20/07/2025
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𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 | 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬.
South Cotabato’s Tnalak Festival may have ended, but conversations around the name Tnalak and the people behind it must continue. The spelling T’boli and T’nalak, which includes an apostrophe, has long been used in documents, signages, and publications. However, this form did not originate from the Tboli themselves.
According to MindaNews (2023), the apostrophe was inserted by missionaries and researchers to signify a glottal stop, an attempt to capture local pronunciation using foreign linguistic systems.
While it may appear harmless, this inserted symbol altered the way outsiders perceive and reproduce the name, contributing to its exoticization.
In reality, the Tboli do not pronounce their name with a glottal pause where the apostrophe appears. As noted in various ethnolinguistic discussions, the spelling Tboli (without the apostrophe) better reflects the natural flow of the language. The continued use of the apostrophe implies that external interpretations are more valid than the self-representation of the community.
According to Karl Lozano of Sesotunawa, removing the apostrophe is not just about orthography, it is about giving space for indigenous communities to define who they are based on their own understanding, not through colonial or academic filters.
Thus, using Tboli and Tnalak without the apostrophe is an act of respect and accuracy. It is a rejection of imposed narratives and a recognition of the Tboli’s linguistic and cultural autonomy. And one way to decolonize our thinking is to honor indigenous self-representation, we spell it Tnalak, not T'nalak; Tboli, not T'boli.
Language is not just form, it's sovereignty.
Gonzalo, M. T. (2017). Ang ‘Kolu’ ug ang pakigbisog sa pagpatunhay sa ‘pagka-Tagakolu.’ Ateneo de Davao University.
Lozano, K. (2023). Personal communication.
MindaNews. (2023, August 12). IP advocates: No apostrophes in Blaan, Tboli. https://www.mindanews.com
Rappler. (2023, August 13). Drop that ‘offensive’ apostrophe in Blaan, Tboli – IP advocacy group.https://www.rappler.com