Traditional Art Forms of the Philippines: Crafts and Products

Folk architecture

Folk architecture

In the Philippines, this differs significantly per ethnic group, where the structures can be made of bamboo, wood, rock, coral, rattan, grass, and other materials.

bahay kubo

one of the most illustrative and recognized icons of the Philippines. The name of the primitive Nipa hut is actually based on the Spanish phrase Cubo, meaning cube, probably because of its rectangular appearance and Bahay is the Filipino word for house.

bahay kubo

The traditional roof shape of this is tall and steeply pitched, ending in long eaves. A tall roof creates space above the living area through which warm air could rise, giving it a natural cooling effect even during the hot summer season.

Banaue Rice Terraces

a system of irrigated rice terraces in the mountains of north-central Luzon, Philippines, that were created more than 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao people. Although located in several villages, they are collectively known as the Banaue rice terraces.

Banaue Rice Terraces

also known as Hagdan-Hagdang Palayan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ifugao. It features thousands of staircase-like rice paddies that were said to be built a thousand years ago.

Maritime transport

boat houses, boat-making, and maritime traditions.

Karakoa

were large outrigger warships from the Philippines. They were used by native Filipinos, notably the Kapampangans and the Visayans, during seasonal sea raids. This is distinct from other traditional Philippine sailing vessels in that they were equipped with platforms for transporting warriors and for fighting at sea. During peacetime, they were also used as trading ships.

Balangay

the first wooden watercraft excavated in Southeast Asia and is evidence of early Filipino craftsmanship and their seamanship skills during pre-colonial times. The Balanghai Festival is also a celebration in Butuan, Agusan del Norte to commemorate the coming of the early migrants that settled the Philippines, on board the Balangay boats.

balangay

the Austronesian word for "sailboat.”

vinta

(locally known as lepa-lepa or sakayan) This is a traditional boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made by Sama-Bajau and Moros living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao.

weaving

an ancient art form that continues in the Philippines today, with each ethnic group having their distinct techniques. This kind of arts are composed of basket weaving, back-strap loom weaving, headgear weaving, fishnet weaving, and other forms of weaving.

cloth weaving

Expensive textiles are made through the intricate and difficult process called back-strap looming. Fibers such as Cotton, abaca, banana fiber, grass, and palm fiber are used in the Filipino weaving arts.

pinilian weaving

an Ilocano cotton cloth weaved using a pangablan, where weaving styles of binakul, binetwagan, or tinumballitan are inputted.

bontoc weave

revolves on the concept of centeredness, a key cultural motif among the Bontoc people.

basketery (basket weaving)

developed intricate designs and forms directed for specific purposes such as harvesting, rice storage, travel package, sword case, and so on. The art is believed to have arrived in the archipelago due to human migration, where those at the north were the first to learn the art form. This came from the ethnic groups of Palawan, in the southwest.

Batak of Palawan

utilized basket weaving into high art, as well as retaining their craft's status as functional art.

basket weaving

This can also be found among the Mamanwa, various Negrito groups, Mangyans, Ivatan, and many others. Materials used for this differ per ethnic group.

Carving

wood carving and folk non-clay sculpture, or stone, and ivory.

wood carving

one of the most notable traditional arts in the Philippines, with some crafts in various ethnic groups dating back prior to Hispanic arrival with perhaps the oldest surviving today being fragments of a wooden boat dating to 320 AD. Many societies utilize a variety of woods into making crafts such as sacred bulul figures.

stone carving

a prized art form in the Philippines, even prior to the arrival of Western colonizers, as seen in the stone likha and larauan or tao-tao crafts of the natives. These items usually represent either an ancestor or a deity who aids the spirit of a loved one to go into the afterlife properly. Ancient carved burial urns have been found in many areas, notably in the Cotabato region. The Limestone tombs of Kamhantik are elaborate tombs in Quezon province, believed to initially possess rock covers signifying that they were sarcophagi.

folk performing arts

dances, plays, and dramas

folk oral literature

epics, songs, and myths.

folk writing

The Philippines has numerous indigenous scripts collectively called as suyat, each of which has their own forms and styles of calligraphy.

suyar

Philippine indigenous scripts.

1. hanunó'o/hanunoo of the Hanuno'o Mangyan people,

2. buhid/build of the Buhid Mangyan people

3. Tagbanwa script of the Tagbanwa people,

4. palaw'an/pala'wan (ibalnan) of the Palaw'an people.

What are the 4 types of suyat that survived after Spanish colonization?

Folk graphic and plastic arts

calligraphy, tattooing, folk writing, folk drawing, and folk painting.

Ornament, textile, or fiber art

hat-making, mask-making, accessory-making, ornamental metal crafts

accessory making

almost always worn with their respective combination of garments, with some being used as accessories for houses, altars, and other objects.

kalinga people

The most accessorized Filipinos.

pottery

categorized into ceramic making, clay pot-making, and folk clay sculpture, has long been a part of various cultures in the Philippines, with evidence pointing of it dating around 3,500 years ago.