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UNIT 2:
Contemporary Arts in the
Philippines
Contemporary Philippine Art

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 SESSION 1: Arts in the Past

Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify the elements and principles of Philippine Contemporary Arts.

2. explain the arts in the past.
3. critique an art.

Choose the word from the word pool that best matches each picture.

SINGKABAN HAGABI ANTIPOLO FIESTA GIANT LANTERN FESTIVAL

OKIR MANUNGGUL JAR DARANGEN U.P OBLATION BUL-UL TAKA
TOROGAN SPOLIARIUM PUNI MALONG PABALAT OR BORLAS HIGANTES
SANICULAS COOKIE MOLD CARVINGS SARIMANOK

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 The painting features a glimpse of Roman history
centered on the bloody carnage brought by
gladiatorial matches. Spoliarium is a Latin word referring
to the basement of the Roman Colosseum where the
fallen and dying gladiators are dumped and devoid of
their worldly possessions.

At the center of Luna's painting are fallen gladiators being dragged by Roman soldiers.
On the left, spectators ardently await their chance to strip off the combatants of their
metal helmets and other armory. In contrast with the charged emotions featured on
the left, the right side meanwhile presents a somber mood. An old man carries a torch
perhaps searching for his son while a woman weeps the death of her loved one.

The Spoliarium is the most valuable oil-on-canvas painting by

Juan Luna, a Filipino educated at the Academia de Dibujo y
Pintura (Philippines) and at the Academia de San Fernando in
Madrid, Spain. With a size of 4.22 meters x 7.675 meters, it is the
largest painting in the Philippines. A historical painting, it was
made by Luna in 1884 as an entry to the prestigious Exposicion
de Bellas Artes (Madrid Art Exposition, May 1884) and eventually
won for him the First Gold Medal.

This oil painting on canvas depicts a rural scene where

a group of people is shown celebrating a fiesta in
Antipolo. The main focus is on a pair of dancers in the
field surrounded by revelers both young and old.
Abundant food is presented in basketfuls of assorted
fruits on the benches and on the ground, as well as the traditional roasted pig or lechon
being prepared by two men. Nearby is a house with huge windows from where dwellers
watch the revelers. At the background is a huge church, a symbolic town structure. A
vast number of townsmen complete the essence of a fiesta.

It can be said that the pair of dancers is in the usual same pose as those of dancers in
Fernando Amorsolo's various well-known tinikling-related
paintings. A viewer may be quick to surmise at a glance that
this painting belongs to that category, as the bamboo handlers
in the usual tinikling dance often blend in the crowd and are
not easily distinguished. However, there are no bamboo-
handlers present in this painting simply because the dancers
are not performing the tinikling dance. Thus, this indication is
what makes this painting very unique.

The Oblation is the masterpiece of first National Artist

for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino. In 1935, Guillermo
was commissioned by then University President Rafael
Palma to craft a monument that would express in
visual form the second stanza of Jose Rizal's "Mi Ultimo
Adios" ("Last Farewell"). The concrete statue painted in bronze stands 3.5 meters high (to
represent the 350 years of Spanish colonization of the Philippines) on a pile of rocks

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 symbolizing the islands of the Philippines. Funding for the statue was raised through a
two-month fund campaign that garnered P2,000.

The model for the statue has been widely rumored to be Fernando Poe, Sr., though
there are sources that claim that the real model was Tolentino's student apprentice
Anastacio Caedo. The original Oblation was unveiled in 1939 in Ermita, Manila by
Gregoria de Jesus de Nakpil, widow of hero Andres Bonifacio. On the occasion of the
university’s 40th anniversary, the Oblation was moved from UP Manila to UP Diliman
along with the administrative offices.

The Oblation located at the end of University Avenue in the UP Diliman campus is
merely a replica of the original one located at the 3rd floor of the UP Diliman Main
Library. Several replicas of the Oblation have been made for the different campuses of
the University. The Oblation shows a man with arms out stretched, head tilted upwards,
eyes closed as if offering himself. This is artist Tolentino's interpretation of "that sublime
stanza."

Each of the four sides of the monument's base is inscribed

with quotes that speak of a willingness to serve and give
one's life for one's country. The front of the pedestal holds a
passage from El Filibusterismo. On the back of the pedestal is
the second stanza of "Mi Ultimo Adios," and another stanza
from the same poem adorns the right side. On the left side is
a poem by Andres Bonifacio,"Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa."

The Manunggul Jar is a National Treasure of the Philippines. A

secondary burial jar, it is designated
item 64-MO-74 in the National Museum
of the Philippines, Manila. The jar was
found in Chamber A of the Tabon Cave, one of the Manunggul
caves in Palawan. The jar is dated from about 2800 years before
the present. It was found by Robert Fox and Miguel Antonio.

Which kind of art did you find interesting the most?

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 SESSION 2: Significant Contemporary Visual Arts from
the Regions

Objectives:

1. classify various contemporary art forms and their practices from the various
regions.
2. create a simple paper mache.

It was said that the higantes started during the Spanish

colonial times. It was borrowed to Kampong of
Binangonan when Angono was once a hacienda and
ruled by Spanish hacienderos The Guido. The Angono
land tillers way of protesting their struggle is by making
a giant effigy of their landlords whose hands are usually high up on their waist.

The body of the traditional higante are made of bamboo and colorful cloth and its
faces of paper mache. The three old higantes of Angono consists of the family of giants
- the father, mother and child higante, they traditionally add color and fun during the
fiesta celebration. It was in the late 80s when the late Angono artist Perdigon Vocalan
brought the idea of the Higantes Festival by going out of the traditional family of giants
and advocating having more higantes in the fiesta by coordinating with the barangays
of Angono to come up with Higantes that will represent their barangay. At present, the
Higantes of Angono can be seen in fiesta celebrations around the Philippines and in
national cultural presentations, the major being the Centennial Parade in the Quirino
Grandstand for the Philippine Centennial celebration in 1998.

The higantes measures four to five feet in diameter and ten to twelve feet in height.
Traditionally, it began in the last century when Angono was a Spanish hacienda. This
higantes was influenced by the Mexican art form of paper-mache brought by the
Spanish priests to the Philippines.

A model of the head was carved out of clay. Once the clay mold was dry, strips of
newspapers would be glued together, one strip on top of the other. Once the right
thickness was achieved, the paper-mache would be cut open
to separate it from the mold and the hollow head was glued
back together, ready to be painted with the details of the face.

Bamboo strips or yantok were used as the skeleton frame for the
body. It would then be covered with yards of cloth resembling
their characters. The head was attached to the body and a
person could go inside and carry the higante around.

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The name of Paete is derived from the Tagalog word paet, which means chisel. The
town has had a long reputation for its craftsmen highly skilled in wood carving and its
embellishment. In 1887, José Rizal described Paete as a town where "carpenter shops"
were issuing images "even those more rudely carved" (chapter VI, Noli Me Tangere).
Even now, its inhabitants (called Paeteños or Paetenians) continue their centuries old
tradition of carving and painting. The town was proclaimed "the Carving Capital of the
Philippines" on March 15, 2005. It is also believed that the modern yo-yo, which
originated in the Philippines, was invented in Paete.

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. Piday was also a maker of local toys such as the yoyo and the
small acrobat hand puppet. Taka eventually became folk art and was sold to nearby
towns for festivals. In the 1970s, Tere Afuang, a knowledgeable practitioner of the craft,
popularized the craft.

Common and traditional subjects of taka include the manok,

kabayo, kalabaw, dalaga (chicken, horse, carabao, maiden)
which is made primarily for local use. Due to exposure and
migration of Paete residents to Manila and abroad, European-
influenced paper mache toys began to be made for export to
other countries, such as Germany. Taka images now include
those of Santa Claus, reindeer, giraffes, and other subjects that
are in demand.

How to Make a Paper Mache Bunny Sculpture

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9
 The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival held in
December (Saturday before Christmas Eve) in the City
of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features
a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the
popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the "Christmas Capital of the
Philippines." The San Fernando lantern industry evolved from the Giant Lantern Festival
of San Fernando. The festival, which is held every December, finds its roots in Bacolor
where a much simpler activity was held. Following the transfer of the provincial capital
from Bacolor to San Fernando in August 1904, this lantern event followed as well.
"Ligligan Parol" was said to have started in San Fernando in 1904. But some say that the
"Ligligan Parol" did not happen immediately after the transfer and in fact began in
1908.

This predecessor of the modern-day Giant Lantern Festival was actually a religious
activity which we know today as “lubenas." The lanterns measured just two feet in
diameter, a far cry from the fifteen feet that we see today. These were created in each
barrio from bamboo and other locally available materials. During the nine-day novena
before Christmas, which coincided with the simbang gabi from December 16 to 24,
these paruls were brought around each barrio in procession to their visita. Before the
midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, the lanterns were brought to the town church together
with the barrio patrons.

This tradition gradually evolved as the lanterns became bigger and the designs more
intricate. Later, one big lantern was made for each barrio, which was created through
a cooperative effort. Each resident contributed to its construction, from the concept
and design to the materials and labor. In the end, these lanterns became a symbol of
unity for the barrios.

The first lantern festival was held to honor President Manuel L.

Quezon. At that time, Ouezon made Arayat his rest area and
converted Mount Arayat into a tourist resort. As a show of
gratitude to Quezon, the people of San Fernando held a
Christmas lantern Contest to honor the first family. Quezon
himself donated the prize for his lantern contest, which was
personally awarded to the winner by First Lady Aurora Aragon
Quezon.

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In the years that followed, more innovations were introduced to the giant lanterns.
Colored plastics replaced traditional papel de Hapon. The use of colored plastics will
continue on until 2010, wherein fiberglass and handmade paper will make their first
appearances on the lanterns. Large steel barrels called rotors also substituted the hand
controlled switches to manipulate the lights. And lanterns have grown in size,
approximately 20-feet today, and illuminated by about 3,500 to 5,000 light bulbs.

Saniculas cookies are arrowroot cookies that have

the image of St. Nicholas molded on it, hence the
name Saniculas. St. Nicholas is also known as “the
healer” and is the go-to saint for those who need
“healing" from illnesses. Legend has it that if you
consume these cookies when one is ill, you get healed and recover in a shorter amount
of time than it would usually take.

The Panecillos de San Nicholas also called Pan San Nicolas or Saniculas was introduced
by the Agustinian Friars. These religious biscuits were molded with the image of St.
Nicholas de Tolentino, the patron saint of children. It used to be made only on
September 10, the feast of the saint, then brought to the church to be blessed then
given to children.

The "saniculas” wooden moulds which are used to impress the

dough with the distinctive imprint are interesting kitchen artifacts
themselves. They are often commissioned from Betis and Bacolor
carvers, and although the designs vary, the moulds always have
the abstracted figure of the saint in the center, surrounded by
floral, vegetal and curlicue patterns.

Singkaban is the art of shaving bamboo into artful

creations that can be used as decor for arches or for
the home. Skilled craftsmen patiently shave off the
bamboo, layer by layer, to create curls and delicate
twirls of thin bamboo.

Singkabans are artfully-made entrance arches used during fiestas and other important
events in Bulacan. Bamboo is primarily used in creating a singkaban, and the art is most
prevalent in the old towns of Hagonoy and Malolos.

Singkaban Festival is an annual provincial event of Bulacan

where Bulakenyo culture and arts are featured in a week-long
celebration. It showcases the traditional arts of the literary form
“Balagtasan," folk dances, and traditional songs known as
"kundiman.” The main focus though, is on the singkaban, a
Bulakenyo art of creating an entrance arch and other
decorative materials mainly from bamboo.

A Bul-ul is a carved wooden figure used to guard the

rice crop by the Igorot of northern Luzon. The sculptures
are highly stylized representations of ancestors, and are
thought to gain power from the presence of the
ancestral spirit. The Ifugao are particularly noted for
their skill in carving bul-uls.

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Bul-uls are used in ceremonies associated with rice production and with healing.
Creation of a bul-ul involves alwen bul-ul ritual by a priest to ensure that the statue gains
power. The bul-ul is treated with care and respect to avoid the risk of the spirits of the
ancestors bringing sickness. The figures are placed in rice granaries to bring a plentiful
harvest. Bul-ul is important to Ifugaos because they belief that they can have abundant
harvest when this is placed near rice granaries.

The bul-ul has a simplified form, and is traditionally carved from

narra or ipil wood or sometimes stone. The bul-ul is touched by
hands dipped in blood of a chicken or pig in ritual called tunod
during the rice planting season. Over time the blood imparts a
dark color to the figures, overlaid with a patina of grease from
food offerings. Bul-uls are handed down to the first child of a
family. Typically the older statues have beetle holes made by
insects in the granary.

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 SESSION 3: Significant Contemporary Visual Arts from
the Regions

Objectives:

1. analyze the contributions in preserving the arts of various regions in the

Philippines.
2. classify various contemporary art forms and their practices from the various
regions

Okir is the term for geometric and flowing designs which

are often based on an elaborate leaf and vine pattern
and folk motifs that can be usually found in Maranao
and Muslim-influenced artwork, especially in the
southern Philippines, and in some parts of Southeast
Asia.

Okir a datu refers to the ornamental design for men and okir a bay to that for women.
In okir a datu (gentlemen's design), the scroll is the dominant feature in the men's work
composed of various spiral forms. In contrast, okir a bay (ladies' design) the zigzag and
angular forms are the dominating motifs in women's geometric art.

The okir design is found woven or printed in textiles, carved into wooden cemetery
markers and wooden boxes, and it can also be found etched into knife or sword blades
and handles, and cast or etched into various brass and silver objects.

Maranao instruments usually are styled with okir. A more prominent variation is the
sarimanok, a chicken-like figure that carries a fish in its beak.

Okir is said to be firstly made in Tugaya, Lanao del Sur, as Tugaya is

known as the home of Maranao artisans and the Industrial capital
of Lanao del S ur. It has been long known as the home of arts and
crafts of Maranao tribe since time immemorial.

The Sarimanok is a legendary bird of the Maranao

people who originate from Mindanao. It comes from
the words "sari" and "manok." "Sari" means cloth or
garment, which is generally of assorted colors and
“Manok" means chicken.

The Sarimanok has become a ubiquitous symbol of Maranao art. It is depicted as a fowl
with colorful wings and feathered tail, holding a fish on its beak or talons. The head is
profusely decorated with scroll, leaf, and spiral motifs. It is said to be a symbol of good
fortune.

The Sarimanok is derived from a totem bird of the Maranao people, called Itotoro.
According to the Maranao people, the Itotoro is a medium to the spirit world via its
unseen twin spirit bird called Inikadowa. The Sarimanok is also believed to have
originated from the Garuda of Hindu epic Ramayana adopted into Maharadia
Lawana of Maranao people, which in turn was later adopted to an Islamic legend after
Southern Philippines converted to Islam.

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According to the later Islamic legend, Muhammad found a rooster in the first of the
seven heavens. The bird was so large its crest touched the second heaven. Its crow
roused every living creature except man. Judgement day would
come once this celestial rooster ceased to crow. A Maranao
legend also says of a Sultan's daughter being swept by a colorful
rooster that became a handsome young man and they were never
seen ever again. The Sultan then created replicas of the bird to
remember his daughter by.

The Torogan or Bahay Lakan is a type of house

indigenous to Maranao communities which is a symbol
of high social status. Such a residence was once a
home to a sultan or Datu in the Maranao community.
There are still torogans which are a hundred years old.
The best-known are torogans in Dayawan, Marawi City and some others located
around Lake Lanao.

A torogan is elevated above the ground by its columns cut from trees of huge girth. Its
walls are covered with plywood sticks and the roof thatched with dried coconut leaves.
Apart from the basic elements of this structure, it is intricately engraved with the flowing
geometries of the Maranao design system called okir. A torogan will never be complete
without the legendary bird, Sarimanok being displ ayed inside. One of the richest
survivors of Philippine pre Spanish art, the Maranao decorative art is described by critics
as graceful and rhythmical.

The Kawayan Torogan built by Sultan sa Kawayan Makaantal in

Bubung Malanding, Marantao, Lanao del Sur, the last remaining
habitable torogan, was declared as a National Cultural Treasure
by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2008.

The Hagabi of the Ifugaos is a long wooden bench

placed under the eaves in the stone-paved yard that
surrounds the house. It signifies an individual or family's
wealth and prestige belonging to the rank of
Cadangyan (wealthy) who can afford to perform the
“Hagabi Feast."

At Camandag, a sitio of Barrio Antipolo, Kiangan, Ifugao, there once lived two brothers,
Anniyan and Boyagon. These boys pet fishes, which they caught from their favorite
place in the Camandag River. When their parents bought a number of rice-fields, they
threw a feast, called ibbuy, as part of the tradition. Despite the boys' protests, their
parents served their fish as food for the guests. They left their house with resentment and
went to a place called Tutung. They refused their parents' plea to return home. As a
substitute for the lost pets, the parents ordered a wooden couch called guinulgulding
(which means goat-like) to be made and invited the boys to a feast. But still, they
refused. The parents, in their despair, threw the guinulgulding into the Camandag River.
It was carried by the current far down to Naliwan, which is now the
province of Nueva Vizcaya. A man named Cabbigat found the
guinulgulding stacked in the mud of the river bank. He carried it to
his house where people came to look at it. Several replicas were
made in occasions for great feasts until the custom spread.

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 The pastillas in Bulacan are wrapped with decorative
wrappers known as pabalat or borlas de pastillas.
Through the years the “pabalat" making in Bulacan has
transformed from a local, folk tradition into a popular
art.

The pabalat or borlas are made of corlorful Japanese papers which are cut with
intricate designs. The designs range from bahay kubo, rice fields, farmers, flowers, Maria
Clara to landscapes and figures. The way to make it is so delicate that only those with
skilled hands and have perfect control of their motor skills can produce the best kind.
Since the wrappers are made out of delicate Japanese paper,
they would inevitably tear or degrade.

Fiestas are not complete without these elaborate paper-cut

pastillas wrappers often used as decoration, table centerpieces, as
well as souvenirs.

Puni refers to the art of coconut leaf weaving. Puni is a

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. It was originally intended to create artful toys for
kids.

However, puni can also be used to create woven baskets, bags, and even fans. The
most common permutation of Puni art is the palaspas we see every Holy Week.

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 designs are used to accentuate the "palaspas." But
today they serve as modern artistic expressions and arrangement.
The art is being revived through practical ways by preserving,
developing, and transforming these puni desig ns into decorative
pieces used as decors, accessories, and accents for various
arrangement or crafts.

The malong is a traditional "tube skirt" made of

handwoven or machine made multi-colored cotton
cloth, bearing a variety of geometric or okir designs.
The malong is similar to the sarong worn by peoples in
Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The malong is
traditionally used as a garment by numerous tribes in the Southern Philippines and the
Sulu Archipelago.

Handwoven malongs, which are costly, are likely to be used only at social functions, to
display the social and economic status of the wearer. While modern malongs are made
of cotton and Lurex threads, some contemporary handwoven malongs are made of
inexpensive rayon thread, to reduce the manufacturing cost to the weaver and
ultimate cost to the consumer.

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There are many grades of cotton thread, and the cost of a malong can also be
reduced by using the lesser grades of cotton thread, or by creating a loose or coarse
weave.

The malong can function as a skirt for both men and women, a turban, a dress, a
blanket, a sunshade, a bedsheet, a "dressing room," a hammock, a prayer mat, and
other purposes. A newborn is wrapped in a malong, and as he
grows this piece of cloth becomes a part of his daily life. When he
dies, he is once again wrapped in a malong. Among traditional
tribal peoples, the malong is used in everyday life. Even in areas
where people wear Western-style clothing during the day, the
malong is commonly used as sleepwear.

Write an essay on how to contribute in preserving arts of the various regions in the
Philippines.

Reference:

Cruz, J. Q.; Jerusalem, V. L.; Ondevilla, M. K.; Palencia, M. M.; & Solmerano, E. T. (June
2017). Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions (2nd ed.). Fast books Educational
Supply, Inc.

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