1 Paggabot Halin sa Tagub: Cultural Study on the Blade, Hilt, and Sheath Designs of the Talibong of Aklan 1 Abstract The Talibong has been part of the history and culture of Aklanons. It is a distinct fighting blade that has been used by generations of Akeanon warriors in various theatres of war, from defending against Moro raiders during the colonial times to the Korean War in the 1950s. However, due to modernization, this material form of Akeanon culture is no longer appreciated by the younger generation and has been reduced into a distant memory attached to the primitive and backward notion of rural life. Furthermore, the very tradition of Talibong making is slowly vanishing, with less and less surviving bladesmiths and artisans to pass the skill and technique of forging such blades. This paper aims to answer the following questions: 1.) What do the designs of the Talibong tell about the indigenous beliefs, practices, and world views of Akeanons? 2.) How is the tradition of making the Talibong preserved through generations? 3.) What were the influences in the designs of the blade, hilt, and sheath of the Talibong? The data for this paper was gathered through participant observation and interviews with bladesmiths and artisans in Aklan who made these Talibong. This cultural study on the Talibong and its makers shed light on a neglected part of Aklan’s history and culture. Moreover, it also adds to the rather small body of work rela ted to bladed weapons in the Visayas. Keywords: Talibong, Aklan, blacksmithing, artisans, bladed weapons 1 This paper was submitted on December 2019 as part of the researcher’s requirements in History 114 (Cultural History of the Philippines) under Prof. Anthea Redison during his 2 nd year as an undergraduate student at the University of the Philippines Visayas. Some revisions have been made on this paper with regards to typographical errors, misinterpretations, and other lapses which had been realized by the researcher after confronting new evidences.