LOCAL MATERIALS TO

CONTEMPORARY ARTS
The Philippines is very rich in natural resources. With our artistic
inclinations, we can maximize the use of these natural resources even
in creating arts.

• Contemporary artists found used bottles, plastics straw, and other

recyclable materials useful in creating artworks. • The real artist sees
beauty even from the peelings of garlic and corn.

Sanikulas Cookie Mold Carvings (Pampanga)

• These Sanikulas Cookies are arrowroot cookies that have the image
of St. Nicholas (The Healer) molded on it. The molds are an exceptional
piece of folk art and rarity. It is also made of hardwood and is of
different shapes and sizes.

Pabalot or Pastillas Wrapper Cutting Art (Bulacan)

• The wrapper was made out of delicate Japanese paper. 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)
• In the Philippines, the first recorecorda created Taka was by a
woman named Maria Bangue in the 1920s. She has wooded molds that
were covered with strips of paper clipped in the sticky paste. She
would later paint them carefully and present them as children’s toys.

Pagbuburda (Taal, Lumban, Laguna)

• The art of embroiling is happily alive and flourishing in the towns.
Although it’s mostly done by women who are wives of the farmers and
fisherman, it is not uncommon to see fishermen and farmers who are
also carefully and delicately embroidering floral designs during their
“off-season”.

Singkaban or Bamboo Art

• Singkaban is the art of shaving bamboo into artful creations that can
be used as a décor for arches or the home. Skilled craftsmen patiently
shave off the bamboo, layer by layer, to create curls and delicate twirls
of their bamboo.

• Leaf folding or puni was intended to create artful toys for kids.
However, puni can also be used to create woven baskets, bags, and
even fans. The most common presentation of Puni art is the “Palaspas”
we see every Holy Week