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MANILA, Philippines -- For most couples who believe in a monogamous relationship, adultery is definitely not in the book of the T’boli tribe.
Myrna Pula, T’boli cluster head representative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, said that a T’boli man lived with all his wives in one roof and would sleep with each one of them as scheduled.
Moreso, the wives are duty bound to take care of each other when the man dies.
Such is the case with Dway Lumen, 65, the second wife of the late Datu Twan Tel of Barangay (village) Lamdalag in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
Lumen is now taking care of Boi (Princess) Diwa Ofong, 74, first wife of the chieftain, who is now bedridden.
“She and the other people around me take care of me because of what I’ve done when I was still strong,” said Ofong as translated by Pula.
Pula shared that Ofong was the heroine of women in their community as she embodied women empowerment.
“She is a peacemaker and community adviser. She settles the disputes in the community,” said Pula herself a recipient of Ofong's peacemaking efforts.
“I did not like to marry the man arranged for me because he was too old for me. I was 19 and he was 32 but Boi Diwa enlightened me,” said Pula.
“It took a long time before I came to like him. He was the one chosen for me because he had a lot of properties and so that I won't get hungry," Pula said in Filipino.
From her arranged marriage, Pula had two children but she did not fix their marriages so that they won't experience what she underwent.
Pula said that no one would succeed Ofong as boi (princess) making her the last T’boli princess in Lamdalag.
“Wala na siyang anak at hindi basta-basta ang pagiging prinsesa [She has no more children and not just anyone can be a princess,” said Pula.
To be a princess, one must be married to a datu as the first wife and exemplify community leadership and selfless service as a peacemaker, said Pula.
Moreover, being a daughter of a boi (princess) does not automatically qualify one to become a princess, she said.
