RESEARCH DATA:

The kegal kenibang is an appliquéd blouse traditionally worn by Tboli women. The term kenibang is an adjective derived from the root word kibang, meaning “appliqué” (Pastor-Roces, 1991). According to Pastor-Roces (1991), the Tboli also use kibang to refer to “plants and animals that are mottled, varicolored, or speckled” (p. 101), a description that may parallel the visual and sensory experience of seeing colorful appliqués on cloth.
This garment features a distinctive white appliqué cloth embroidered with reptile skin–like patterns. Among the motifs that figure prominently in T’boli garments are reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and crocodiles. These motifs are almost always flanked by zigzag or geometric patterns and human figures.