Vol. 16 No. 1 (2001): THE MINDANAO FORUM

THE MINDANAO FORUM (formerly The Technician) is a semi-annual journal devoted to a scholarly discussion of subjects in the arts, humanities, sciences, and technology. The views and opinions expressed in its pages are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of MSU-IIT or the Editorial Board. Materials published here may not be reproduced without the permission of the authors and the publisher.

Editors:                                Jaime An Lim, Ph.D

                                            Alita Timonera Roxas, D.M

Associate Editor:                Marietta E~peranza P. Cruz

Production Assistant:        Cherly S. Adlawan

Managing Editor:             Alicia D. Bartolome

Cover

The tinalak cloth is hand-woven from abaca fiber by the T'bolis who are concentrated around Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. It is predominantly dyed with earthy colors: rust, brown, and black. The close association of the T"bolis with the animal world is reflected in the usual design patterns of the tinalk: stylized frogs, worms, snakes, crocodiles, lizards and other animals in a linear field representing vines and grasses. The name T'boli comes from two root words; tau (meaning small human creature) and bili (meaning fruit of the wild vine).