At KULARTS, our education and community programs bridge living Philippine indigenous traditions, which are still vibrant and practiced today all throughout the Philippines, with contemporary arts through a diasporic lens. By bringing youth, artists, and elders together in immersive experiences, we honor ancestral knowledge as a vital path to decolonizing the mind, reawakening the indigenous spirit, and uplifting Pilipinx American voices.

TRIBU TUR

TRIBUTUR PROGRAM

Tribes of Mindanao, Philippines

Embrace the majesty of the Southern Philippines and dispel fearful myths about one of the most complex and misunderstood region of the world…

Since 2002, KULARTS has conducted its one-of-a-kind TribuTur, a hands-on field study, custom-designed for participants to explore, discover, and draw empowerment from indigenous Pilipino cultures of Mindanao. During the trip, participants will engage in meaningful interactions with tribal leaders, shamans & healers, and masters artists in their ancestral homes in Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato, and Basilan.

Through this unique program, you will…

• Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Southern Philippines’ myths, cosmology, and ancient ways of knowing.

• Empower your ‘babaylan’ self by participating in traditional rituals and ceremonies led by tribal shamans and ritualists.

• Learn the meaning of sacred and secular dances and music: from epic chants to award-winning street dancing.

• Inform your cultural consciousness with lectures on current indigenous social and political struggles.

• Savor the flavors of delicious Mindanaon cuisine—a departure from your lola’s traditional lumpia and pancit offering!

TRIBUTUR 2026 APPLICATION INFORMATION

Tour Dates
January 27 - February 9, 2026

Tentative Locations
Cotabato
Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi
Bongao, Tawi-Tawi
Basilan

Important Dates
Application Window – October 28 - November 14, 2025
Application Due – Friday, November 14, 2025 Friday, November 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM (PST)
Virtual Interviews – November 14 - 20, 2025
Notification – Friday, November 28, 2025

Application + Interview Process

1. Request application by emailing info@kularts-sf.org with subject line: TribuTur 2026 Application Request - [Your Name]

2. Submit your application and pay the $50 nonrefundable application fee

3. Applications will be reviewed upon submission and fee payment

4. We will contact you to schedule a virtual interview (approx. 30-45 mins)

5. You will receive an email if you have been selected to participate in TribuTur 2026

Application Eligibility Requirement
Please note that there is an application and interview process for each prospective tour member. Eligibility for participation in this tour requires contacting KULARTS for an application and meeting the Participant Qualifications.

In order to be eligible for selection, you must meet the following Participant Qualifications:

• Provide a referral from a former TribuTur participant within the past eight years (2017–2025)

• Hold a current, valid passport or legal visa (if not a U.S. citizen)

• Be at least 21 years of age or older

• Be capable of participating in walking tours and other moderately rigorous physical activities

• Ability to embrace local traditions and rustic living conditions

• Show a genuine interest in active participation in cultural exchange with indigenous communities.

• Ability to contribute positively to a group dynamic

• Ability to live communally and acclimate to rustic, non-western conditions of the tribal communities

• Complete all required health documentation, including insurance information, health disclosures (e.g., medical conditions, special dietary needs, vaccinations, and medications)

For questions, please email info@kularts-sf.org with the subject line: TribuTur 2026 Inquiry - [Your Name].

COMMENTS FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS

“All by tribal tours gave was the seed of the most beautiful things that happened in my life. The ripples it created birthed leaders, wonderful artists and individuals that have impacted the community in many ways. Salaam for everything!”

– Lydia Querian, Founder and CEO of Divine Creative Studio

“KULARTS Tribal Tour was a life-changing experience. It was expertly and sensitively organized to expose us, the participants, to Filipino cultures that have often been derided and stigmatized. It also allowed us to experience these cultures through active and collaborative participation in local cultural practices and rituals. In the process—and this was the most meaningful to me—we were able to help indigenous populations preserve vitally important cultural traditions, sustain their often precarious economies, and finance their social projects for community development and improvement.

For me, the Kularts Tribal Tour was not tourism, not even of the well-meaning kind; it was immersion and solidarity with peoples and societies that are in the process of developing sustainable economies while preserving, energizing, and innovating their brilliant, though often stigmatized, cultural traditions.”

– Arnaldo Cruz-Malavé, PhD, Professor Fordham University

“It’s nice to see Filipino-Americans visit our areas and learn our cultural heritage. Some of them were my students at SFSU. Glad Alleluia is leading them.”

 – Danongan Kalanduyan, NEA National Heritage Fellow, South San Francisco

“Love this experience…one of the greatest in my life!”

– Peter de Guzman, Dancer/choreographer, Los Angeles

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Introductory Kulintang: Singkil Foundations

Learn traditional Singkil music from scratch in five hands-on lessons no experience needed to go from basic rhythms to full ensemble play!

Fall 2026 Class Term Workshop Dates:
October Wednesdays: 10/14 • 10/21 
November Wednesdays: 11/4 • 11/11 • 11/18 

6:30pm - 8:00pm

Location: 
KULARTS & AAPI Performing Arts Center 
67 Langton St, San Francisco California, 94103

Course Description:

This class will consist of five ninety minute lessons. Participants will be taught the song for the dance, Singkil, that was played by The Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble during performances. The basic melodic cycles on the kulintang will be covered first. Once participants have internalized all the foundational patterns, adornments will be added to the tune. Rhythms and patterns on accompanying instruments, such as the babandil, dabakan, agong, and gandingan will be covered as well. The goal is for each participant to learn Singkil strongly enough to eventually be able to (re)arrange the song to fit choreography and teach the accompaniment to the rest of an ensemble.

Participants will learn using the sarunay, which is the smaller, practice version of the kulintang. Sarunays will be made available to use during the lessons, but participants are encouraged to buy/bring their own so that they can practice at home. There will be a full ensemble of the larger instruments in the classroom that participants will use to practice/demonstrate what they have learned. Although partial enrollment (less than five classes) is allowed, please be advised that the lessons are in a sequence—each successive class will build on the previous one.

Registration Fee
$250.00 per student
$75 per single drop in class
(For drop in classes please contact program@kularts-sf.org
for availability regarding drop in sessions.)

CONTACT

For more information regarding registration
please contact: program@kularts-sf.org

For more information regarding the class
please contact the instructor, Conrad: ConradJBenedicto@pm.me