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GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 30 Apr) – South Cotabato’s pride and famed “dreamweaver” Be’ Lang Dulay passed away on Thursday afternoon after being in coma for nearly three months due to a mild stroke.
Cesar Sulit Jr., South Cotabato’s senior tourism operations officer, said the 91-year-old T’boli princess died around 3 p.m. at her home in Sitio Tukolefa, Barangay Lamdalag in Lake Sebu.
He said Lang Dulay’s family brought her home after being discharged from a hospital in Koronadal City.
“We already informed the governor (South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes) about the sad news this afternoon and some arrangements are now being made with (the Dulay) family,” he said.
Lang Dulay, who was named a national living treasure in 1998 by then President Fidel Ramos, suffered a mild stroke in late January and has been in comatose since.
A report posted in CNN Philippines quoted Professor Framer Cristy Mella, chairperson of North Cotabato Network of Women, as saying that Lang Dulay’s ventilator was removed by doctors last Tuesday.
But Mella, who personally visited Lang Dulay, said the latter was still alive then but remained comatose.
Lang Dulay was known for her contributions in the preservation of the T’boli culture through the tribe’s famed T’nalak fabric.
She was conferred with the National Living Treasure (Manlilikha ng Bayan) award by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for her efforts in promoting the T’boli culture and for her fine craftsmanship as a T’nalak “dreamweaver.”