Local Materials in

the Philippines
 Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson the students are expected to:

● identify local materials as applied in creating works of art;
• understand the significance of local materials in various
aspects of life;

● produce sample of art using different local materials

available.
Four (4) different photos will be shown in a grid all
of which share a word in common. Your goal is to
figure out the common word based on the number of
blank spaces and jumbled letters provided.
_____

OALCL
_________

IALRASMTE
______

AECRTE
___

TRA
Arrange the following words to describe the
topic for this session.
_____ _________
that are used to
_____ ___
Local Materials in
the Philippines
 Local Materials

● resources that can be found readily in a

large quantity at a particular location or
area at a certain time. These materials ae
cheap relative to the imported materials
from outside the country.
ABACA
(Manila hemp)
 ABACA
• Abaca belongs to Banana
family.
• Its fiber has a natural luster
with colors ranging from pure
white to ivory and dark brown.
• Furniture makers and
designers choose this material
for their works because of its
durability and availability.
ABACA
Rope
Slippers
Woven fabrics
Hammock
Frame
Tea bags
baskets
Abaca
BAMBOO
 BAMBOO
• Bamboo is used as a
raw material in
creating different
products.
• It is used in
construction, textile,
musical instruments,
weapons, and more.
BURI
 BURI
• Buri is the largest and
most common palm
found in the Philippines.
• Buri is extracted from
the matured leaves of
the buri palm.
• The fiber is durable and
resistant to moisture.
 BURI
• Hats
• Bags
• Baskets
• Memorabilia boxes
• Perfume tray
• and other woven
product can be some
artistic creation from
buri.
COCONUT
SHELL
 Coconut Shell
products
• Most of handmade decorative Lamps
are created by using coconut Boxes
shell due to their strength. Tabletops
• Coconut shells are also used Chairs
to made charcoal which is use Household
as fuel and this coconut accessories
charcoals are far better than
other charcoals.
CAPIZ SHELL
 Capiz Shell
facts products

● Capiz shell (Placuna

placenta) is a highly
● Wall art
asymmetrical bivalve
● Décor
with a characteristically ● Lighting fixtures
thin, translucent shell
often used in handicraft.
PANDAN
 Pandan
facts products

● Pandan is a tropical
plant.
● It is processed and ● Baskets
● Hats
transformed into splints ● Bags
that are being used as a ● Picture frames
raw material for
different products.
Local Materials in
the Philippines
ARTS FROM THE
REGIONS
SCULPTURE, WEAVING, & DANCES
HIGANTES OF ANGONO, RIZAL (SCULPTURE)
HIGANTES OF ANGONO, RIZAL (SCULPTURE)

•The Angono land tillers

way of protesting their
struggles is by making
giant effigy of their
landlords whose lands
are usually high up on
their waist.
• The body is made of bamboo and colorful cloth and the face is
made of paper mache. It was in the 80s when the late Angono
Artist PERDIGON VOCALAN brought the idea of the Higantes
Festival.
PUNI OR PALM LEAF FOLDING OF BULACAN
(SCULPTURE)
PUNI OR PALM LEAF FOLDING OF BULACAN
(SCULPTURE)

Puni refers to the art of coconut

leaf. Puni is a tagalog term from
the province of Bulacan which
means to beautify or decorate
with the use of coconut leaf.
50
SINGKABAN OR BAMBOO ART OF BULACAN
(SCULPTURE)

Singkaban is the art of shaving

bamboo into artful creations used
for decors or archers
SINGKABAN OR BAMBOO ART OF BULACAN
(SCULPTURE)

Singkabans are artfully-made

entrances arches used during
fiestas and other important events
in Bulacan

Singkaban Festival is an annual

provincial event of Bulacan. It
showcases the traditional arts of the
literary form Balagtasan, and
traditional songs kundiman
Singkaban or Bamboo Art
SANICULAS COOKIE MOLD CARVINGS OF PAMPANGA
(SCULPTURE)

Cookies that have the image

of St. Nicholas known as the
healer

Legend has it that if you consume

these, cookies when one is ill, you’ll
get healed and recover in a shorter
amount of time.
SANICULAS COOKIE MOLD CARVINGS OF PAMPANGA
(SCULPTURE)

The molds are exceptional piece of

folk art and a rarity. The makers
would commission the carvers of
these molds with one of a kind design.
They would have their initials
engraved and it is considered an
heirloom.

The Panecillos de San Nicholas or Saniculas was introduced by the Augustinian

Friars. These religious biscuits were molded with the image of St. Nicholas de
Tolentino, the patron saint of children. It used to be made only on September
10, the feast of the saints.
56
 Pabalat or
Pastillas Wrapper Cutting Art
● Pabalat is a form of papercutting
originating in the province of Bulacan in
the Philippines.
● It involves making intricate papercut
designs from wrappers used in pastillas,
usually papel de hapon or japanese paper.
PABALAT OR BORLAS DE PASTILLAS OF
BULACAN
(SCULPTURE)
Pabalat or
pastillas
wrapper
cutting art
SCULPTURES OF PAETE, LAGUNA
(SCULPTURE)

• PAETE was derived from the word “paet” which means chisel.

“MATER DOLOROSA” made by

Mariano Madriňan. He was
honored by the King of Spain
with a prestigious award in
Amsterdam 1882.
SCULPTURES OF PAETE, LAGUNA
(SCULPTURE)

“Carving Capital of the Philippines”

March 15, 2005
It is also believed that the modern yo-yo which
originated in the Philippines was invented in Paete
 Taka
● Taka refers to paper mache made using carved
wooden sculpture used as a mold.
● The craft originated in the town of Paete, Laguna in
the Philippines.
● Takaan, a carved wooden sculpture, is used as a
mold in making taka. Brown craft paper is used as a
final layer for taka made for export. This provides a
thicker base and smoother finish for the craft.
Taka
Taka

It was pioneered
by Paete local,
Maria Piday.
GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL OF PAMPANGA
(SCULPTURE)

Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in

December (Saturday before Christmas Eve) in
San Fernando City, Pampanga

The city has been nicknamed the

Christmas City of the Philippines
GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL OF PAMPANGA
(SCULPTURE)

The predecessor of the modern-day Giant

Lantern Fesitval was actually a religious
activity which we know today as “lubenas”

In 1931 the electricity was

introduced to San Fernando
lantern thus sparking the birth
of the First Lantern Festival.

The first lantern festival was held to honor President Manuel L. Quezon. At
the time, Quezon made Arayat his rest area.
BUL-UL OF IFUGAO
(SCULPTURE)
BUL-UL OF IFUGAO
(SCULPTURE)

Bul-uls are used in ceremonies

associated with rice production and
with healing. Creation of a bul-ul
involves alwen bul-ul ritual by a priest
to ensure that the statue gains power.
BUL-UL OF IFUGAO
(SCULPTURE)

Bul-uls are treated with care and respect to

avoid the risk of the spirits of the ancestors
bringing sickness.
OKIR DESIGN OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)
Okir is the term for geometric and
flowing designs which are often
based on elaborate leaf and vine
pattern.

Okir a datu refers to the ornamental

design for men and okir a bay to that
of women.
OKIR DESIGN OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)

Okir a datu = spiral

Okir a bay = zigzag and angular forms

The okir design is found in woven or

printed textiles, carved into wooden
cemetery markers and wooden
boxes .
SARIMANOK OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)

The Sarimanok is a legendary bird of the

Maranao people who originated from
Mindanao. It comes the words sari and
manok.
SARIMANOK OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)

It has become the ubiquitous symbol of

Maranao art.

The Sarimanok is derived from a totem

bird of the Maranao called Itotoro. Itotoro
is a medium to the spirit bird called
Inikadowa.
SARIMANOK OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)

According to Islamic Legend, Muhammand

found a rooster in the first of the seven
heavens.

A Maranao legend says that a Sultan’s

daughter being swept by a colorful rooster
that became a handsome young man and
they were never seen ever again. The
sultan then created replicas to remember
his daughter.
TOROGAN OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)

The Torogan or Bahay Lakan is a

type of house indigenous to
Maranao communities which is
a symbol of high social status.
TOROGAN OF MARANAO
(SCULPTURE)

A torogan will never be

complete without the
legendary bird, Sarimanok
being displayed inside.
THE HAGABI OF IFUGAO
(SCULPTURE)

The Hagabi is a long

wooden beach placed
under the eaves in the
stone-paved yard that
surrounds house.
THE HAGABI OF IFUGAO
(SCULPTURE)

It signifies an individual
or family’s wealth and
prestige belonging to the
rank Cadangyan who can
afford to perform the
Hagabi Feast.

The Hagabi feast is conducted by the Ifugaos for the purpose of

building a modern house instead of making a wooden couch.
ARTS FROM THE
REGIONS
WEAVING
WEAVING

•Weaving in the
Philippines has
different forms,
functions and
materials. They
also vary in
design and
techniques used.
The Malong of Maranao
(Weaving)

The malong is a
traditional “tube
skirt” made of
handwoven or
machine-made multi-
colored cotton cloth,
bearing a variety of
geometric or okir
design
The Malong of Maranao The pattern or style of
(Weaving) malong may indicate
the weaver’s tribal
origin.

The landap is the most

distinctive of all the
malongs. It is used for
ceremonies. Traditionally,
magenta and yellow colors
are used by the sultans
Malong Landap
Malong' that exhibit large fields of bright yellow silk
enhanced by dark purple or green 'langkit' are even
more unusual and highly prized.
The Malong of Maranao
(Weaving)

The malong landap is characterized by large

expanses of 'landap' or ‘pure’ color interrupted
by tapestry bands known as langkit.
Torbian

Lakban

Langkit
Malong Landap
The Malong of Maranao The malong can function as a
(Weaving) skirt for both men and
women, a turban, a dress, a
blanket, a sunshade, a
bedsheet, a "dressing room",
a hammock, a prayer mat,
and other purposes. A
newborn is wrapped in
a malong, and as he grows
this piece of cloth becomes a
Malong Landap part of his daily life. When he
dies, he is once again
wrapped in a malong.
Tribal Costumes: B’laan,
(Weaving)

B’laan
They are one of the
indigenous peoples of
Southern Mindanao.
They are famous for
brassworks, beadwork
and t’nalak weave. The
member of the tribes
wear colorful
embroidered native
costumes and beadwork
accessories.
Tribal Costumes: Kalinga
(Weaving)
Tribal Costumes: Kalinga
(Weaving)

The Kalinga are called the “peacocks of the north”

because of their attention to appearance and
dressing. “Kalinga” means enemy, a name that
the bordering inhabitants called this tribe
because of headhunting attacks. Back in the days,
the people of Kalinga were feared by neighbors
and invaders because of their reputation as
headhunters. Heads taken from headhunting
brought glory to the warrior who collected them.
It gives good luck to their village as well. The
heads were preserved and worshiped in special
rituals.
Tribal Costumes: T’boli
(Weaving)
Tribal Costumes: T’boli
(Weaving)
Tribal Costumes: T’boli
(Weaving)
The T’boli distinguish themselves form the other
Tribal Groups by their colorful clothes, bracelets and
earrings. This tribe is famous for their complicated
beadwork, wonderful woven fabrics, and beautiful
brass ornaments.

Traditional colours are jet black, scarlet red, pearl

white, canary yellow and tropical green. Outfits are
comprised of a hand-woven sarong skirt tied into a
knot at the front, folded over at the waist and
secured in place with a wide beaded belt fringed
with brass bells
Tribal Costumes: Bagobo
(Weaving)
Tribal Costumes: Bagobo
(Weaving)
For one, the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe is one of the
most colorful tribes as seen in their costumes. The
skirt that they wear is hand-woven out of abaca
fiber and is called “inabal.” The weaving process
has been handed down from generation to
generation and the designs evolve around the
community and the family. The entire community
is represented by the black and cream colors,
while for the members of family, they wear
costumes with red and yellow. They make intricate
beadworks for their accessories such as earrings,
anklets, necklaces and bracelets. Dominant colors
for the Bagobo-Tagabawa are red, yellow and
black but they mix it with blue, green, orange and
violet.
Pagbuburda
(Weaving)

Pagbuburda or Philippine
embroidery is an art used in
decorating textiles which was
brought to the Philippines by the
Spaniards. Needlework was
considered an important
accomplishment for women and
was part of the curriculum in
girls’ school throughout the
Spanish time.
Pagbuburda sa Lumban, Laguna
(Weaving)

Embroidery is the main industry

of the town.
It is known as the "Embroidery Fine Jusi and Piña cloth are
Capital of the Philippines". embroidered by hand, and
the finished product is
worn by males as Barong
Tagalog and by females as
Saya (Filipiña)
Pagbuburda sa Taal, Batangas
(Weaving)

It is the old native hand

embroidery tradition of the
town of Taal,Batangas.
Taal is most known for the
piña fabric, which is
especially difficult to
embroider on.
Pagbuburda (Weaving)

Calado is a method of decorating a

textile by pulling out threads from
certain areas, reinforcing other
areas, and sewing them together to
make intricate lacy designs.
Pagbuburda (Weaving)
Sombrado is a method in which
curvilinear patterns are
appliqued to thin cloth to make
silhouette design
DANCING

•The Philippines has many popular folk

dances which have evolved and changed
as they passed down from generation to
generation. A particular dance might be
performed slightly different from one region
to the next but it remains true to its roots.
The Itik-itik from Surigao
(Dance)

It is a mimetic folk dance which

originated in the province of
Surigao in Mindanao, The dance
steps imitate the movements of
ducks among rice paddies and
swamplands.
The Itik-itik from Surigao
(Dance)

The dance was created by the

lady named Kadang who
choreographed the steps
while dancing at a baptismal
party.
The Tinikling from Leyte and the Visayas Region
(Dance)
The Tinikling from Leyte and the Visayas Region
(Dance)
It involves two people hitting
Tinikling movements imitate
the movement of tikling bird as bamboo poles on the ground and
it walks around through grass against each other. It looks
and between branches. similar to playing jump rope,
except that the dancers perform
the steps around and between
the bamboo poles. The dance
becomes faster until someone
makes a mistake and the next set
of dancers takes a turn.
Sayaw sa Bangko of Pangasinan
(Dance)
Sayaw the Bangko of Pangasinan
(Dance)

Sayaw sa Bangko or Sayaw ed Tapew sa

Bangko is dance wherein performers
dance on a top of a narrow bench that is
normally six inches wide, inching and
hopping from one end to another.

It is usually performed during town

fiestas.
Binasuan form Pangasinan
(Dance)
Binasuan from Pangasinan
(Dance)

Dancers carefully balance

three half-filled glasses of rice
wine on their heads and
hands as they gracefully spin
and roll on the ground.

The Binasuan is an entertaining dance that is usually

performed at festive occasions like weddings and birthdays.
The dance originated in Bayambang, Pangasinan.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw from Mindoro
(Dance)
Pandanggo sa Ilaw from Mindoro
(Dance)

It’s a lively dance that

originated on Lubang Island,
Mindoro. The phrase sa ilaw is
Tagalog for “in light”. The oil
lamp is called tinghoy.
Sometimes candles in glasses
are used instead of an oil
lamp.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw from Mindoro
(Dance)

Pandango Oasiwas is similar to

Pandanggo sa Ilaw and is typically
performed by fisherman to
celebrate a good catch. In this
version.
Maglalatik from Binan, Laguna
(Dance)
Maglalatik from Binan, Laguna
(Dance)
Maglalatik also known as
Magbabao is a mock-war dance
that depicts a fight over coconut
meat, a highly prized food. The
dance is broken into four parts:
two devoted to the battle and two
devoted to reconciling.
The name of the dance comes from the word Latik which means fried
coconut milk curd. It is a religious dance performed during the fiesta of
Binan as an offering to San Isidro de Labrador, the patron saint of
farmers.
Kuratsa from the Visayas Region
(Dance)
Kuratsa or Curacha is described as
dance of courtship and is often
performed at weddings and other
social occasions.
La Jota Moncadena from Ilocos
(Dance)
La Jota Moncadena from Ilocos
(Dance)
The La Jota
Moncadena is a
combination of
Spanish and Ilocano
dance steps set to
Spanish music and
castanets.
La Jota Moncadena from Ilocos
(Dance)
People of Moncada,
Tarlac call it Jota
Florana. Dance
anthropologist Ramon
Obusan said that Jota
Florana was danced
to accompany a
bereaved family to
the burial of a loved
one.
La Jota Moncadena from Ilocos
(Dance)
The high pitched clicking of the
bamboo represents melancholy
wails. The slow portion of the
dance is named patay or
desmayo that is performed to a
very slow marcha funebre. The
same dance figure is found in
Ilocos, Ti Liday, which means
sorrow
Kappa Malong-Malong from Mindanao
(Dance)

This dance essentially

shows the many ways
it can be worn.
Pantomina from Bicol Region
(Dance)
Pantomina from Bicol Region
(Dance)
It is a love dance with its movements mimicking or
patronizing the mating or lovemaking of doves or
salampati. It is performed as courtship and wedding
dance.
Habanera Botolena from Zambales
(Dance)
Habanera Botolena from Zambales
(Dance)

Habanera Botolena is usually performed in a ballroom or on a stage.

It is strongly flamenco-influenced dance that comes from Botolan,
Zambales. It combines Filipino and Spanish steps and is a popular
dance at weddings and includes a procession of the bride and
groom’s parents, the bridesmaids and groomsmen as well as
exclusive performance by the newlyweds. It is also considered a
courting dance in some situations.
The Singkil from Maranao
(Dance)
The Singkil from Maranao
(Dance)
The Singkil is a dance traditionally The Singkil originated from the
performed by single women to Maranao peole who inhabit the
attract the attention of the shores of Lake Lanao. It is derived
potential suitors. from the story in the Darangen.
“Singkil” means to entangle the
feet with disturbing objects such
as vines or anything in your path.
The lead dance is called Putri
Gandingan who graciously step in
and out of closing bamboo poles
while manipulating either apir
(fans), mosala (scarves) or even
just their bare hands.
 It is erroneously referred to by non-Maranaos as
a “Muslim dance”, the Singkil is in fact secular in
nature, performed by the Ummah communities
of the Maranao and Maguindanao.

The dance is said to have been named after

the leg bracelets or anklets of silver, nickel,
brass with chiming bells of the same name or
the act of voluntarily or accidentally
entangling one’s feet in either vines or tall
grass.
La Estudiantina from Samar and Quezon
(Dance)
Young women who were studying used to be
called estudiantina. This dance was originally
carrying a book or a fan, items associated with
female students.

Philippine dances derived from Spanish

influences such as the La Estudiantina are
classified as Sayawing Maria Clara.
Pasiguin from Capiz Pasiguin is a frolicking dance representing fishes
getting out from torn fishnets locally called sibot
(Dance) in Capiz.

The word pasiguin literally means “ring

net” which is used for catching fish. This
dance is about fisherman trying to catch
bangus, shrimps, and sugpo with the use
of a sabot, not knowing it has a big hole in
it.
Cariňosa from Panay The word Carinosa is from the Spanish carinosa
meaning the affectionate one. Most Filipina
(Dance) women can be described as karinyosa.

This is a courtship dance that portrays act

of flirtation between a man and a woman.
The dancers perform steps resembling
hide-and-seek movements.
Alcamfor from Leyte
Alkamfor is a couples’ dance
(Dance) from Leyte. In this dance, the girl
holds a handkerchief laced with
camphor. She flirts with the man
by waving her scented
handkerchief in front of his face.

The dance is also called

Pandanggo han Panyo
131