Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region III
Schools Division of Cabanatuan City
CABANATUAN CITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Emilio Vergara Highway, Sta. Arcadia, Cabanatuan City

SELF LEARNING MATERIAL IN

CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS
FROM THE REGION
GRADE 12

CONTEMPORARY ART TECHNIQUES AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES

Local Materials as Applied to Contemporary Arts

Prepared by:

GERRYLYN S. BALANAG
Teacher II
Learning Competency: Identifies local materials used in creating art. CAR11/12TPP-0c -e-11

Specific Learning Targets:

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. Identify local materials as applied in creating works of art.

2. Be familiar with some types of folk arts in some regions.

Pre-Test

Directions: Read and analyze each statement. From the words inside the box, select the correct
word that each statement describes.

sanikulas puni palaspas Paete pagbuburda

singkaban Bulacan takaan pabalat taka

1. It is a Tagalog term from the province of Bulacan which means to beautify or decorate
with the use of coconut leaf.
2. It is a local term for bamboo arches elaborately designed with kayas.
3. These are arrowroot cookies that have the image of St. Nicholas molded on it ergo the
name Saniculas.
4. It is a carved wooden sculpture and used as a mold in making taka.
5. It is a paper mache made using carved wooden sculpture used as a mold.
6. It is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or
yarn.
7. It is a form of papercutting that involves making intricate papercut designs from wrappers
used in pastillas.
8. The craft of taka making originated in the town of ____________.
9. The art of making pabalat originates in the province of __________.
10. The most common presentation of Puni art is the _______________.

Introduction

Can you name regions or provinces that are known for their unique work of art?
Filipinos are proven to be one of the most creative and colorful people in the world. These
exceptional qualities of the Filipinos are exhibited in the types of arts that are produced in the different
regions. People can come up with special artworks making use of the most available local materials found
in their particular localities.
 Lecturette

Philippines is very rich in natural resources.

With our artistic inclinations, we can maximize the
use of these natural resources even in creating arts.
Arts express the artistic feelings toward any aspect of
life. The local materials that are available in the
locality help us hone and enhance our skills and
talents in producing works of arts that can give us
pride and popularity.

Contemporary artists have experimented

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/
on a variety of techniques and different ways of
expressing their emotion, perceptions, convictions, ideas, and ideology. They did not feel obliged
to apply perspective, color combination, naturalism, and other guidelines that were carefully
observed in traditional art. Access to different kinds of materials that were originally used only for
construction has expanded the choice of artists. They found used bottles, plastics straw, and other
recyclable materials useful in creating artworks. They create artworks from wood, wire, thread,
rattan, metal and even leaves. A real artist sees beauty even from the peelings of garlic and corn.

Empty Plastic Bottles Wind Chime

Abaca Pompom Baskets

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/
 Sanikulas Cookie Mold Carvings (Pampanga)

These Sanikulas Cookies are arrow

root cookies that have the image of St.
Nicholas molded on it ergo the name
Sanikulas. St. Nicholas is also known as “The
Healer” from illnesses. Legend says that if
you consume these cookies when you are ill,
you will get healed and recover in a shorter
amount of time than it would usually take.
The molds are exceptional piece of
folk’s art and a rarity. Sanikulas cookie maker
would commission the carvers with one of a Source:https://anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/
kind design. They would also have the initials
of the owner monogrammed on the molds.

Pabalot or Pastillas Wrapper Cutting Art (Bulacan)

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.
The art of making the pabalat or pastillas
wrappers has transformed in recent years from
being a local, folk tradition into a popular art.
Besides adding flair to the sweet pastillas de leche
made from fresh carabao’s milk, the pabalat has
also become a compelling icon/symbol of the
people’s creativity, not only of the town of San Miguel Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/
but the entire province of Bulacan.
The way to make it is so delicate that only the ones with skilled hands and perfect control
of their motor skills can produce the best kind.
Taka (Laguna)

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. Taka was pioneered by Paete local,
Maria Piday. During Christmas, Piday was in
charge of the church's decorations. The wooden
angels and cherub were heavy causing the
carvings to fall. Piday devised the lightweight
taka paper mache as an alternative to the wooden
sculptures. Taka eventually became folk art and
Source:https://wordvomitwizard.wordpress.com/
was sold to nearby towns for festivals. category/laguna/
A 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 is also painted. The traditional way of painting a taka is to use primary colors,
add simple flower motifs and use repetitive lines and shapes. Gold finish, usually used in angel,
reindeer and huge taka is accomplished by using gilded paper. Common and traditional subjects
of taka include the manok, kabayo, kalabaw, dalaga (chicken, horse, carabao, maiden) which is
made primarily for local use.

Singkaban or Bamboo Art

A fairly type of Philippine folk art,

Singkaban is the art of shaving bamboo into
artful creations that can be used as décor for
arches and home. It is widely used as
decoration during town fiestas in Bulacan.
Skilled craftsmen patiently shave off the
bamboo, layer by layer, to create curls and
delicate twirls of their bamboo.
Singkaban is usually a celebrating art.
Singkaban craftsmen create these gregariously Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos
design bamboo arches for fiestas, weddings and other celebrations that involve the entire
community. Perhaps, it is our sense of “Bayanihan” that inspire their art form ensuring that art is
appreciated and is accessible to everyone in the community and their guests.
Puni - The Art of Leaf Fronds Folding in Bulacan

Puni refers to the dying art of

coconut leaf weaving. Puni is a tagalog
term from the province of Bulacan
which means to beautify or decorate
with the use of coconut leaf. Coconut
leaves are fashioned by folding,
plaiting, braiding and simple weaving,
which may have functional as well as
aesthetic uses.
Source: https://www.ironwulf.net/2018/02/20/malolos-
historic-town-kamistesuhan-district/

Puni designs can be categorized according to their uses. The most common designs are in
the form of toys such as birds, fish, grasshopper, etc. They are also used as food containers for
suman, rice and various kakanin, the most commonly known is the “puso” and paraphernalia for
religious rituals especially during Palm Sunday when these design are used to accentuate the
“palaspas”.

Pagbuburda ( Lumban, Laguna and Taal, Batangas)

Pagbuburda in Lumban, Laguna is

the main industry of the town. It is
known as the “Embroidery Capital of
the Philippines”. Although it’s
mostly done by women who are
wives of the farmers and fishermen,
it is not uncommon to see fishermen
and farmers who are also carefully
and delicately embroidering floral Source: https://muni2ph.wordpress.com/2013/02/25/lumban-
designs during their “off-season”. the-craft-of-embroidery-in-the-philippines/

The town of Taal, Batangas had a long tradition of hand embroidery since the turn of the
century. Its intricate, well-embossed hand embroidery made it increasingly a refined art of society.
It boasts of its highly callado as one of the finest in the world. Piña and jusi are the traditional
fabrics used by the bordadoras. During the Spanish period, Piña was the most expensive and highly
sought fabric worn for barong Tagalog by the illustrados on very rare special occasions.
 Post Test

Directions: Match column A with the correct answer on column B

A B
1. The “Embroidery Capital of the Philippines” A. puni
2. The dying art of coconut leaf weaving. B. Bulacan
3. It is a celebrating art. C. Sanikulas
4. The origin province of Pabalat. D. St.Nicholas
5. These are arrow root cookies E. Lumban, Laguna
6. The healer of illnesses. F. singkaban
7. The most expensive fabric during Spanish period. G. takaan
8. This is used as a mold in making taka. H. Paete, Laguna
9. The origin town of Taka. I. Piña
10. The illustrados worn this cloth during special occasions. J. Barong Tagalog

Glossary

bordadoras - embroiderers
callado - a kind of filigree work wherein yarn is painstakingly pulled off
from the cloth
contemporary artist - artist who are marked by characteristics of the present period
Japanese paper - paper of a kind traditionally handmade in Japan, typically from
vegetable fibers such as mulberry bark and without being sized,
used for art and craft work.
jusi - the Chinese term for raw silk
Paper mache - pieces of paper mixed with glue or with flour and water, used to
make decorative objects or models

Answer

Pre -Test Post Test

1. puni 1. E
2. singkaban 2. A
3. sanikulas 3. F
4. takaan 4. B
5. Taka 5. C
6. Pagbuburda 6. D
7. pabalat 7. I
8. Paete 8. G
9. Bulacan 9. H
10. palaspas 10. J
 References

Baldemor, M. (2019, December 10). Artes De Las Filipinas. Retrieved from

www.artesdelasfilipinas.com: http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/6/paete-s-taka

Cambridge Dictionary. (2019, December 10). Retrieved from

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/papier-mache

Heritage Barong. (2019, December 10). Retrieved from www.heritagebarong.com:

https://www.heritagebarong.com/pages/about-heritage-barong

Sandagan, L. D. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. Pasay City: JFS
Publishing Services.