COWHED Tradecrafts
Learn about COWHED and Tboli Tradecrafts, a community-based initiative supporting Tboli women artisans and the continued practice of traditional arts in Lake Sebu.
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COWHED: Tboli Tradecrafts and Women’s Cultural Work
In Lake Sebu, traditional arts are closely connected to community life, cultural knowledge, and the livelihoods of Tboli women. The Cooperative of Women in Health and Development (COWHED) was established to support women through their home-based handicraft production and to create pathways for their work to reach wider markets and audiences.
Tboli Tradecrafts is a business of COWHED that brings together and promotes the work of its artisan members. Documented areas of practice include T’nalak cloth and handloom weaving, embroidery, beadwork, brass casting, wood carving, bamboo craft, and other forms of traditional cultural expression.
COWHED’s work is significant not only as a source of economic opportunity, but also as part of the continuing transmission and practice of Tboli artistic traditions. Its members carry knowledge developed within their homes and communities, transforming materials such as abaca, beads, brass, wood, and bamboo through skills passed across generations.
The cooperative has also served as an important link between Tboli artisans and wider audiences. Its work has included marketing members’ creations, participating in trade fairs and exhibitions, and supporting the sale of home-based production.
Today, COWHED remains part of the broader cultural landscape of Lake Sebu and the network of organizations working to sustain Tboli textile and craft traditions. The cooperative is also among the organizations associated with T’nalak Tau Sebu, a collective established to promote, protect, and maintain the authenticity and quality of T’nalak weaving.
Explore the resource to learn more about COWHED, Tboli Tradecrafts, and the women whose knowledge and creative practice contribute to the living heritage of Lake Sebu.
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