Crafts

Abaca (Musa textiles) is a tree-like herb resembling the banana plant. Its fiber is more widely known in
the export trade as Manila hemp. It is durable and resistant and can be easily dyed in different colors.

It is also used in the handicraft business as pulp material for handmade paper, cordage or as fibers to be
woven into ropes and braids.

Bamboo (Bambusa spinosa) is mostly used for the furniture industry because of its strength and
durability. It is also a valuable material for basket and hat making. It is a grass species found throughout
the Philippines.Bamboo products that were developed by the CCAP's designers fall under the indoor /
outdoor garden setting. Bamboos are often used in combination with sea grass, a freshwater grass
growing along rice paddies.

Buri (Corypha elata) is the largest palm found in the Philippines. It is one of the most important palms,
next to the coconut, in terms of economic and industrial importance. The buri leaf is the most versatile
material used in handicraft industry. It is used for making hats, boxes and other novelty items. It can be
easily dyed and woven into many shapes.

Buri split used in combination with Rattan poles and Tilob fibers is another by-product of the diverse
ways of processing the buri palm into materials for the handicraft industry. It comes from the main stalk
of the palm where fronds of the buri are attached. These stalks are stripped and split into 3mm
thickness and bleached to a creamy finish.
The application of lacquer further enhances the beauty of this material. CCAP considers these products
as classic, generating regular orders for more than a decade since they were first introduced.

Kalas is a derivative of the buri palm. Locally, the term "kalas" means "to loosen" and refers to the
loosened strands of a buri rope. When woven, kalas creates an interesting, rustic pattern with distinct
characteristics from its original material.

Caragumoy (Pandanus simplex) is a variety of screw pine distributed mostly in the inlands of Luzon and
the Visayas Island. It is greenish grey in color as it dries and is used traditionally for making mats, hats,
bags and baskets.

Pandan-Dagat (Pandanus tectorius) is a variety of screwpine which grows abundantly along seashores of
the Philippines. It is made into hats and mats and has evolved to be a favored material for cushions and
canisters.

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) probably is the most utilized palm in the Philippines. The coconut leaf sticks
are used primarily in the handicraft industry as a material for coarse brooms (tingting) and baskets. It
can be dyed easily and formed into interesting products in combination with other materials.

Rattan (Calamus maximus) is the most versatile material used in the craft industry. It is the general name
for all climbing palms. It is used to make furniture and small accessories, mostly baskets. Rattan stems
can be split and formed into various shapes and can be dyed, stained, bleached, etc. CCAP's classic
products include these baskets made of rattan splits with stained finishing.
Sea grass (Rhynchospora corymbosa) is coarse sedge, about 1 meter in height. The stems are distinctly
triangular, and the leaves are broad and long. It abounds in the marshlands and rice paddies of southern
Luzon. It grows well in irrigated lands, as when a rice paddy is left for fallowing. CCAP developed this sea
grass into containers with lids, cushions for the floor and sofa, carry-all bags as well as placements and
bowls.

Traditional arts like weaving, metal smith, pottery, woodcarving and gold smith are famous all over the
country and are valued both by the locals and tourists. The valuable ornate carvings are a specialty in
the southern Philippine Islands.