Singkil Sigulung is a treasured brass anklet rooted in the living traditions of the T'boli and B'laan tribes of Mindanao, Philippines — now brought to you through the hands of an apprentice of a Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure) in the sacred art of brassmaking.
Entirely handcrafted and "cooked" through ancestral metalcasting methods passed down since the 19th–20th century, each piece is 100% pure brass — colored and designed by hand, exactly as our ancestors made it. No shortcuts. No machines. Just fire, skill, and heritage.
Among the T'boli of Lake Sebu, this anklet is called Singkil Sigulung — named for the brass pebbles that rattle inside its hollow center. In T'boli myth, Dinton, son of the god D'wata, was the first metalworker, gifting the T'boli people with the divine ability to cast metal. The singkil is not merely jewelry — it is a marker of wealth, status, and identity, worn in layers by T'boli women as a living testament to their standing in the community. (well, nowadays....sabi ng tboli apprentice na gumawa nito, okay lang sya gamitin as a modern accessory as long as it is used with respect and modesty. same rule with the inaul )
Among the B'laan of Pula Bato, Tampakan, South Cotabato, it is known as Singkil Babat — a decorative brass anklet adorned with small bells called asgolong that ring with every step and every stamp of the foot. For the B'laan, the Singkil Babat is both jewelry and musical instrument, worn during celebrations and occasions as a living, sounding symbol of B'laan cultural identity.
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Material: Pure Brass & Mixed Metals
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Technique: Traditional ancestral brassmaking — handcrafted & hand-colored
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Century: 19th–20th Century tradition
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Creation Place: Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines
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Ethnic Communities: T'boli & B'laan Tribes
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Artisan: Apprentice of a Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures)
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Source of Information: Sir. Matthew Padrigan from the Pasacat Group website
This is not a reproduction. This is a living tradition — forged in brass, worn with pride, and carried forward by the next generation of Mindanao's master artisans.
