• Luzon is the largest and referred to as one of the three

primary group of islands in the country.

• Batanes and Babuyan group of islands in the
northernmost part, Polilio islands to the east, and
other outlaying islands like Catanduanes, Marinduque,
Masbate, Romblon, Mindoro, and Palawan.
• Folk arts and Crafts of Luzon comprises varied motifs
and representations of their local’s attire, fabrics, body
ornamentation, accessories, architecture, and
sculptures.
Folk Arts and Crafts
of Northern Luzon
• Folk Arts are expressions of the community in their
crafts that are usually made because of their utilitarian
and functional purpose instead of a mere aesthetics.
• Aesthetic is a branch of philosophy that deals with
the nature of art, beauty, and taste. It is a science of
judging beauty.
• Motif in visual arts means a repeated pattern or
theme.
• Fabric or textile refers to a cloth that involves
weaving or making of cloth using natural or artificial
threads or fibers.
 Ilocos Region
• The Ilocanos among the largest
ethno-linguistic groups in the
country. Majority of them are living
in La Union, Abra, Isabela and in
other parts of the country.
• The Ilocanos are highly influenced
by Christianity. It is evident with
several old Spanish churches found
across the region and the old houses
built during the colonial times.
• The Paoay church and the old
houses of Vigan are reminders of the
distant past that continue to lull
visitors from local and international
tourists.
 Ilocos Region
• Their arts and culture is so diverse. They are
known for their iloco or inabel fabric. This
especial fabric is made from cotton which
undergo the pains taking binatbatan or beating
of the cotton balls using bamboo sticks to
separate the seeds during the initial stage.
• The traditional threads are dyed from the sap of
black plum called sag-ut that are abundant in
Mangaldan in Pangasinan but artificial dyes are
already introduced for commercial production.
Products from this fabric includes blankets, bags,
camisa-chino, bed linens, and more.
• This weaving tradition is called panagabel - the
oldest Ilocano tradition that they have inherited
from their ancestors. The main ingredients of
this loom weaving are rilar, sinulid and pasensya
(patience),
• Ilocanos are also noted for their foods such as the
dininding and pakbet - two of the most loved
dishes in our country today.
 Ilocos Region
• The Ilocanos are also known for their centuries-old tradition of burnay pottery, or
tapayan or banga in other regions.
• Burnay is an unglazed jar. It has dark color because the clay is burnt before it is
molded. It is used for strorage of water, rice grains, basi (sugarcane wine), and
condiments like salt and bagoong.
• The Ilocanos also use burnay jars in the fermentation of their well-known sukang
Iloco.
 Pangasinan
• Pangasinan is known as the salt
capital of the region during the
pre-Hispanic times. Popular
stories says it is a Muslim
kingdom trading with Arabs and
Chinese an was the land once
ruled by Urduja, a warrior
princess who fought and won
many battles during her time.
• Arts and crafts include the
smoothly-weaved Bolinao mats
made from buri or raffia leaves,
the bamboo crafts of San Carlos,
bagoong and the tasty tapang
bangus.
 Pangasinan
• Pangasinan is known also for their noteworthy murals painted by
Pangasinan’s local visual artists that can be found in the shrine of
Nuestra Señora de Manaoag.
• These murals depict some of the shrine’s history and the legends as to
how the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag was discovered.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
BENGUET
• It is located in the Cordillera Autonomous
Region (CAR). It is the home for the Cordilleran
(the politically correct term for Igorots). Aside
from them, there were Tagalogs, Ibalois,
Ilocanos,Kankanaey, and Ikalahan living in
Benguet.
• The Igorots are hillside dwellers. This
condition explains why most of them are
farmers and their artistic expressions are related
to farming such as the tinalik baskets made from
rattan. They are also famous because of their
farming on terraces carved out of the mountain.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
KALINGA
• The people of Kalinga are also great weavers.
• Their cloth weaving and basketry are among the finest products in the region
Kalinga textiles are characterized by dominant red stripes and motifs of
geometric patterns as well as nature symbols interlaced with white, yellow, and
black fibers.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
IFUGAO
• The term Ifugao means people
from the hills.
• Their arts and culture revolves
around rice as a prestigious crop.
• Their legends tell that the first
grains of rice are given to men by
the Gods.
• The Ifugaos weave a loincloth
called ikat which is actually an
Indonesian term, meaning to bind
together.
• Their motif is characterized
stripes of white and red stripes.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
IFUGAO
• Weaving in Ifugao is an exclusive task for women.
• The Ifugaos are also great basket weavers. They have different types of
baskets depending on their use and in their size.
• They are also known for amulets that are made of beads, gold, bronze
and other materials. This amulets are called dinumug used as fertility
symbols and worn around the neck.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
IFUGAO
• The Ifugaos are known for their sculpted
bul’ul which they considered as a granary
God. It is also known as “Rice God”
• Bul’ul are believed to be powerful
guardians of the crops and responsible
for bountiful harvest.
• The Ifugaos treat their bul’ul with respect
and praise because it is said that their
dead ancestors reside in it. It is also
believed to drive away evil spirits and
badluck.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE
• It is located in the Cordillera central mountain and known for its
hanging coffins and mummified bodies. They employed special burial
techniques that could equal the techniques of mummification in
ancient Egypt. The humid air and atmosphere in Mountain province
caves helped preserved the bodies. These mummies are called fire
mummies, Benguet mummies, Kabayan mummies and many more
names. The province is home to Ibalois.
• Close examination of the fire mummies reveal body tattoos - a form of
body art practiced by most of the cultural communities in the
Philippines from Luzon to Visayas and some parts of Mindanao.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE
• The province is also known for their
Kadangyan burial cloth for rich people.
Only grandmothers are allowed to
weave it during the olden times.
• Tattoo art is another form of folk arts in
Mountain Province. For them, tattoo is
part of clothing and is considered
decoration. It also signifies a rite of
passage from youth to adult life or
heroism, status in the community, and
bravery.
• The Kabayan mummies are adorned
with body tattoos that are similar to
their cloth patterns.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE
• The people of Bontoc are also great weavers. Their cloth fabrics are used for blanket
and clothing called siniwsiwan. These fabrics are used for wines or men’s G-string
the women use the fabric as wrap around called getup or lufid. This fabric are also
displayed at home in a form of blankets.
• The motif of the Bontocs include geometric shapes of things around them such as
man, lizard, mountain, rains, and flower.
• Married women of Bontoc and Kankana-y in the Northern Cordillera wears a type
of belt called ginaspala wanes with inawin designs composed of continuous zigzag
pattern woven in double faced with braided warps that end as tassels.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

• In terms of basketry, the Bontocs

are known for their different types
of baskets such as the bobo and
suklang, Bobo is a type of basket
used to catch fish in the river.
Suklang is an everyday hat used by
men for their matches, tobacco, and
beetle not for chewing.
• Married men usually wears simple
suklang while decorated one for the
unmarried males.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE

• Ikat weaving is important

among the Bontocs. For
generations, they are
weaving abaca fibers after
a delicate process of tying
and dyeing. The ikat cloth
is an important part of
dowry in many cultures.
 CORDILLERA AUTONOMOUS REGION(CAR)
Abra
• The original settlers of Abra are
the ancestors of Bontocs and
Ifugaos. Abra is known as the
“Natural Dye Capital of the
Philippines”
• The people of Abra use natural
dye and still practicing loom
weaving and they embellish the
woven fabric cloth of
embroideries in their fabrics.
 Folk Arts and Crafts of
Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon
 Cagayan Valley
• Cagayan Valley also designated
as Region II; Batanes, Cagayan,
Isabela, Nueva Viscaya, and
Quirino are the provinces in
this Region.
• It is a wide valley in the
northeastern part of Luzon and
irrigated from the waters of
Cagayan river.
• The valley is believed to be
dominated by the elephants and
other animals that are already
extinct in the Philippines.
 Batanes
• Batanes is a place often visited by
typhoons. However, they are able to
adapt to the frequent weather
disturbances for they made a
unique house called as limestone
houses.
• The people in Batanes are called
Ivatans.
• The Ivatans wear a headgear called
vakul. Vakul for women and the
talugong for men. It protects them
from the heat of the sun and during
rainy seasons.
• This headgear is made of fiber from
palm tre called voyavoy.
 Nueva Vizcaya
• Nueva Vizcaya is known for creative and
unique styles of crafts and textiles.
• The Gaddang ethnic groups mostly lives in
the highlands of southern Kalinga, Apayao,
eastern Bontok, Nueva Viscaya, and
Isabela provinces. They are skilled weavers
and are known for their traditional woven
bakwat belt.
• Bakwat belt is a cloth used by mothers after
giving birth.
• Gaddang comes from the word ga meaning
“heat” and dang meaning “burned.” this
likely generally refers to the Gaddang’s
darker skin compared to other
Cordillerans.
 Central Luzon
• Bulacan is known for varied historical events. It was in
Barasoain Church where the written constitution in Asia was
adopted.
• The people of Bulacan are
rich in creativity.
• One of their known folk art
is the singkaban.
• Singkaban 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.
• The weaving of buntal straw
locally known as paglalala
originated in Baliuag, Bulacan.
• During early times, young and
old women from San
Ildefonso, Bulacan were
making these hats as part of
their folk arts and livelihood.
They sell these hats to the
entrepreneurs in Baliuag,
Bulacan.
 Pampanga
• Pampanga is known for its culinary arts, Betis’ woodcraft
making, and their colorful and dazzling Christmas lanterns.
 Nueva Ecija
• 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.
 Bataan
• Mt. Samat, Bataan, a sculptured 302-feet memorial cross known as
“Dambana ng Kagitingan” (Shrine 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 World War II, also known as the
Bataan Death March.
 Zambales

• The Aetas from Mount

Pinatubo are known
for their indigenous
ways of making
baskets, and bilao of
rattan and other
indigenous from their
mountains.
 Folk Arts and Crafts of
Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region
 Laguna
• Laguna- is the home of
natinal hero, this lakeside
province rich in natural
resources and blessed with
fertile soil for farming.
• Paete, Laguna is known as
“Wood carving capital of the
Philippines.” Most of Paete
motif are floral and full of
curves and hooks which they
call UKIT
• Lumban, Laguna-is famous for its barong tagalog that are carefully woven by hands
or embroidered to perfections
• KAYAS and TAKA
Taka- is a paper mache technique
Kayas- is a type of art made by scrapping the softwood thriving in Sierra Madre
Mountain and make them into beautiful floral and faunal decorations
• Liliw, Laguna, the beaded art of making alfombra slippers has been part of their
local’s folk arts.
 Rizal
• Angono is also known for its
Higante Festival,-a celebration
conceptualized in 1980’s by
Perdigon Volacan. The town folks
makes higantes, big papier mache
of human figures to air their
sentiments about the Spanish
hacienderos.
• The traditional higantes are
composed of a father, mother and
a child giant measuring four to
five feet tall and usually seen in
fiesta celebration to add fun and
color.
• Angono Rizal is known for its
noted National artists like
Lucio San Pedro for music and
Carlos “Botong Francisco for
Visual Arts particularly in the
town of Angono, the Arts
Capital of the Philippines.
 Cavite
• Cavite - is the most populous
province in the country. From
the land tulisanes during the
Spanish time, Cavite is now the
haven of foreign investor and
for those who are looking for a
greener pasture.
• Tinis in Kawit.-celebrated
during Christmas season, the
tradition narrates the story how
Joseph and Mary found a place
to give birth to Jesus.
 Cavite
• Karakol-dancing during fiesta celebrations, the Lutrina or Santa
cruzan of the farmers.
• Sapin-Sapin - a type of delicacy made from grounded glutinous rice,
tilbok, putok, puto, kutsinta and lansong.
 Batangas
• Taal, Batangas- (cradle of tagalog
culture) is popular for its
embroidered pinya fabric made
from the fibers of pineapple. The
silky but delicate fibers of
pineapple are woven into a costly
fabric for pinya barong, wedding
gowns, and other formal attires.
• Taal is also known for barong
tagalog and balisong capital of the
Philipines.
• Balisong- type of knife that can be
folded like a fan w/c comes in the
different sizes. (butterfly knife).
 Quezon
• Lucban, Quezon-is famous for its Pahiyas festival every May in honor to San Isidro
Labrador-patron saint of farmers. The festival is not complete w/o the colorful
kiping.
• They create kiping, a décor that is made of glutinous rice wrapped around with
special leaves as packaging and cooked over low fire.
 Bicol Region
• Bicolanos are popular for
their exemplary skills in the
art of basketry, slipper
making, bag making, and
other modern decorative
crafts.
• Abacca and raffia are
abundant in their natural
resources. These prompted
them to maximize theirlocal
materials into traditional and
century-old folk art
techniques like paghahabi.
• Their weaving includes
garments, mosquito nets,
and blankets.