Tboli, South Cotabato,
Described as one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines,
Lake Sebu lies, 3000 ft. above sea level, a calm, quiet refuge for the concrete-wary soul. Located on the Mountains of South Cotabatao, it is home to the T’Boli and B’laan minority groups.
Lake Sebu us a young town as it was created on November 11, 1982. It used to be
a barangay of Suraliah, South Cotabato. From a sixth class municipality in 1992,
it became a third class municipality in 2001, registering tourism as the highest
income earner. It coveers an area of 8,913 sq. km. with a population of 60,000.
The main tribe is the T'boli and the next large ethnic group is the Ilongo, so
the most widely spoken dialects are T'boli and Hiligaynon / Karay-a. Tagalog and
English are both spoken and understood by the local people.
From 1938 to 1950, 8,300 families were resettled by the National Land Settlement
Agency which adversely affected the tribes because of commercial ranching, minin
and logging so the tribe was displaced and moved to the upland part. They called
the place S'bu and practiced barter system to acquire goods and services. They
had peaceful and abundant life as there were plenty of foods for their needs due
to spacious and fertile land suited for agriculture and domestication.
Today, the T'boli and Ubo ancestral domain claims had been awarded to them. Generally,
teh town was proclaimed as Watershed Forest Reserve by virtue of Proclamation
number 65. Lake Sebu again form part of the Proclaimed Allah Valley Watershed
Forest Reserve, hence, it become an initial component of National Integrated Protected
Area System (NIPAS) and now categorized as Allay Valley Protected Landscape. A
Protected Landscape - an area of national significance which are characterized
by the harmonious interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for
public enjoyment through recreation and tourism within the normal lifestyle and
economic activity of these areas. The Philippine Eagle and Tarsier were among
the important wildlife species sighted in tropical rain forest of Lake Sebu.
