Contemporary Art Forms
and Practices in the
Philippines
NATIONWIDE
 Bahay na Bato = it is a house 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
Filipino vernacular architecture,
it is 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 a form of serenade.
 Kundiman = a love song written in
Tagalog used in courtship.
 Neo vernacular Architecture
vernacular or traditional
architecture combined with modern
architecture (e.g., Coconut Place,
San Miguel Corporation
Headquarters, Cultural Center of
the Philippines).
 Original Pilipino Music (OPM) =
songs composed by Filipino artists
in different styles and genres.
 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 Holy Week.
 Tanaga = poetry based on the
Japanese Haiku, has 4 lines, 7
of 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.
REGION 1 (Ilocus Region)
 Bolinao Mats (Pangasinan) = mats
made from dried buri or palm leaves
cut into strip and woven. Some
strips are dyed to make distinct
patterns and designs.
=
 Burnay (Ilocus Sur) = it is the
tradition of making jars from clay
kneaded by carabaos before being
worked on by potter originally used
for aging vinegar, wine, and
bagoong.
 Inabel (Ilocus) = traditional plain
or patterned weaving originated in
Ilocus using cotton.
 Binakol = a type of abel weave
that uses geometric optical
patterns which are represents
 waves of the sea meant to ward
off evil.
 Pandango Oasiwas (originated in
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 (originated in
Pangasinan) = it is a folk dance in
which the dancers perform their
dances on the top of multiple
benches.
 Vigan Architecture (Ilocus Sur) =
established in the 16th century, it
is a town that has preserved
Spanish Renaissance Architecture.
Cordillera Administrative
Region (CAR)
 Batok (Kalinga) = the practice of
tattooing by using a thorn attached
to a stick and mixture of charcoal
and water. In the tribes of
Kalinga, men earn tattoo to show
pride and achievements, while women
get it to beautify themselves and
show wealth.
 Gangsa (Kalinga Ifugao) = a single
handled smooth-surface gong with a
narrow rim.
 Ikat (Ifugao) = the technique of
dyeing the cotton yarns before
weaving.
 Labba (Ifugao) = a wide basket made
from bamboo used to carry produce
from the fields.
 Rice Terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras (Ifugao) = rice
terraces that are built on hills
and slopes of fields of rice.
REGION 2 (Cagayan Valley)
 Bakwat (Nueva Viscaya) = a weaved
cotton belt worn by mothers after
giving birth.
 Butaka (Isabela) = a wooden chair
with long “arm rests” that are
actually for the legs as it was
originally used by women when
giving birth.
 Samblai (Cagayan) = a war dance
meant to depict the fight between
Christians and Non-Christians who
opposed Spanish influence performed
during the Samblai Festival.
 Vakul (Batanes) = a headgear made
from dried Voyavoy leaves worn by
women to provide them protection
from the heat.
REGION 3 (Central Luzon)
 Pabalat (Bulacan) = a kind of paper
art which intricate designs are
made by cutting Japanese Paper to
wrap a delicacy called pastillas.
 Parol (Pampanga) = an ornamental,
star-shaped lantern made for
Christmas to symbolize the Star of
Bethlehem.
 Pyrotechnics (Bulacan) = the craft
of creating fireworks.
 Singkaban (Bulacan) = the art of
producing decorative materials
using bamboo.
 Subic Spanish Gate (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.
REGION 4A (CALABARZON)
 Balsa (Batangas) = a boat made of
bamboo decorated during the Balsa
Festival in Batangas as recognition
for its significance in transport,
fishing, as well as tourism.
 Barong Tagalog (Laguna) = popularly
known as “Barong”, it is the
official formal wear of men in the
country.
 Higantes (Rizal) = a giant paper
mache meant to portray farmers
mocking and protesting mean
landlords when Angono was
hacienda used during the Higantes
Festival.
 Kiping (Quezon Province) = 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 (originated in Laguna) =
an indigenous dance in which the
dancers tap and utilize halved
coconut husks strapped onto their
bodies.
 Taka (Laguna) = the art of making
paper mache crafts made using wood
statues as molds.
REGION 4B (MIMAROPA)
 Ambahan (Mindoro) = a poem created
by Hanunuo Mangyans that is chanted
and often carved on a bamboo.
 Morion (Marinduque) = a large mask
which resembles Caucasian features
used for a street play in the
Moriones Festival.
 Pandanggo sa Ilaw (originated in
Mindoro) = a dance influenced by
the Spanish dance, fandango,
wherein the dancer must balance oil
lamps on their hands and head.
REGION 5 (Bicol Region)
 Pantomina (originated in Bicol) =
also known as the “dove dance”, it
is a dance originally performed in
weddings by the couple and their
visitors.
 Balay (Sorsogon) = weaved crafts
made of buri, a native palm.
a REGION 6 (Western Visayas)
 Capiz (Capiz) = crafts and
decorations made from seashells.
 Cariñosa (Panay Island) = a dance
introduced by the Spaniards
performed for flirting with the
female dancer utilizing either a
fan or handkerchief.
 Dandansoy (originated in Iloilo) =
a visayan folksong about a person
leaving a boy, named Dandansoy to
go back home.
 Hablon (Iloilo) = it is the process
of making fabrics using piña,
abaca, or cotton in Iloilo.
 Patadyong (Antique, Iloilo, Negros
Occidental) = a weaved cloth that
has colorful plaid.
 Hinilawod (Panay Isalnd) = a
29,000-verse epic poem about the
heroes of Panay chanted for three
days; Hinilawod translates to
“Tales from the Mouth of the
Halawod River”
 Pagrara (Iloilo) =a hand-woven
basket made of bamboo
 Piña (Aklan) = t
 he use of piña fabrics, which come
from mature pineapple leaves that
 are scraped, cleaned, and dried bamboo poles on the ground and
before being woven. against each other in the
 Sinamay (Negros Island) = a fabric coordination with one or more
woven from abaca fibers from dancers
processed abaca trees.
REGION 9 (Zamboanga
REGION 7 (Central Visayas) Peninsula)
 Gap nod (Negros Oriental) = a dance  Bunga Sama = the highest form of
reenacting the discovery of an Yakan weaving that has patterns
image of St. Anthony of Padua—the that represent the universe.
patron saint of Sabulan—by a  Gong = a percussion musical
fisherman. instrument that is usually made of
 Guitar (Cebu) = a musical metal.
instrument that has 6 strings.  Semmek = the collective term for
 Kuradang (Bohol) = a wedding dance dresses made by the Yakan women
performed with the accompaniment of using abaca, pineapple, and bamboo.
a rondalla.  Tanyak Tanyak = a custom of face
 Mazurka Boholana (Bohol) = a painting by the use of mixture of
Spanish-inspired ballroom dance flour and water done in wedding
where the female character wears a ceremonies.
Maria Clara.
 Sinulog (Cebu) = a dance that REGION 10 (Northern
represents the “sulog” (current) of Mindanao)
a river in Cebu performed during
the Sinulog Festival.  Kudyapi = an instrument that looks
 Surtido Cebuano (Cebu) – a square like a boat and has two strings.
dance performed by several pairs  Hinabol (Bukidnon) = a hand-woven
that combines influences of fabric made by the ethnic Higaonon
Spanish, Mexican, and French, as tribe.
well as indigenous elements  Idangdang (Bukidnon) = a ballad
together. song that is about recalling
historical events.
REGION 8 (Eastern Visayas)
 Panika (Bukidnon) = a headdress
 Basey Mats (Samar) = Basey, Samar worn during festivities made of
is renowned for its woven sleeping native materials.
mats, locally called banig
REGION 11 (Davao Region)
 Kuratsa (Leyte) = a courtship dance
performed during fiestas, family  Dagmay = a weaved fabric made by
gatherings, as well as weddings. the Mandaya tribe that is usually
 Tinikling (originated in Leyte) = a used by women as a skirt, as well
dance which involves two people as blankets or wrap for the dead.
beating, tapping, and sliding
 Bagobo Inabal = a traditional amd folk motifs found among the
textile made from abaca with a Moro and Lum people.
special weave worn only by women  Pis Syabit (Sulu) = a headdress
and has a shine from the beeswax worn by men to represent one’s rank
applied during the weaving process. in society
 Seputangan (Basilan) = a woven
REGION 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) fabric, considered to be one of the
earliest weaving techniques, worn
 Ginakit (Sarangani) = brightly by the Yakan women
colored boats used by Muslim royals
 Singkil (Lanao del Sur) = a folk
and high-ranking people in Mindanao
dance which depicts the poem,
during the pre-colonial and Spanish
Darangen.
periods, and now showcased in the
Pakaradyan Festival.  Sarimanok (Lanao del Sur) = the
symbol of Maranao art which depicts
 Tabih (General Santos City,
a legendary, colorful bird that
Sarangani, South Cotabato) = a
symbolizes good fortune.
hand-woven cloth made by B’laan
people.
 T’nalak (South Cotabato) = made by
the T’boli people, it is a method
of weaving abaca inspired by the
weaver’s dreams.

Region 13 (Caraga)
 Butuan boats (Agusan del Norte) =
an edged-pegged plank type boat
made from hardwood.
 Itik-Itik (originated in Surigao
del Sur) = a dance steps mimic the
gestures of a duck.
 Suyam (Agusan del Sur) = a kind of
embroidery made by the Manobo
people.

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
 Malong (Sulu, all over Mindanao) =
a large, wrap-around skirt which
dispalys the okir design.
 Okir (Tawi-Tawi) = a distinct
geometric and flowing plant design