Get To Know South Cotabato’s National Living Treasures Awardees: Fu Yabing and Lang Dulay

Get to Know Fu Yabing and Lang Dulay: South Cotabato’s GAMABA Awardees

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) or National Living Treasure Award is a prestigious award for traditional and folk artists with a rank and title proclaimed by the President of the Philippines in accordance with Executive Order No. 236 of Honors Code of the Philippines. To be a GAMABA awardee, the artist must be endowed with mastery of his or her arts, crafts, and music producing the excellent quality of work over a significant period.

As part of the Community-Based Tourism Marketing Enhancement by the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, we were fortunate to get to know two of the country’s GAMABA awardees at their respective hometowns in South Cotabato, the Land of Dreamweavers – Fu Yabing and Lang Dulay.

Fu Yabing, B’laan Master Weaver

Born on August 8, 1914, Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo is more prominently known as Fu Yabing, who started weaving “tabih” or hand-woven dyed abaca at the age of 14. She is one of the two master designers of the B’laan tribe and the second awardee of GAMABA in South Cotabato.

We made our way to the south in Polomolok which is where Mount Matutum’s base is also nestled. As we reached a quaint, native house in Sitio Amgu-o in Barangay Landan, Fu Yabing’s home, we were welcomed by a smiling face. He introduced himself as Arthur Dulo Gulili or more fondly known as Jao, one of Fu Yabing’s grandchildren.

As the late GAMABA awardee’s grandson, Jao took the responsibility of safeguarding and continuing the practices of the weaving community and their ongoing projects since Fu Yabing’s passing in January 2021 at the age of 106.

At present, a center is being built where the woven and beaded products are displayed, which ensures the exquisite craftsmanship is appreciated by the generations to come.  Not to miss when visiting this place is seeing how they preserve the traditional mabal tabih art of ikat weaving and dyeing and the life story of Fu Yabing herself.

What interested me the most was the intricate designs they created inspired by their dreams, especially the images of a crocodile. The woven outputs were revered and should never be made into bags or products where you must cut…