T’NALAK TAU SEBU COLLECTIVE TRADEMARK REGISTERED IN IPOPHL

Official Mark/Seal of T'nalak Tau Sebu

IPOPHL grants and awards the Collective Mark Certificate of Registration to T’nalak Tau Sebu (TTS).  The “T’nalak Tau Sebu” or “Lake SebuT’nalak” refers to T’nalak hand woven by the people of Lake Sebu. These terms are also reserved, as are their equivalent in any translation.The Collective Mark Certificate of Registration is evidence of ownership of the mark by the T'nalak Tau Sebu group.  It also serves as an essential element of the promotions, the guarantee of quality and the traceability of the T’nalak product as was presented during the T’nalak Festival celebration last 18 July 2017 in Koronadal, South Cotabato as one of the provincial’s events highlights.  Officials of other government agencies were also present to witness the awarding.

From left to Right: DTI Director Daisy Fuentes, IPOPHL Director Leny Raz,
South Cotabato Governor Flora Gabunales, Lake Sebu Mayor Antonio Fungan,
and TTS Officials

The Director of the Bureau of Trademarks, Atty. Leny B. Raz presented the Certificate of Registration of the Collective Trademark to the Provincial Officials of South Cotabato and the 9 member organizations and Officers of TTS namely: Lake Sebu Indigenous Women Association, Inc. (LASIWWAI); LibunHulungMatul (LHM); Lang Dulay Weaving Center; Kendengen T'boliS’bu Association; KlowilKemLibun Organization, Inc. (KLOWIL); Cooperative of Women in Health and Development, Inc. (COWHED); Klowil Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc. (KLOWIL MPC); School of Living Tradition (SLT); and Yab Man Weaving Center Organization. 
Looking back on the heritage of the T’nalak Tau Sebu Inc. members, mostly Tboli women, are popularly known for their hand-woven fabrics with unique and intricate designs crafted based on the weaver’s dream, which is interpreted with spiritual meanings.  Remarkably, the women weavers knotting the fibers and laying out the design have no pattern or sketch by which to copy from.  Each T’nalak design represents a story connected to their life, culture, tradition, respect for tribal Gods, and for the preservation of T'boli Tribe heritage since time immemorial.
TTS members have undergone various training and seminars and came up with the Code of Practice that will guide all the members in maintaining the authentic and excellent quality of T’nalak fabrics with raw materials indigenous to the Philippines’.  Tools were developed to register cloths submitted, to evaluate their quality, and provide the quality seal.  Down-stream traceability is done through a code system for each T’nalak Cloth or Fabric from the Abaca Collectors, to the weavers, and to the 8 trading organizations will be guaranteed by paper trails.  The association will issue certifications per roll that will include roll traceability serial numbers and traceability seals that will need to be attached to the final products.  The website www.tnalak.org developed in 2016 is the digital platform to register and promote all produced T’nalak fabrics by the TTS Federation Members.
IPOPHL continue to encourage MSMEs and Indigenous Peoples to register their product brand as a business tool to become globally competitive and to earn more from their intellectual property as one of their intangible assets. For more information about trademark registrations, visit www.ipophil.gov.ph.