once and it will happen sometime in June.
Arjho: Who are your visitors?
Helen Lumbos: My daughter Lala with Sulong Tribu Program also helps facilitate the invitation for guests. Of course, our first guests are community members and our fellow Blaan folks. And, for people like you who is always online and able to track what we do in the community members. As if you are just here with us. You know more what we do here than some of our neighbors.
My Mother is now a Job Order of the Provincial Government of Sarangani and she is very happy as it helps a lot in sustaining teaching to the younger generations about Blaan music, folklore, dance, etc. Fu Gusiye is also hired by the province but focused on the Mabal Tabih Skills Transfer. That is the update so far on this initiative.
Now, it is to our surprise that we are here in the house of Maam Monique (Lamlifew Tribal Women’s Association Blaan products patron) for the very first time. What I told her is that we will be here for a vacation. Our very bridge to be here is because of what we do and we are able to be connected with her. Number 1, I told her that you have a big part of us because even if we know a lot about our culture and we have the skills, we still need support system and we are thankful to God that people like you and many others bridging opportunities to the Lamlifew Tribal Women's Association. That is why, I always told my children that what we are doing now is for our children and next generations to follow/continue. One of the kids said that even if we don’t stay much in our community, our big help to you and LTWA is to bridge communication/updates to supporters like you who is always online. That is why they got me a new cellphone and I was able to check Facebook posts when I have good signal so that I would know. Then, I was able to see your posting on the photos shared by Jordi in the Lamlifew FB Page. We were so happy to see how are faces looked like back then....we have something to reminisce on how we look back then.
Helen Lumbos: Ah, Maam Jho…what we are currently having is a Blaan Music and Dance School of Living Tradition (SLT) specifically teaching the use Blaan musical instruments like Del, Kubing, Faglung, Falimak, etc.. Each child will have their recital in playing the instruments and also sing original Blaan song compositions by my Mother Herminia Lacna. Our presentation is not just about the dance, it will showcase "The Tradition and Culture of Blaan"...it will be inclusive of healing, festival, dancing inserting the aral kafi (eagle dancing) and way of life of the Blaans to be depicted elaborately (planting, fishing, all Blaan lifestyle included in the presentation for story line). The SLT students will be the lead performers and original compositions of my Mother is used during the presentation. We are inviting other dance choreographers to comment during our recital. When we are invited to do presentations, the audience and organizers truly appreciated and love our performances because we are showcasing authentic Blaan culture. We just need to improve the stage presence of the kids part of the group because they are still shy to perform outside the community. Those early kids we trained back in 2005 are now helping encourage younger generations. Most of the younger ones we have now were not born yet when you were here. Sir Toto (Sulong Tribu Program Manager under the Office of Governor Steve Solon) truly suggested that the presentation and for SLT anniversary will be held at once and it will happen sometime in June.
Arjho: Who are your visitors?
Helen Lumbos: My daughter Lala with Sulong Tribu Program also helps facilitate the invitation for guests. Of course, our first guests are community members and our fellow Blaan folks. And, for people like you who is always online and able to track what we do in the community members. As if you are just here with us. You know more what we do here than some of our neighbors.
My Mother is now a Job Order of the Provincial Government of Sarangani and she is very happy as it helps a lot in sustaining teaching to the younger generations about Blaan music, folklore, dance, etc. Fu Gusiye is also hired by the province but focused on the Mabal Tabih Skills Transfer. That is the update so far on this initiative.
Now, it is to our surprise that we are here in the house of Maam Monique (Lamlifew Tribal Women’s Association Blaan products patron) for the very first time. What I told her is that we will be here for a vacation. Our very bridge to be here is because of what we do and we are able to be connected with her. Number 1, I told her that you have a big part of us because even if we know a lot about our culture and we have the skills, we still need support system and we are thankful to God that people like you and many others bridging opportunities to the Lamlifew Tribal Women's Association. That is why, I always told my children that what we are doing now is for our children and next generations to follow/continue. One of the kids said that even if we don’t stay much in our community, our big help to you and LTWA is to bridge communication/updates to supporters like you who is always online. That is why they got me a new cellphone and I was able to check Facebook posts when I have good signal so that I would know. Then, I was able to see your posting on the photos shared by Jordi in the Lamlifew FB Page. We were so happy to see how are faces looked like back then....we have something to reminisce on how we look back then.
ABS-CBN Foundation Green Initiative Project with Sulong Tribu Program of Sarangani Province
Mabal Blaan:Weaving the Threads of Heritage Exhibit
The Tabih design in the loom shown for this exhibition is contemporary. You will see samples of the traditional Blaan Tabih designs in other parts of the video along with the comparative section showing the Tboli Tnalak and Bagobo Inabal.
Video courtesy of Cocoy A. Sexcion.
Video courtesy of Cocoy A. Sexcion.
Visit of Amie and Jos Jaspers from Holland on April 2005 at Lamlifew. They were the first sponsors for the make shift huts used for School of Living Tradition Project back then. Blaan by the way is spelled without apostrophe after letter B...there was no vowel "i" omitted to be replaced by the apostrophe.
