Art Forms and Practices in the Philippines

Bahay na Bato

A house that is based on the bahay kubo architecture but made with more stable and durable materials with influences from Spanish and Chinese architecture

Bahay Kubo

The epitome of Filipino vernacular architecture, a house usually erected with stilts and made of plant materials, such as bamboo and dried coconut leaves for roofs

Bangka

A collective term for the diverse maritime crafts across the country used for transport, fishing, and trading

Harana

A traditional act of courtship in the form of a serenade

Kundiman

A love song written in Tagalog used in courtship

Neovernacular Architecture

• Vernacular or traditional architecture combined with modern architecture

• Coconut Palace, San Miguel Corporations Headquarters, Cultural Center of the Philippines

Original Pilipino Music (OPM)

Songs composed by Filipino artists in different genres and styles

Pasyon

A retelling of the Passion of Jesus Christ through readings, chants, performances, and narratives

Senakulo

A dramatic play or reenactment of the Passion of Jesus Christ performed during the Holy Week

Tanaga

Poetry based on the Japanese Haiku, has 4 lines, 7 syllables for each line, and has a rhyme scheme of AABB

Zarzuela

A lyric-dramatic play introduced by the Spaniards that blends theatrical drama, singing, and dancing which started as a form of propaganda against foreign rule

Bolinao Mats

• Region 1 (Pangasinan)

• Mats made from dried buri or palm leaves cut into strips and woven. Some strips are dyed to make distinct patterns and designs

Burnay

• Region 1 (Ilocos Sur)

• The tradition of making jars from clay kneaded by carabaos before being worked on by the potter originally used for aging vinegar, wine, and bagoong

Inabel

• Region 1 (Ilocos)

• Traditional plain or patterned weaving originated in Ilocos using cotton

Binakol

• Region 1 (Ilocos)

• A type of abel weave that uses geometric optical patterns which are represent waves of the sea meant to ward off evil spirits

Pandango Oasiwas

• Region 1 (Pangasinan)

• A Spanish fandango dance performed when fishermen celebrate a day of good yield with the dancers swinging and dancing while holding lighted lamps

Sayaw sa Bangko

• Region 1 (Pangasinan)

• A folk dance in which the dancers perform their dances on top of multiple benches

Vigan Architecture

• Region 1 (Ilocos Sur)

• Established in the 16th century, a town that has preserved Spanish Renaissance Architecture

Batok

• CAR (Kalinga)

• The practice of tattooing by using a thorn attached to a stick and a mixture of charcoal and water. In the tribes of Kalinga, men earn tattoos to show pride and achievements, while women get it to beautify themselves and show wealth

Gangsa

• CAR (Kalinga, Ifugao)

• A single handheld smooth-surfaced gong with a narrow rim

Ikat

• CAR (Ifugao)

• The technique of dyeing the cotton yarns before weaving

Labba

• CAR (Ifugao)

• A wide basket made from bamboo used to carry produce from the fields

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

• CAR (Ifugao)

• built on hills and slopes of fields of rice. These are spread across four municipalities in the Ifugao Province

Bakwat

• Region 2 (Nueva Viscaya)

• A weaved cotton belt worn by mothers after giving birth

Butaka

• Region 2 (Isabela)

• A wooden chair with long “arm rests” that are actually for the legs as it was originally used by women when giving birth

Sambali

• Region 2 (Cagayan)

• A war dance meant to depict the fight between Christians and Non-Christians who opposed Spanish influence performed during the Sambali Festival

Vakul

• Region 2 (Batanes)

• A headgear made from dried Voyavoy leaves worn by women to provide them protection from the heat

Pabalat

• Region 3 (Bulacan)

• A kind of paper art in which intricate designs are made by cutting Japanese Paper to wrap a delicacy called pastillas

Parol

• Region 3 (Pampanga)

• An ornamental, star-shaped lantern made for Christmas to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem

Pyrotechnics

• Region 3 (Bulacan)

• The craft of creating fireworks

Singkaban

• Region 3 (Bulacan)

• The art of producing decorative materials using bamboo

Subic Spanish Gate

• Region 3 (Zambales)

• A gate built in 1885 that originally served as the entrance to the Spanish naval station and then turned into a base by the US Navy

Balsa

• Region 4A (Batangas)

• A boat made of bamboo decorated during its Festival as recognition for its significance in transport, fishing, as well as tourism

Barong Tagalog

• Region 4A (Laguna)

• The official formal wear of men in the country

Higantes

• Region 4A (Rizal)

• A giant paper mache meant to portray farmers mocking and protesting mean landlords when Angono was a hacienda used during its festival

Kiping

• Region 4A (Quezon)

• A delicacy made of glutenous rice and shaped into a leaf used in the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon which is also made to serve as a decorative piece

Maglalatik

• Region 4A (Laguna)

• An indigenous dance in which the dancers tap and utilize halved coconut husks strapped onto their bodies

Taka

• Region 4A (Laguna)

• The art of making paper mache crafts made using wood statues as molds

Ambahan

• Region 4B (Mindoro)

• A poem created by the Hanunuo Mangyans that is chanted and often carved on a bamboo

Morion

• Region 4B (Marinduque)

• A large mask which resembles Caucasian features used for a street play in the Moriones Festival

Pandanggo sa Ilaw

• Region 4B (Mindoro)

• A dance influenced by the Spanish dance, fandango, wherein the dancer must balance oil lamps on their hands and head

Pantomina

• Region 5 (Bicol)

• Also known as the “dove dance”, it is a dance originally performed in weddings by the couple and their visitors

Balay

• Region 5 (Sorsogon)

• Weaved crafts made of buri, a native palm

Capiz

• Region 6 (Capiz)

• Crafts and decorations made from seashells

Cariñosa

• Region 6 (Panay Island)

• A dance introduced by the Spaniards performed for flirting with the female dancer utilizing either a fan or handkerchief

Dandansoy

• Region 6 (Iloilo)

• A Visayan folk song about a person leaving a boy, named —, to go back home

Hablon

• Region 6 (Iloilo)

• It is the process of making fabrics using piña, abaca, or cotton

Patadyong

• Region 6 (Antique, Iloilo, Negros Occidental)

• A weaved cloth that has a colorful plaid or checkered design

Hinilawod

• Region 6 (Panay Island)

• A 29,000-verse epic poem about the heroes of Panay chanted for three days; translates to “Tales from the Mouth of the Halawod River”

Pagrara

• Region 6 (Iloilo)

• A hand-woven basket made of bamboo

Piña

• Region 6 (Aklan)

• A fabric that comes from mature pineapple leaves that are scraped, cleaned, and dried before being woven

Sinamay

• Region 6 (Negros Island)

• A fabric woven from abaca fibers from processed abaca trees

Gapnod

• Region 7 (Negros Oriental)

• A dance reenacting the discovery of an image of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Sibulan, by a fisherman

Guitar

• Region 7 (Cebu)

• A musical instrument that has 6 strings

Kuradang

• Region 7 (Bohol)

• A wedding dance performed with the accompaniment of a rondalla

Mazurka Boholana

• Region 7 (Bohol)

• A Spanish-inspired ballroom dance where the female character wears a Maria Clara

Sinulog

• Region 7 (Cebu)

• A dance that represents the “sulog” (current) of a river in Cebu performed during the Festival

Surtido Cebuano

• Region 7 (Cebu)

• A square dance performed by several pairs that combines influences of Spanish, Mexican, French, as well as indigenous elements together

Basey Mats

• Region 8 (Samar)

• Woven sleeping mats, locally known as banig, in Samar

Kuratsa

• Region 8 (Leyte)

• A courtship dance performed during fiestas, family gatherings, as well as weddings

Tinikling

• Region 8 (Leyte)

• A dance which involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers

Bunga Sama

• Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula)

• The highest form of Yakan weaving that has patterns that represent the universe

Gong

• Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula)

• A percussion musical instrument that is usually made of metal

Semmek

• Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula)

• The collective term for dresses made by the Yakan women using abaca, pineapple, and bamboo

Tanyak Tanyak

• Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula)

• A custom of face painting by the use of a mixture of flour and water done in wedding ceremonies

Kudyapi

• Region 10 (Northern Mindanao)

• An instrument that looks like a boat and has two strings

Hinabol

• Region 10 (Bukidnon)

• A hand-woven fabric made by the ethnic Higaonon tribe

Idangdang

• Region 10 (Bukidnon)

• A ballad song that is about recalling historical events

Panika

• Region 10 (Bukidnon)

• A headdress worn during festivities made of native materials

Dagmay

• Region 11 (Davao Region)

• A weaved fabric made by the Mandaya tribe that is usually used by women as a skirt, as well as blankets or wraps for the dead

Bagobo Inabal

• Region 11 (Davao Region)

• A traditional textile made from abaca with a special weave worn only by women and has a shine from the beeswax applied during the weaving process

Ginakit

• Region 12 (Sarangani)

• Brightly colored boats used by Muslim royals and high- ranking people in Mindanao during the pre-colonial and Spanish periods, and now showcased in the Pakaradyan Festival

Tabih

• Region 12 (General Santos City, Sarangani, South Cotabato)

• A hand-woven cloth made by the B’laan people

T’nalak

• Region 12 (South Cotabato)

• Made by the T’boli people, it is a method of weaving abaca inspired by the weaver’s dreams

Butuan Boats

• Region 13 (Agusan del Norte)

• An edged-pegged plank type boat made from hardwood

Itik-Itik

• Region 13 (Surigao del Sur)

• A dance in which the steps mimic the gestures of a duck

Suyam

• Region 13 (Agusan del Sur)

• A kind of embroidery made by the Manobo people

Malong

• BARMM (Sulu, all over Mindanao)

• A large, wrap-around skirt which displays the okir design

Okir

• BARMM (Tawi-Tawi)

• A distinct geometric and flowing plant design and folk motifs found among the Moro and Lumad people

Pis Syabit

• BARMM (Sulu)

• A headdress worn by men to represent one’s rank in society

Seputangan

• BARMM (Basilan)

• A woven fabric, considered to be one of the earliest weaving techniques, worn by the Yakan women

Singkil

• BARMM (Lanao del Sur)

• A folk dance which depicts the epic poem, Darangen

Sarimanok

• BARMM (Lanao del Sur)

• The symbol of Maranao art which depicts a legendary, colorful bird that symbolizes good fortune