Manlilikha ng Bayan Bai Yabing’s message about the Blaan Tabih face mask done b…

Manlilikha ng Bayan Bai Yabing’s message about the Blaan Tabih face mask done by her FORMER students …

Tina Dulo Gulili: What do you mean for “magsandel”?
Bai Yabing: You have disrespected yourself. You have made this body of work without value to you, ohh… you do not give value to it if you are doing that (face mask).

Tina Dulo Gulili: When you do the Tabih just like that (face mask), it means it loses its value. It is no longer valuable. It is becoming just like any textile that you can do whatever you wanted to do.

Bai Yabing: Yes, he (grandson) no longer value it. I did not see him do “sma-e”, “ambad/design”, … why are you doing it like that (face mask)? You will be cursed. It is not your own work (Tabih) … you (former students) just learned to make it. You will be cursed (matfu ge), you will be cursed (matfu ge). That (face mask) is not traditionally ours.

Lamina Dulo Gulili: They (former students including her own son who disrespected her) will not learn that skill if not because of you. Why are they doing that (Tabih) as mouth cover? Do not disrespect Tabih if you are not doing good for its purpose. I do not like that and then you associate/attach your work with us.

Bai Yabing: This is what I can say to them (former students including her own grandson), why are you doing like that (face mask)? It is not a work of a Blaan but seems like you just copied from another person. That is NOT good. According to our forefathers, they called that as “matfu ge di nimoam aye”, you will be cursed by what you are doing. Why are you doing like that?

Tina Dulo Gulili: Yes because we know that Tabih is valuable and it is not used to cover the mouth because the Tabih serves greater purpose.

Lamina Dulo Gulili: The Tabih is very valuable and then that is what you do…

Bai Yabing: And, why use it to cover your mouth?

Important note: Bai Yabing Masalon Dulo is no longer part of the Kalyak Blaan Care Group headed by her own grandson because of fundamental dis-agreements on the business oriented focus of the group and the disrespect she personally experienced and her daughter Lamina Dulo Gulili too. Lamina Dulo Gulili has to stand her ground as the daughter of Bai Yabing and as Mom. Sharing this video is their way to share their message of protecting the Blaan Tabih as a cultural identifier and preserving the integrity of the Tabih designs of Bai Yabing Masalon Dulo.

Video credits: Tina Dulo Gulili
English context: Arjho Carino Turner

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