Lesson 5- Folk Arts and Crafts of Southern Tagalog
and Bicol Region
CALABARZON- Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal,
and Quezon
Southern Tagalog
Laguna
This lakeside place is known as the home province of our
hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Its soil is very rich and the area is
surrounded with natural resources.
Paete, Laguna is branded as the “Wood Carving of the
Philippines.”their distinct designs are flowers full of curves
and hooks, which is locally known as ukit.
They are also known for its taka or paper mache art
technique and kayas, an art craft using scrapping techniques
of softwood thriving in the Sierra Madre mountain range to
produce flora and fauna decorations.
The town of Lumban is known for their Barong Tagalogs.
President Ramon Magsaysay chose to wear “Barong
Tagalogs”in all official.
In Liliw, Laguna, the beaded art of making alfombra slippers
has been part of their local’s folk arts.
Rizal
Angono, Rizal is known as the “Arts Capital of the
Philippines.“ Two of our famous National Artists came from
this place. They are Lucio San Pedro for music and Carlos
“Botong” Francisco for visual arts.
Angono is also known for its Higantes festival. It is historically
a festival showing the big faces of the hacienderos made of
paper mache. Traditional higantes are composed of father,
mother, and a child that measure around 4-5 feet tall.
Cavite and Batangas
Taal, Batangas is known for its embroidered pinya fabric
made from pineapple fibers called callado.
The Batanguenos take pride in their art of making balisong, a
knife that can be folded like a fan that comes from various
sizes and designs. Balisong is also known as a butterfly knife.
Quezon
Lucban, Quezon is known for its Pahiyas folk arts. They create
kiping, a décor that is made of glutinous rice wrapped around
with special leaves as packaging and cooked over low fire.
Bicol Region
Bicolanos are popular for their exemplary skills in the art of
basketry, slipper making, and bag making, and other modern
decorative crafts. Their weaving includes garments, mosquito
nets, and baskets.
1. Laguna is known for its taka or paper mache art
technique.
2. Rizal is known as the art capital of the Philippines.
3. Batangas is known for its embroidered pinya fabric made
from pineapple fibers called callado.
4. Quezon is known for its Pahiyas folk arts.
5. Bicolanos are popular for their exemplary skills in the art
of basketry, slipper making, bag making, and other modern
decorative crafts.
Lesson 6-Folk Arts and Crafts of MIMAROPA
MIMAROPA-Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro,
Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan
MIMAROPA
Mindoro
In Mindoro, the Hanunoo Mangyan are famous for their
writing, basketry, and weaving, their style of waving is called
habilan and it produces baskets in various shapes and designs.
The Tagbanua are also famous for their baskets and wood
carvings. Their equally famous tingkop (harvest baskets) are
made of hard-strip bamboo. The natural color of the bamboo
is used.
Marinduque
In Marinduque, the art of making mats using raffias and buri
is a popular livelihood in the communities. Marinduque is
also known for their Moriones festival every Lenten season.
Romblon
Romblon is not only known for its marble crafts, but also for
their sense of artistry in making woven mats and plants.
Basket weaving is a major art craft in Romblon
1. Kokolongkoy vine-roping (used only in Romblon)
2. Nito vine- weaving of dark nito against a light colored
vine.
3. Buri strips and split nito-plaiting (buri strips overlaid with
split nito.
Palawan
Palawan is internationally known as “The Last Frontier” of the
country. Its cultural and natural resources are very rich. Who
would not recognize the Puerto Princesa’s underground river
that was recently recognized as one of the new 7 wonders of nature.
Also known for its largest marine habitat, the Tubbataha
Reef, this marine sanctuary is considered as one of the
UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Manunggul Jar-considered as one of the most treasured
artifacts in Philippine history. The jar is considered as a
secondary burial for the deceased loved ones. It is found in
Quezon, Palawan. Also shown in the old design of the one
thousand peso bill.
Sculpture is a branch of the visual arts that operates in three
dimensions (that exist in space) and created by shaping and
combining materials. Three- dimensional is an object that
has height, width and depth.
Lesson 7-Folk Arts and Crafts of Visayas
Western Visayas Arts
Panay Island
ILOILO
ILOILO is considered the “queen” of weaving, both in the past
and in the present. Iloilo was referred to as the “Textile
Capital of the Philippines.”
Iloilo is famous for its old Spanish houses. Some of these old
ancestral houses are now declared as Heritage Houses by the
national Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)
Iloilo is also famous for its culinary arts. La paz batchoy,
bulalo, lengua and sizzling gambas are some of these famous
dishes.
Handloomed weaving is the primary art and one of the best
sources of livelihood in Panay island.
Hablon is a heritage industry in Iloilo. It is not only a means of
livelihood but also part of Iloilo’s culture and tradition. It is
derived from the Hiligaynon word habol which means “to
weave”.
Patadyong is a traditional Filipino cloth worn by women and
wrapped around like a skirt.
Pinya or jusi cloth making has been a tradition of the people
from Aklan. It would usually take two months to finish a ten-
meter long jusi cloth. The process of making a pinya cloth is
really tedious, and entails a lot of sacrifices.
Bariw is the type of pandan leaves used in their mat making.
Pagrara ti banig means “mat weaving.” In their culture, it is
also a form of social interaction with their friends and
neighbors.
Capiz or kapis is one of the most noted crafts in Aklan and
Iloilo. Kapis crafts are shells collected from the sea, dried,
pressed, shaped, and cut according to the desired shapes and
forms.
Antique
The province of Antique is situated in the Western Visayas
region. It is also noted for its weaving industry. Abaca fiber is
also grown in this province. Thus, there are handicrafts like
bags, furniture, carpets, and clothing made of abaca that are
produced in this province. Other handicrafts produced are
baskets, carpets, placemats and boxes made of buri, abaca,
bariw and nito materials.
Negros Island
Chicken inasal, on the other hand, is the famous dish of Negros
Occidental. The art of weaving is an essential part of the
Negrense’s rich culture. Their weaving practices are evident
in their roofs, clothing, walls, hats and baskets. In their
basket making, they usually use pandan and buri leaves.
Before the Spaniards cam, Negros is called Buglas (a type of
grass similar to sugarcane) because they grow abundantly in
the island. Nowadays, Negros is known for its sugarcane
business and with its colorful and festive Masskara
celebration on Bacolod.
Lesson 8-Folk Arts and Crafts of Central Visayas
and Eastern Visayas
Visayan Arts
Cebu
The artworks of most of our ancestors were metal, bronze,
and gold casting, and woodcarving. Many of the jewelry of the
Cebuanos were of Spiral and floral designs. The beauty of the
jewelry of the people of the island of Cebu was observed by
Spaniard named Antonio De Pigafetta. This man was Magellan’s
chronicler or writer of events. In his journal, Pigafetta mentioned
his admiration of the mode of dressing of the early Cebuanos.
Cebu is one of the oldest city in the Philippines. It is home to
many skilled craftsmen.
The town of Basey in Samar is famous for its banig or
handwoven mats. Instead of using dried buri leaves, the
natives in Basey use dried tikog leaves. Aside from mats, the
weaving of baskets, bag, wall decors, placemats, round mats
and other functional household items are produced by
talented craftsmen of the province.
Two processes in making a Basey:
1. Weaving which is locally known as baniglara

Woodcarvings are also popular in Cebu. There are many 2. Embroidery as Burda
excellent wood carvers in Cebu who carve religious icons,
Weaving is already embedded in the culture of the Warays
small sculptures, and functional items such as household
and Cebuanos living in Samar, biliran, and Leyte islands.
utensils.
Their ingenuity is also evident in their basket, bags, and other
Handcrafted guitars are also excellently done in Cebu. Cebu native crafts.
guitars are popular because of their superior craftsmanship.
In weaving, threads that go up and down in vertical
A world-class Filipino furniture designer, Kenneth Cobonpue, orientations are called warp. Threads that go across are the
makes Cebu’s furniture famous. Some of his works were weft. It is woven over and under the warp. The challenge lies
featured in Hollywood films. on the use of varying lines, colors, cuts, and number of strips
or threads.
Bohol
BOHOL is famous for its century-old houses. Many of them
were made of coral stones which were taken from the sea
and were cemented using egg yolks. Loom weaving is
popular in Tubigon. Basket weaving and wood carving are
popular in Antequera. One of the tourist spots in Bohol is the
Chocolate Hills.
SAMAR, LEYTE, AND BILIRAN islands