Visayas is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines consisting of major and minor islands.

It is divided into
three administrative regions: Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Western Visayas. They speak different languages including
Cebuano (the largest group), lingo(Hiligaynon), Kinaray-a,Akeanon, Waray-Waray, and Leyte. They have a rich culture that can be
seen in their folk arts, motifs, and design that are usually inspired by indigenous and foreign influences.
Panay Island is one of the largest islands of the archipelago composed of the provinces of lloilo, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and the Island
of Guimaras.
Weaving is a primary form of arts and crafts in. Panay Island even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. It was once tagged as
the “Textile Capital of the Philippines.”
Weaving from indigenous fibers such as jusi and piña become popular in the latter part of 19 th Century despite the introduction of cheap
cotton cloth from the West that dominated the local textile industry. The textiles of lloilo are produced by the weaving communities in
Arevalo, Jaro, and Molo.
Patadyong is a wrap-around piece of cloth worn by women as a skirt and is usually paired with a kimona. It can also be used as a
shade to protect from the heat of the sun or the onslaught of rain, as a tapis when bathing outdoor, washing clothes in the river, or as a
carriage for babies. The patadyong is often colorful and features linear and geometric designs. The raw materials used for patadyong
weaving is cotton and abaca. Later in the 80's, they started using polyester. For a hundred years, the time-consuming hand weaving of
patadyong and hablon is still practiced in lloilo, particularly in Miag-ao.
Piña weaving is an age-old tradition in Aklan, the leading manufacturer of piña cloth in the country. The process requires long hours of
laborious extraction of fibers from pineapple leaves. They snap the short leaves of the plant and remove the thorny sides. These are
scraped with a broken china plate and pummeled by hand to reveal the first set of fibers called bastos. After this, it is scraped with a
coconut shell to get the finer Linawan fibers. When about a thousand leaves have been scraped, it is then washed, partially sundried,
wrung and gently beaten by a bamboo stick to separate the fibers. The fine fibers are then line-dried using an ordinary hair-comb. The
fibers are then tied on both ends, cut by a sharp bamboo stick, and boiled in a clay pot with sands to prevent tangles.
Weaving baskets, trays, and mats is also a popular craft in Aklan. They use pandan and bariw plants to make their products. The
process of pagrara or weaving is often a form of social interaction. They start by removing the thorny sides of the leaves using bukog, a
simple stripping machine made of bamboo. The leaves are then tied together and sundried for two to three days. When the bariw have
turned a deep brown shade, these are pounded (palpag) until such time that the leaves become soft. They will be tied into bundles and
pounded again before stripping them in a machine with blades called kulhadan. The strips are arranged to make kiyapis (made from
four strips of bariw leaves) that will serve as the framework for the mat called taytay before “pagpaparas" will take place.
Kapiz (capiz) shell is also an important material in the craft of PanayIsland, particularly in Aklan and loilo. Capiz shells are bleached
and dried before being pressed or cut into different shapes. These are formed into various craft products like plates, utility box,
chandelier, windows, among others.
NEGROS ISLAND
In the pre-Hispanic times, the island of Negros is called Buglas after the type of grass similar to sugarcane that grows abundantly in the
island.
Weaving is an integral part of the lives of the Negrenses. Their weaving practices include roofing materials, walls, hats and baskets
using pandan and buri leaves. In Valencia, Negros Oriental, sinamay, weaving is a world class industry. Its application has expanded
and improved, going beyond the simple fiber craft to sophisticated industrial uses. Sinamay is made from abaca twine and indigenous
plants similar to banana.
BOHOL
Basket weaving is among the earlie st industries that have been established in Bohol, particularly in the town of Antequera, where most
of the weavers have developed the skills and have handed them down from generation to generation. For years this has been the
town's industry and earned them the title “Basket Capital of Bohol”. Their products are made from whatever native product is on hand:
bamboo, rattan, wicker, nito, buri, sig-id, and other vines.
The municipality of Tubigon is known as the loom weaving center of the province. This is because of their hand woven products that
are made from raffia or buri leaves that are abundant in the area and in the neighboring municipalities.
BASEY,SAMAR
The town of Basey is known for its woven products such as mats, wall decorations, and the famous colorful sleeping mat called “banig”.
Mat Weaving
A typical banig usually measures around 2x3 meters and is as thin as a sheet of chipboard. It is made from tikog, a reedgrass that
grows in swampy areas along the rice fields.
The colorful banigs are more expensive than simple ones. From sleeping mats, the weavers have produced other products such as
bags, decors, placemats, furniture matting, and other adornments.
Some of the Festivals in the Visayas:
Ati-Atihan is regarded as one of the most popular, most colorful, and fun-filled festivals in the Philippines particularly in Kalibo, Aklan. It
is held every third Sunday of January in honor of the arrival of the Santo Niño as a gift from Ferdinand Magellan to the queen of Cebu.
the street dance competition of the different groups representing different tribes. They wear colorful costumes,including the
headdresses that are made of abaca fibers, shells, feathers, bamboo, plant leaves, cogon, and sugarcane flowers. All the participants
cover themselves with soot to look like the Ati, natives of Aklan. The term “Ati-atihan" means make believe “Ati".
Masskara Festival in Bacolod is considered as the most spectacular display of colors, beauty, and culture of the Negrenses. Masskara
comes from two words, "mass," meaning crowd, and "cara,"which means face. The smiling masks have become the city's symbol
which earned them the tag, "City of Smiles". During the old days, their masks were adorned with locally found materials like coconut
sprouts, colorful betel nuts, violet, yellow or red San Francisco leaves and annatto, more locally known as atsuete, serves as natural
coloring. Over the years, Masskara Festival developed complex ways of presenting their traditions. Mask designs at present have
evolved from plain and simple to very ornate.
Pintados-Kasadyaan
Festival in Tacloban City is a cultural-religious celebration to honor the feast day of the Santo Niño or the Holy Child. Itis a joint festival
of the Pintados and the Kasadyaan festivities which features the unique culture and colorful history of the Province of Leyte through
dance
presentations such as the Pintados. The word pintado refers to the body tattoos of the native warriors whose bodies were adorned with
tattoos from head to toe with beautiful designs and incredible styles that look like armor to resemble the tattooed warriors of pre-
colonial times.
Architecture
When the Spaniards first set foot in the islands of Visayas, they introduced the Catholic religion and used it to gain the trust of the
people. They builtchurches that helped propagate their faith.
1. Molo Church in lloilo, depicts the fusion of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The spires of the two towers of the church, and the
interior elements, such as the altar and the pulpits, show the gothic characteristics of the church. It is built with white coral rock and
considered as one of the most beautiful churches in the Philippines. It is said that this is a "Women's church" because of the 16 women
saints inside. Its patron is St. Ann, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Romanesque
1. Miag-ao Church in lloilo, is an example of a Baroque-architecture that shows through its massive quality, thick walls, round arches,
sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcades. It is famous for its artistic sculptural relief carved in the facade of the
church that stands as the living legacy of a rich culture and illustrates the way of life of the people of Miag-ao, anchored in a strong
foundation of Christian faith. It is also acclaimed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
2. The Ruinsin Talisay, Negros Occidental is an example of neoclassical architecture built by a wealthy haciendero for his Portuguese
wife in the early1900s.Themansionwasburnedduringthe World War II leaving behind the concrete structure that stands to this day. The
design is elegant and the color changes from white to gray and orange to red as the sunset touches the structure.