Manobo Clothes

The following are the clothing-related terms in the Dulangan Manobo language: sinulog (clothes women wear on special occasions), kegal (shirt or blouse), paleda or lubing (skirt), seluwel (pants), sempek (short pants), baeg (loincloth), and lapin kawal or lapin sempek (underwear). The sample pants I saw in Delesan Menubo are simple black slacks. The Manobo girls who entertained me, however, said that traditional pants are normally made of the same cloth—and therefore have the same pattern and color—as the man’s upper garment. The photos on the wall of the display room supported the claim. Strictly speaking, lubing refers to the cloth that Manobo skirts are commonly made of, and the cloth is sometimes used for other purposes, such as, as a towel or as a baby carriage.
 

A group of Dulangan Manobos in traditional clothing

A sample of sinulog, garments worn by women

during special occasions

A long-sleeved shirt for men. Kegal is the general

term for upper garments for both men and women.

(Blogger's note: This post is part of a series on items that the Dulangan Manobo people traditionally use in their daily lives. Special thanks to the RNDM nuns assigned in Kulaman Plateau. For more information about the series, read my introductory post or click the label Delesan Menubo below.)