According to architect Edmund Villacrucis, who helped design Tinubdan, it took more than a year to conceptualize the project.
"We did several field researches on the structures of Bagobo houses. And then we scaled it down due to limitation of space," he said in a recent interview.
"Bagobos build their houses far apart. Ganun sila ka-disperse and scattered ang kanilang community. And they have different conceptual levels," he said.
Tinubdan aims to capure the lumad experience, not only how our indigenous ancestors lived but how they perceived the world around them.
"Kung mawala ang kultura nila, ang labas parang hanggang museum na lang sila," Villacrusis said. Tinubdan aims to preserve and showcase the rich heritage of the eight tribes that live around Mt. Apo, the country's tallest peak and also where Eden Nature Park nestles at its foot.
"We opted for authenticity in the materials we used in building the structures. Ang mga gumawa ng houses are datus themselves. Lumads did the actual carpentry and design to make it as authentic as possible," he said.
He said the design of the houses are very airy and fit for the tropical weather. Made of bamboo, nipa, round poles from hardwood that is available to the lumads, the structures at Tinubdan reflect their simple lifestyle.
Meanwhile, Nestor Orfilla, who is the cultural consultant of Tinubdan and also heads the committe on dramatic arts at the National Commission for Culture and Arts, emphasizes the dynamics within indigenous people (IP).
"Tinubdan aims to validate the three core themes of IP communities: consulting with spirits, sharing with others and working with nature," he said in an interview.
"The Eden staff did a lot of immersion. Dapat din nilang malaman ang buhay ng mga IPs. We have to know the pressures they experience," he said.
"We started developing the concept back in 2006 and then translate into reality. We have to give the right interpretation to their stories and myths," he said.
"There is a pattern of struggle like drought that is common in most IP myths."
"Their houses and structures attest to their non-sedentary lifestyle and shifting way of life," he said. "These are all made of light materials, hindi mashado malalaki ang houses nila."
According to Horfilla, the ancient myth of lumads has always the high regard for caves, as is showcased in Tinubdan's Cave of Wisdom.
"There is a practical reason for their high regard of caves. They could be burial caves, borrowing cave where heirlooms are stacked," he said.
The challenge in completing Tinubdan, Horfilla says, was how to use contemporary medium in materializing the concept of the lumad's way of life.
"We took into consideration their own cultural inputs to come up with an actual physical appearance of their way of life," he said.
And the result is Tinubdan, which also represents the preservation of our ancestor's rich cultural heritage and a fruition of dreams that all is not lost.
