UNIT I

Folk Arts and Crafts of Luzon

Highlands and Lowlands
What is Arts?
Arts - it is the expression or application of human creative skill and
imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,
producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or
emotional power.
What is Crafts?
 CRAFTS
It is an activity involving
skill in making things by
hand.
Arts and crafts
comprise a whole host of
activities and hobbies
that are related to
making things with one's
own hands and skill.
 Lesson 1
Folk Arts and Crafts of Northern Luzon
The Philippines has a large
number of cultural and
linguistic groups. One of the
largest is the Ilocano group.
The mainstreams are living in
Abra, Isabela, La Union, and
other parts of the country.
They are historically highly
influenced by Christianity.
This is evident in
architectural structures built
during the colonial times in
various places in the region.
ILOCOS
REGION
ILOCOS ARCHITECTURE
 Architecture
is both the process and
the product of planning
and designing and
constructing buildings
and other physical
structures.

Architectural works are

often perceived as
cultural symbols and as a
work of art.
 Saint Augustine Church
(Iglesia de San Augustine de Paoay)

Paoay Church
Calle Crisologo The historic town of Vigan was established in the 16 th century.
It is considered one of the best preserved examples of
Vigan City, planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture
exhibits the fusion of cultural elements from the Philippines,
Ilocos Sur China, and Europe.
Is included in the UNESCO World Heritage
List due to the preservation of around 187
residential, institutional, commercial, and
religious structures that transport visitors to
the past. It was officially recognized as one of
the New7wonders Cities in May 2015.
 INABEL
The Ilocos region is known for inabel fabrics. This special
fabric is made from cotton that underwent the process of
binatbatan.
Inabel or Abel Iloco simply means “handwoven cloth”.
 BURNAY JARS

The Ilocanos are also known for their

centuries-old tradition of burnay
pottery. In some other regions, it is
known as tapayan or banga.

Burnay – is an unglazed earthen jar

with small opening used for storage
for water, rice grains, and as container
of wine (basi) and bagoong.
PANGASINAN
Pangasinan comes from the word asin meaning “salt” and
interprets as “a place where salt is made”.
The province of Pangasinan
thrives in various visual arts and
crafts. Their handicrafts are
usually made of swamping
grasses, bamboo and rattan.

Aboard covered cattle caravans ,

they were peddling and selling
their bamboo and rattan-based
products like duyan, baskets,
mats made from buri or raffia,
chairs, hampers, tables, lamps,
and other crafts to the
different places of Central
Luzon and Metro Manila.
Nuestra Señora These murals depict some of the
shrine’s history and legend as to how
de Manaoag the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag
was discovered by the locals.
Did you know that…
Victorio Edades - was an instrumental
artist in pioneering modernism in
Philippine art. In 1976, Edades became a
National Artist for having changed the
direction of Philippine painting.

Francisco Zarate – was one of the local

visual artist who painted murals in the
shrine of the Nuestra Señora de Manaoag.
He was an elementary school teacher of
the Manaoag Central School whose hobby
was to paint, sculpt, collect, and compile
clippings on cultural themes.
(Cordillera Administrative
Region) CAR
BENGUET
 Benguet
Benguet is a highland province of the Philippines located
in the Southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative
Region in the island of Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad.
Benguet is also known as the “Salad Bowl of the
Philippines” because of its large production of upland
vegetables.
Most of the people living in Benguet province are
commonly known as Igorots. However, the term is
politically corrected as Cordillerans.
They are hillside dwellers, which explains why most of
them are into farming. Even their artistic inclinations are
related to their nature and field of work.
 Kayabang Basket
it symbolizes abundance. It is narrow at the base and gradually widens at the mouth .
 The Cordillerans’
ingenuity, skill, and
greatness in sculpting
is evident in how they
carved the mountains
into terraces.
KALINGA
The people of the Kalinga are also known as great weavers. Their art of cloth weaving
and basketry are among the finest products in the whole country.
The Kalinga fabrics are characterized by dominant red stripes, and various motifs of
geometric shapes and patterns, with inclusions of varied symbols interlaced with
white, yellow, and sometimes with blue of black fibers.
Did you know that…
Whang-Od Oggay is a Filipina tattoo artist from
Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga.
She is considered as the last mambabatok from
the Butbut ethnic group and posiibly the oldest
tattoo artist in the Philiipines.
 IFUGAO
The term Ifugao means “people from the hills”
The Ifugao women usually weave a loincloth utilizing the
tie. It is a rectangular cotton fabric worn as a
wraparound skirt.
Dinumog/Lingling 0

The Ifugaos are also known

for their amulets that are
made from gold, bronze, and
other materials. It is usually
worn around the neck by
women and men, and it
believed to be a fertility
symbol, its shape possibly
connotes a uterus.
Bul’ul
The Ifugaos are known for their sculpted bul’ul which they considered as a granary god.
Bul’ul are believed to be a powerful guardians of the crops and responsible for a
bountiful harvest. Bul’ul is also referred to as the “ Rice God”.

The Ifugaos treat their bul’ul with respect and praise because it said that their dead
ancestors reside in it and if not properly cared for, it can bring plague and sickness.
Bul’ul is also believed to drive away spirits and keep the owner away from bad luck.
It is located at the center of the Cordillera
mountains, a home for Ibalois. Its capital is Bontoc.
 Hanging Coffins

The people of this

place is using this as a
part of their cultural
rite, techniques that
is somehow similar to
the mummification
used by the
Egyptians.
 Tattoo art is another form of folk arts in Mountain Province.
For them, it is a part of clothing. It is considered as part of the
decoration of what they are wearing. It signifies their rite of
Tattoo Art passage from youth to adult life, or even a symbol of heroism,
courage, and status in the community.
 Getap Wanes Ginaspala Wanes
Wraparound skirt belt
fabrics used by men as G-string
 Suklang Basket
The people of Bontocs are known foe their
skill in the art of basket making. It is either
a bamboo or a rattan-made everyday basket
that worn by men that commonly served as a
container for their matches, tobacco, leaves ,
lime, beetle nut for chewing.

The married man wear suklang while the

unmarried adorn the hat with decorations
during the rituals and celebrations.
Abra is known as the “Natural Dye
Capital of the Philippines”. It in inland
province in the CAR. Bontocs and
Ifugaos are the original incomers in this
place.
The place is rich in natural dye
yielding plants extracted from
the barks, leaves, fruits, and
roots to color food, beverages,
fabrics, cosmetics, furniture and
other products.
The people of the Abra are known for
their greatness in loom weaving. They
have embellished the woven fabric
cloth of embroideries in their fabrics.
Folk Arts and Crafts of Cagayan
Valley and Central Luzon
Lesson 2
 The Filipino culture reflects the nations’
complex history. It is blend of various
countries from Malayo-Polynesians and
What you Hispanic cultures, to that of Chinese,
American, and other countries as well.
should
know… Prior to Spanish colonization, the
Filipino had their own culture
particularly in the field of visual arts.
They have created unique designs in
pots, jars, textile, jewelries and the like.
 Cagayan Valley, also designated as Region II,
CAGAYAN VALLEY is the second largest region
(MIMAROPA/Region IV-B) is the largest) of
the Philippines in terms of land area. The
longest and largest river in the country is also
named after this place – Rio Grande de
Cagayan or Cagayan River.
 Batanes
Cagayan
Isabela
Nueva Vizcaya
Quirino
Batanes is a place often visited by typhoons. The
people in Batanes are called Ivatans. They are
able to adapt to the frequent weather
disturbances because their houses are made of
limestone.
The Ivatans wear a headgear called vakul. It protects
them from the heat of the sun and during rainy
seasons. This headgear is made of fiber derived from
a locally grown palm tree called vuyavuy or voyavoy.
Vakuls are used by women while its counterpart, the
talugong, are worn by Ivatan men.
Nueva Vizcaya is known for creative and
unique styles of crafts and textiles. It is a
mountainous place near Ifugao, Benguet, and
Quirino.
The Gaddang tribe mostly lives in the highlands of Southeastern Kalinga-
Apayao, eastern Bontoc Nueva Vizcaya, and Isabela province. Gaddang comes
from the word ga meaning “heat” and dang meaning “burned". They likely
generally refers to the Gaddang’s darker skin compared to the Cordillerans.

They are skilled weavers and are known for their traditional woven bakwat
belts. This cloth is used by mothers after giving birth.
BULACAN
Prior to the Spaniards colonization, this place is known for canon making. It
was Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan where the first written
constitution in Asia was adopted. This province is known for so many
historical events.
Singkaban
It is a local term for arches made of bamboos with
elaborate designs called kayas. This is usually displayed
or used during fiestas and important occasions.
The town of San Miguel is known for
making pastillas and its unique way of
creating intricate wrappers.
The wrappers are cut with varied
linear, curvilinear, and geometric
designs that blend with the colors of
the paper.
 The weaving of buntal straw locally known as
paglalala originated in Baliuag, Bulacan in the
Buntal Straw Hat early 1900s.
Dolores Maniquis is credited as the pioneer
weaver of this straw-hat type. The straw is
obtained from leaves of the talipot palm.
 Pampanga

Pampanga is internationally known

for its art of making dazzling
Christmas lanterns or locally
known as the Pampanga parol.

These big lanterns have many

lights, geometric shapes, and
colors. They are used to adorn
houses, buildings, parks and
streets especially during
Christmas season.
KAPAMPANGAN TAMALES
 Slipper industry is
a growing business
in the community
level in Gapan City.
The Novo Ecijanos’
metal, rattan, and
other wooden
industries are
becoming part of
the local’s folk arts
and livelihood.
NUEVA ECIJA
 BATAAN
In Mt. Samat, Bataan, a
sculptured 302-feet memorial
cross known as “ Dambana ng
Kagitingan” (Shine of Valor)
has been part of the main
landmark and tourist
attraction in the province.
The shrine is in honor of the
heroism of the brave men who
walked from Bataan to Tarlac
during the World War II, also
known as the Bataan Death
March.
 ZAMBALES
The Aeta from Mount
Pinatubo are known for
their indigenous ways
of making baskets and
bilao made from rattan
and other indigenous
materials from the
mountains.