Lesson 3 - Philippine Art History
a rock art on the wall of a rockshelter in
"Some people come into our lives, leave
footprints on our hearts, and we are never
the same." - Franz Schubert
Philippine Arts
The Philippine Arts pertain to Filipino
artworks that have developed in country
from the beginning of its civilization up to
the present era.
It reflects the culture of the Philippine
society and the wide range of cultural
influences from countries that happen to
interact with us and also the influenced in
local arts that resulted in Filipino artworks
as it is known today as Art of the
Philippines.
PRE-COLONIAL PHILIPPINE ART (before
1521)
The pre-colonial era or also known as
Pre-Spanish era is the period of Philippine
Art before the coming of Spaniards. Early
evidence of ancient tools and other artifacts
are found in the different islands of
Philippines like Batangas, Cagayan, Central
Luzon, Davao, and Palawan. Items
discovered were described to be the crudest
from the stone tools (flake tools).
Receptacles
Early Filipinos believe in life after death.
They used receptacles which were
containers fashioned to enclose and protect
the bodies of their dead relatives.
Receptacles were made from fibers and
tree barks constructed into mats or they can
also be made of leaves, wood, and bamboo.
These receptacles can also function as
repositories of food and other possessions
which will accompany the dead on their
journey to the other world.
Angono Petroglyphs
The Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs is
Rizal. A National Cultural Treasure and
declared as the oldest known work of art in
the Philippines. This was discovered in
1965 by the late renowned muralist and
National Artist, Carlos "Botong"
Francisco.One hundred twenty-seven
human figures spread on the wall were
rendered by engraving lines using a piece of
stone on the surface of the rock shelter.
The cuts vary from ten centimeters to faint
lines figures. The figures consist of circular
heads, with or without necks set on a
rectangular or v-shaped body. The linear
arms and legs are usually bent. Some
incisions on the rock wall are circles,
rectangles, and triangles. The site is at the
border of Angono and Binangonan in the
province of Rizal.
Rock art is closely linked with a system of
belief of a group of people which is
considered symbolic and not decorative.
Rare rock art in the Philippines were
reported in places such as Penablanca
Caves in Cagayan Valley; rock ledges in
Alab, Bontoc, Mt. Province; and caves in
Singnapan Basin in Ransang, Palawan.
Textile weaving
Weaving is an ancient art form that remain
in the Philippines today, with each ethnic
group having their distinctive weaving
techniques. Prehistoric textile that have
been excavated are believed to have been
created by using flat stone tools to pound
and flatten tree barks for use as materials.
According to many accounts of early
travelers of the pre-colonial era, the Filipino
people utilized fibers made from natural
materials, such as abaca (Manila hemp),
maguey, pineapple, cotton and tree bark, to
weave textiles, clothes, rugs, hats and
baskets, along with quilts and bedding.
The oldest surviving textile in the entire
Southeast Asian region was found in the
Philippine island of Banton in Romblon
province. The cloth, known as the Banton
cloth, has designs with folkloric motifs, and
was used as a death wrap.
The different textile forms in the Philippines
are the brocaded weave (pinilian) of the
Ilocano, the wavy designs of the Bontoc, the
geometric designs of the Kalinga, the piña
of the Aklanon, the hablon of the Kiniray-a
and Hiligaynon, the seputangan of the
Yakan, the mabal tabih of the Blaan, the
bagobo inabal of the Bagobo Manobo, the
dagmay of the Mandaya, the mëranaw of
the Maranao, the pis syabit of the Tausug,
and the t'nalak of the T'boli.
Brocade
Pina
Hablon
Seputangan
Mabal tabih
Bagobo inabal
Dagmay
Meranaw
pis syabit
T'nalak
Jewelry
Preceding the Spanish colonization, the
native Filipino of all genders, all social
classes wore gold from gold necklaces,
earrings, bracelets, armlets, even to their
grave. Their love for gold to making a
threaded belt and hilts of swords and
daggers made of gold. This was the life of
our ancestors. Gold was abundant then in
areas now known as Butuan, Eastern
Visayas, Mindoro, and Surigao. The people
created belts, necklaces, masks, rings, leg
ornaments, even ceremonial weapons, and
wore these gold objects in rituals and
celebration and to establish their rank in
society.
Gold Death Mask
The burial practice of covering the eyes,
nose, and mouth of the dead with sheets of
gold is a custom practiced by a limited
group of Filipinos. It is believed that when
the face of the dead is covered with a gold
mask, evil spirits cannot come into the body.
The face of the corpse was covered with
skillfully labored sheets of gold.
Shell Bracelets and Pendants
In the early days, shells were transformed
into tools, as well as ornaments. The oldest
identified ornaments made from cone shells
were found in the early 1960’s in the tomb
of an adult male in Duyong Cave in
Palawan.
A shell disk with a cavity in the center was
found next to his right ear and a disk with a
hole by the edge was found on his chest.
The shell ornaments were dated 4854 B.C.
and are characteristic of the Late Neolithic
Age.
Other personal ornaments such as anklets,
beads, bracelets, and earrings recovered
from tomb sites were unearthed together
with dippers, spoons, and other tools
transformed from shells.
Shell beads retrieved from other sites were
made from cowry, whelk, and conch shells.
Shell beads were also recovered from Arku
Cave in Cagayan, Ngipe’t Duldug Cave in
Palawan and in Bato Caves, in Sorsogon; a
shell bracelet was also found in Bato Caves.
Pottery
Earthenware pots resembling human figures
were found in Ayub Cave, in Pinol, Maitum,
Saranggani Province. The jars used for
secondary burial were dated to the Metal
Age about 5 BC. - 225 A.D. Each of the
twenty-nine jars recovered from the site is
unique.
The head-shaped covers portray different
kinds of facial expressions like sadness, joy,
contentment. The heads were either plain,
perforated or coated with red and black
paints. Some have earrings, others are
tattooed.
Some head-shaped covers depict teeth
while others have arms, female breasts, and
male genitalia. Clay pots were also
discovered in Masbate which dated as early
as 710 B.C.E.
The jar burial practices of early Filipinos
were prevalent not only in the Philippines,
but also in Southeast Asia. These practices
date back to the Late Neolithic Period from
1,000 B.C. to the 16th century before the
arrival of the Spaniards. The discovery of jar
burials uncovers significant clues to the
prehistory of Maguindanao and the country.
To categorize and analyze thousands of
pre-Hispanic potteries, they are classified
corresponding to shape, method of
decoration and type of design on the
surface.
Shape is the description of the vessel’s
body, the form of its mouth, the thickness of
its lips, or the presence of ears, spouts and
legs attached to its body.
Method of decoration is how designs are
applied on the body’s surface. Decorative
designs are either impressed or incised.
Pressing on the container with certain things
like a string, rope, or small piece of mat
while the surface is still wet create
impressed designs. Some of the designs on
the pottery were like those found in
southwestern Mindanao but the detailed
facial expression is unique.
The making of these earthenware depicting
human figures and faces indicates a high
level of craftmanship. The use of sharp
objects to draw patterns while the pot is still
damp produce incised designs.
Designs are either abstract or
representational. Abstract design consists
of dots, straight lines, and curved lines,
which are inspired by nature. Examples are
seeds, stars, waves, clouds, flowers, and
feathers which primitive Filipinos styled into
simple, flowing forms.
SCULPTURE
The ancient Filipinos had attained a high
artistic level through pottery, jewelry, and
wood carving.
Mununggul Jar
The Mununggul jar is regarded as the
symbol of Philippine Prehistoric artifact. It
was found in Palawan and is estimated to
be from 890-710BCE. Figures representing
spirits constituted most of the early
Philippines representational sculpture.
Some statues of Hindu gods and goddesses
were also discovered all over the
archipelago which proved that the early
Filipinos with Hindu traders.
Maitum jar In Ayub Cave, now referred to as
Pinol Cave 29 burial jars and around 33
baskets or about 4 cubic meters of
archaeological material have been
collected.
The Maitum burial jars were discovered in
by the archeological group of the National
Museum in 1991. The jars have designs
that signify human figures with complete or
partial facial features or known as
anthropomorphic jars.
ARCHITECTURE
In the 16th century, early inhabitants of the
Philippines built single room structure with
walls of bamboo and roof of palm leaves,
with the ground floor typically utilized for
storage. There were three different styles of
structure of native dwellings, the
bahay-kubo or nipa hut, Ifugao house and
the Maranao house.
Bahay-kubo is built from bamboo and nipa
which are the most available construction
materials in the rural areas. The bahay-kubo
is very functional in terms of comfort and
affordability of materials.
Ifugao house is so designed for the reason
of the cold climate of the Mountain
Province. The Ifugaos construct their
houses for protection from the low
temperature and the rainfall common in the
Mountain Province.
Maranao house is an archaic-style house
with a boat-like appearance. This
description is primarily due to the existence
of the panolong, carved beam that
protrudes in the front of the house that
support its flooring.
Torogan known as the flower symbol of the
ancestral home of the highest titleholder in a
Maranao village. The panolong symbolizes
power and prestige.
Example of Paleoindian House
Muslim Art
Islamic art meshed with ethnic culture and
produced a Filipino Muslim art that reflects
the ethnic background and Islamic identity
of the people.
Okir is a general name for the colorful
flowing designs which decorate any surface
of the Muslim regions. It is an elaborate
curvilinear motif made by the Maranao and
Tausug tribes of Mindanao.
The main motifs are the sarimanok, the
naga and the pako-rabong. These are
mainly used to decorate the houses of
Sultans. Okir-a-datu are ornamental design
for men and okir-a-bay for women.
In the book of Dr. Nagasura Madale, it
explains that the Okir has patterns which
are used by the Maranao artists.
1. Matilak (circle)
2. Poyok (bud)
3. Dapal (leaf)
4. Pako (fern or spiral form)
5. Todi (fern leaf with spiral at upper edge)
6. Pako lungat (fern leaf with a cut at one
edge).
Other elements found by Dr. Madale were:
Naga, obid-obid binotoon, kianoko, pakonai
and tialitali.
Sarimanok is a depiction of an
open-winged legendary bird which stands
on a fish with another fish hanging from its
beak. It is usually positioned atop bamboo
poles at the center of Maranao villages
among decorative flags during celebratory
events.
Naga is a stylized dragon or serpent carved
in grave markers or elaborately in plows.
Ukkil is a design technique usually see in
the Sulu Peninsula. Others consider it a
variant of the okir. It is a decorative design
that is used in carving, baskets, pottery and
weaving.
Kampilan
A long sword, its handle akin to the open
mouth of a naga, a wavy flame-like blade
representing the body of a serpent; the
barong, a leaf-like blade having the same
geometric designs on its hilt.
Art of the Mountain Province
Wood is the medium of choice in the art of
the Mountain Province. It is used in making
shields, spoons, ladles, bowls, and human
and animal figures. Wood Carving is
considered an important skill in all tribes.
Mountain Province art is divided into two
kinds: the ritualistic and the decorative.
The bulul, a carved male figure made of
narra is
seated while its crossed arms rest on its
raised knees. Believed to guard rice crops,
this figure was traditionally bathed in pig’s or
chicken’s blood during rice planting rituals in
Ifugao.
ANCIENT WRITING
The ancient script Baybayin. According to
many early Spanish accounts, the Tagalogs
had already been writing with the baybayin
for at least a century.
Baybayin handwriting by Filipino artist
Jacob Ira
THE SPANISH COLONIAL ART
(1521-1898)
The year 1521 marks the dawn of the first
colonial power in the Philippines. This is
called the Spanish period. For the Catholic
faith to be propagated successfully, it should
be able to communicate well with the
educated as well as the uneducated, and
the best way to achieve this is through art.
ARCHITECTURE
Fr. Antonio Sedeno introduced a lime in
the construction of buildings. He was
responsible for the construction of the first
fortress, the Nuestra Senora de Guia Fort in
Manila. Decorative Art. He was instrumental
in the planning and building of the Manila’s
Secular residences. Early painting and
sculptural works for the church were largely
given to the Chinese artisans living in a
community outside Intramuros called the
Parian.
SCULPTURE
Carving which began in the pre-Hispanic
times in making the likha (a local deity), was
redirected by the friars into the creation of
santos (sculptures of saints). The making of
santos are strictly supervised by the church
authorities for fear that the natives might
include pagan elements into the prescribed
iconography of the church.
Mediums Most of the santos had been
carved out of wood. Ivory and animal bone
were also used.
Famous Sculptors
Juan delos Santos carved several retablos
for the Augustinian church in Intramuros.
Lorenzo Flores carved the escudo of the
Franciscan Order found in front of the
Tayabas Church.
PAINTING
A rise of national consciousness was
expressed through the reform movement
during the 19th century. The Sociedad
Economica de Amigos dela Pais, a civic
organization, aimed to encourage the
development of visual arts which led to the
establishment of the Escuela de Dibujo y
Pintura in 1821. The school closed in 1834
but reopened 20 years later. This school
was incorporated with the Escuela Pintura
Escultura Y Grabado in 1879.
Damian Domingo, the first teacher, a
mestizo whose talents impressed local
authorities. The technique of painting during
this time may be from his works, where
detailed and fine lines give volume or body
to objects or parts of the human figures.
Two local artists became famous abroad:
Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo
Juan Luna won a silver medal for his La
Muerte de Cleopatra at Exposicion General
de Bellas Artes in 1881. He also won a Gold
medal at Exposicion Nacional de Bellas
Artes in 1884 for his famous Spolarium.
Felix Hidalgo won a silver medal for his
Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace
in Exposicion Nacional de Bellas Artes.
PRINTING
Nicolas Bagay is one of the outstanding
engravers who ran a printing press and
Francisco Suarez are both known for their
designs in 1733 and for the 12 scenes
depicting representative life in the islands in
the Murillo-Velarde Map. They signed their
works proudly writing Indio Tagalog after
their signatures.
18th Century
Earliest among the collection are religious in
themes and composed of 18th century icons
and images created by local artisans under
the tutelage of the friars. The devotional
pieces of the collection are of outstanding
significance. Engravings were printed from
copper plates and wood cuts.
Coronation of the virgin
It is one of the oldest artworks in the visual
arts collection. An extremely rare icon
belonging to the primitive school of
Philippine art. It is typical of the religious art
produced during the 18th century for
household use (devotional piece).
UNIT 5: LESSON 5 - PHILIPPINE
CONTEMPORARY ART AND NATIONAL
ARTISTS
PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY ART
● Contemporary Philippine Arts is an
art produced at the present period,
roughly from 1970 up to the present
time.
● The term “contemporary art” refers
to art made and produced by artists
living today.
● Massive progress in technology
impacted the arts in terms of
medium and technique.
● The invention of computer
technology greatly influenced
graphic arts and combined arts.
● In sculpture and architecture,
introduction of new materials and
innovativeness of artists to try out
new media, designs and techniques
commercialized the process of
plastic arts.
● Inventions of machines for mass
production and use of computer
software for architecture enabled to
view their designs virtually in
cyberspace.
● Even the audience have changed.
The impact of globalization, the
internet and social media
strengthened interconnectedness of
people around the globe increasing
the level of awareness and
understanding of other countries
society and culture.
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ARTISTS
● The National Artist recognition is the
highest individual award given to an
artist who contributed works of
significance to the Philippine arts in
their area of artistry. This task is
handled by the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and
the Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP) and bestowed by the
President of the Philippines.
● The confirmation of the National
Artist Award started in 1972 through
Presidential Proclamation No. 1001
s. 1972. the following is the list of
National Artist of the Philippines (as
of April 2017) in the categories of
architecture and Allied Arts,
Broadcast Arts, Dance, Film,
Literature, Music, Theater, and
Visual Arts.
● Fernando Amorsolo was the first
Philippine National Artist in 1972 and
since then only 73 talented
individuals have been given this
honor. It is the highest recognition
given to Filipino artists (film, visual
arts, dance, etc).
● The Order of National Artists is the
highest recognition given to Filipinos
who have contributed significantly to
the status of Philippine arts, such as
 music, visual arts, literature, film,
broadcast arts, theater, dance,
architecture, design, and allied arts.

● Since its inception in 1972, only 73

individuals have been conferred this
highest honor of becoming a
National Artist of the Philippines. Of
that number, 26 were awarded
posthumously, including the first
National Artist, Fernando Amorsolo.

● Originally, the recognition was called

National Artists Award, until it was
elevated in 2003 by then-President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the rank
of Order.
● The Order is conferred to individuals
by the National Commission for the
Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the
Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP) at a ceremony in Malacañang
Palace.
● To date, the Philippines has
conferred the Order of National Artist
to 13 individuals for music, six for
dance, eight for theater, seven for
architecture, design, and the allied
arts, one for historical literature,
seven for film, 14 for literature, and
17 for visual arts.

THE ROSTER OF NATIONAL ARTISTS

PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS ARTS AND
GAMABA ARTISTS

Philippine Indigenous Arts

Creativity through craftsmanship is what
Filipinos are also known. Many artisans
across the country showcase different
unique crafts and arts that will surely catch
your interest.

Cloth weaving
One of the most valuable living traditions
that are still preserved until this day is the
cloth weaving. Threads or strands of
material are passed under and over each
other. Beginning in the pre-colonial era, the
art of cloth weaving, particularly of the
Cordillera tribes in the North, still lives
notwithstanding the threat of the more
practical production of fabrics today. The
natives practice blackstrap loom to create
blankets and pieces of clothing.

Another is the abaca fiber which comes

from the abaca plant. Abaca is endemic and
grown in the Philippines. It is woven mainly
to produce sinamay fabric.

•Abaca is famous in manufacturing rope,

specialty papers like the currency, vacuum
bags, and tea bags. There are also
Piña cloth is also created through looms
handicrafts like furniture, carpets, bags, and
everywhere in the province of Antique. It is
clothing specially made out of abaca.
a fine and elegant handwoven fabric that is
produced from the fibers of pineapple
plants.
•It is commonly used in Barong Tagalog, the
traditional Philippine clothes for men. With
its airy and organic textile, it is growing
more popular today and also around the
world.

Basket weaving
•The Cordilleras mainly use baskets for their
occupation. They utilize them for food
storage too when they have to go to the
mountain terraces and farm their lands. •A
basket is a must have for carrying hunting
animals, grains, and fishing in the waters.
The baskets are made of bamboo to
become as their fish traps; the size and the
shape of the baskets are based on the
variety of fish they wish to catch.
Jewelry making
•Since the 16th century, it is presumed that
jewelry making in the country already
existed. It is known that the skills of the
early Filipinos in creating jewelry are
parented from our Asian neighbors like the
Chinese people. There are two largest
product classes of fine jewelry production in
the Philippines:
•Metal Jewelry - This jewelry is made of
gold and silver which are in the forms of
earrings, bracelets, rings, brooches,
necklaces, tie pins, pendants, and cuff links.
•Pearls - are considered precious stones
and as semi-precious stones. These are
either unworked or worked types of pearls.
Pottery
•Pottery are made from wet clay, then
hardened by baking. Pottery includes both
decorative and practical items such as
bowls, dishes, vases and lamps. Pots in the
country have various shapes, sizes, and
designs. Their designs are typically
geometric with embellished nature motifs.
•A model of this is the “palayok,” which is
utilized for cooking. The “Banga” and
“Tapayan” are also used for depositing
liquids. There is also the stove or “kalan”
which is made out of clay. The production of
“Burnay” pottery in the Ilocos Sur is yet a
spirited tradition that remains up to the
today.
Woodcarving
•The Philippine sculpture is the most
well-known art form of the Filipinos. The
most famous woodcarving in the Philippines
is the carvings of the “Anitos” or the nature
gods, “Santos” or saints, and figures of
Christ and the Blessed Mother Mary.
Accordingly, Paete in Laguna is considered
wood carving capital of the Philippines since
2005.
GAMABA Artists
•In April 1992, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng
Bayan or the National Living Treasures
Award was institutionalized through
Republic Act No. 7355.
•Tasked with the administration and
implementation of the Award is the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA), the highest policy-making and
coordinating body for culture and the arts of
the State.
•The NCCA, through the Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan Committee and an
Ad Hoc Panel of Experts, conducts the
search for the finest traditional artists of the
land, adopts a program that will ensure the
transfer of their skills to others and
undertakes measures to promote a genuine
appreciation of and instill pride among our
people about the genius of the Manlilikha ng
Bayan. •First awarded in 1993 to three
outstanding artists in music and poetry, the
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan has its roots
in the 1988 National Folk Artists Award
organized by the Rotary Club of
Makati-Ayala. •As a group, these folk and
traditional artists reflect the diverse heritage
and cultural traditions that transcend their
beginnings to become part of our national
character. •As Filipinos, they bring age-old
customs, crafts and ways of living to the
attention and appreciation of Filipino life.
•They provide us with a vision of ourselves
and of our nation, a vision we might be able
to realize someday, once we are given the
opportunity to be true to ourselves as these
artists have remained truthful to their art.
•As envisioned under R.A. 7355, “Manlilikha
ng Bayan” shall mean a citizen engaged in
any traditional art uniquely Filipino whose
distinctive skills have reached such a high
level of technical and artistic excellence and
have been passed on to and widely
practiced by the present generation in
his/her community with the same degree of
technical and artistic competence.
composed of seven-syllables. The
Filipinos are grateful and justifiably
proud of Ginaw Bilog for vigorously
promoting the elegantly poetic art of
the surat Mangyan and the
ambahan.
Masino Intaray
● Musician and Storyteller, Masino
Intaray
● 1993
● Palawan
● (Died in 2013) He has mastered the
traditions of his people, the Palawan,
Batak and Tagbanwa in the
highlands of Southern Palawan. He
is skillful in basal (gong music
ensemble), kulial (lyrical poem
expressing passionate love song
with the accompaniment of the
kudyapi, and bagit (instrumental
music depicting nature.)

Ginaw Bilog
Poet,
● 1993
● Hanunuo Mangyan
● Panaytayan, Orinetal Mindoro
● (Died in 2003)

Samaon Sulaiman
● Musician, 1993
● Magindanao Mama sa Pano,
Magindanao
● (Died in 2011)
● A master in the use of the
kulintang and kudyapi (of the
magindanaos) His extensive
repertoire of dinalayday,
linapu, minuna, and binalig
has demonstrated not only
his own skills but their
● He helped preserved the Mangyan
culture.
literary tradition by documenting the
pieces of ambahan recorded not
Lang Dulay
only on bamboo tubes but also on
● Textile Weaver, 1998
notebooks passed on to him. The
● T’boli (Died in 2015)
ambahan is a poetic literary form
 ● T’bolis are known for their
use of abaca fibers in textile
weaving. Lang Dulay
continued this tradition and
preserved the culture of their
community through patterns
of crocodiles, butterflies,
flowers, mountains, and
streams of Lake Sebu in her
works.

Salinta Monon
● Textile Weaver, 1998
● Tagabawa Bagobo •Bansalan,
Davao del Sur Salinta Monon had
watched her mother’s nimble hands
glide over the loom, weaving
traditional Bagobo textiles. She
developed a keen eye for the
traditional designs, and now, at the
age of 65, she can identify the
design as well as the author of a
woven piece just by a glance.
Salinta has built a solid reputation
for the quality of her work and the
intricacies of her designs. There is a
continuing demand for her fabrics.
Alonzo Saclag
● Musician and Dancer, 2000
● Lubugan, Kalinga
● Worked for the preservation of
Kalinga culture. He lobbied that the
abandoned Capitol Building be
turned into a museum, that schools
implement the practice of donning
the Kalinga costume for important
events and that traditional Kalinga
music should be broadcasted
alongside contemporary music in the
local radio station. He formed the
Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe.
Francisco Caballero
● Epic Chanter, 2000
● Sulod-Bukidnon Calinog, Iloilo
● A Panay-Bukidnon from the
mountains of Central Panay to Uwang Ahadas
ceaselessly work for the ● Musician, 2000
documentation of the oral literature, ● Yakan Lamitan, Basilan
particularly the epics, of his people. ● His life’s work is to preserve and
These ten epics, rendered in a promote Yakan’ culture through the
language that, although related to traditional music and instruments of
Kiniray-a, is no longer spoken, his tribe. He has mastered the
constitute an encyclopedic folklore gabbang, the agung, the kwintagan
one only the most persevering and and others.
the most gifted of disciples can
learn. Together with scholars, artists,
and advocates of culture, he
painstakingly pieces together the
elements of this oral tradition nearly
lost.

Eduardo Mutuc
● Metalsmith, 2004 Kapampangan
Apalit, Pampanga He dedicated his
life in sculpting retablos, mirrors,
altars and carosas from bronze, and
wood. Some of his works can
exceed 40 feet tall while the others
 feature smaller sizes and dedicate
craftsmanship.
Darhata Sawabi
Haja Amina Appi
● Mat Weaver, 2004
● Sama Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi
● Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata,
Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi, is recognized
as the master mat weaver among
the Sama indigenous community of
Ungos Matata. Her colorful mats
with their complex geometric
patterns exhibit her precise sense of
design, proportion and symmetry
and sensitivity to color. Her unique
multi-colored mats are protected by
a plain white outer mat that serves
as the mat’s backing. Her functional
and artistic creations take up to
three months to make.
● Textile Weaver, 2004
● Tausug Parang, Sulu
● Her remarkable proficiency with the
art and the intricacy of her designs
allows her to price her creations a
little higher than others. Her own
community of weavers recognizes
her expertise in the craft, her bold
contrasting colors, evenness of her
weave and her faithfulness to
traditional designs.
● Pis syabit weaving is a difficult art.
She remains faithful to the art of pis
syabit weaving. Her strokes are firm
and sure, her color sensitivity acute,
and her dedication to the quality of
her products unwavering.
 ● Ilocano Pinili, Ilocos Norte
● Magdalena’s handiworks are finer
than most abel –her blankets have a
very high thread count and her
designs are the most intricate and
can sometimes take up to five
colors. Making sure the right colored
threads are spaced evenly and
keeping accurate count is a
challenge that Magdalena has
always unerringly met. The beauty of
her designs lies in how delicate the
patterns are, and yet how uniform
the weave. Magdalena’s calloused
hands breathe life to her work and
her unique products are testament to
how machines can never hope to
equal the human art.

Teofilo Garcia
● Casque Maker, 2012
● Ilocano San Quintin, Abra
● He learned how to make gourd
casques and weave baskets from
his grandfather at the age of 16. He
never stopped experimenting with
other designs. He previously used
nito to decorate the headgear and
then used with other materials such
as bamboo after his supplier from
Cagayan passed away.

Ambalang Ausalin
● Textile Weaver, 2016
● Apuh Ambalang's skill is deemed
incomparable: she is able to bring
forth all designs and actualize all
textile categories typical to the
Yakan. She can execute the suwah
bekkat (cross-stitch-like
embellishment) and suwah pendan
(embroidery-like embellishment)
techniques of the bunga sama
category.
● She possesses the complex
Magdalena Gamayo knowledge of the entire weaving
● Textile Weaver, 2012 process, aware at the same time of
 the cultural significance of each
textile design or category. She
practiced the sinalu’an and the
seputangan, two of the most intricate
categories in Yakan weaving.
● They are the most intricate since the
former requires the use of the
minutest details of diamond or
rhomboid designs, and the latter
demands balance and the filling up
of all the spaces on the warp with
pussuk labung and dinglu or
mata-mata patterns.

Yabing Masalon Dulo

● Ikat Weaver, 2016 (born 8
August 1914) She carries on
with an exquisite tradition of
her gift: the expert making of
fine warp ikat textiles. That
focus brings to greater clarity
a person whose ikat-dyed
fabrics bear stunning
Estelita Bantilan similarity with museum-held
● Mat Weaver, 2016 Blaan pieces created more
● Born as Labnai Tumdan was already than a century ago.
precocious in mat weaving, took on
the name Estelita in the 1950s. She
kept to her mat weaving. She
persisted where other women could
not because her. Estelita also
carried on because mats were her
gifts of choice to people she
cherished. She was never wont to
monetize her mats.