PHILIPPINE

FOLK DANCES

Submitted by: Quinn Uriel D. Villamor

 Tinikling - Leyte

• Tinikling is one of the most famous

dances in the Philippines. The
movements of this Filipino folk dance
imitate the movements of the tikling
bird as it walks around through tall
grass and between tree branches.
People use bamboo poles to perform
this Filipino traditional dance.
Tinikling is composed of three basic
steps which include singles, doubles
and hops. 
Itik-Itik - Surigao del Sur

• The itik-itIk is named

after a species of duck
(itik), whose movements
the dance imitates. This
example of Philippine
folk dance from Surigao
del Sur mimics how the
itik walks and splashes
water to attract a mate.
 Maglalatik - Biñan, Laguna
• Maglalatik, a folk dance in Luzon, is not just
any other traditional dance in the
Philippines that mimics the movements of
animals. This dance in the Philippines has a
meaning. It is a mock war dance that
depicts a fight over coconut meat, a highly-
prized food. 

• The Filipino folk dance is broken into four

parts: two devoted to the battle and two
devoted to reconciling. The dancing men
wear coconut shells as part of their
costumes, and they hit them in rhythm with
the music. Maglalatik is danced in the
religious procession during the fiesta of
Biñan, Laguna as an offering to San Isidro
de Labrador, the patron saint of farmers.
 Binasuan - Pangasinan
• Binasuan, another folk dance in
Luzon, originated in Bayambang,
Pangasinan. The word
“binasuan” means “with the use
of drinking glasses.” It is one of
the most challenging Filipino
dances as the dancers need to
balance glasses on their heads
and in their hands as they
move. What makes it more
difficult is that the glasses are
filled with rice wine, which
makes any misstep a messy
 Singkil - Lake Lanao
• Singkil is a Mindanao folk dance that
originated from the Maranao people and
is based on the story in the Darangen,
the pre-Islamic Maranao interpretation
of the ancient Hindu Indian epic, the
Ramayana.

• This tribal dance in the Philippines

means “to entangle the feet with
disturbing objects such as vines or
anything in your path”. The lead dancer,
in the role of Putri Gandingan (the
Darangen name for Sita), graciously
manipulates either fans, scarves, or her
hands while she steps in and out of
closing bamboo poles. The poles are
arranged in either a parallel,
rectangular, or criss-cross fashion.
 Cariñosa - Panay Island
• If there’s one type of folk dance in the
Philippines that will surprise you, it’s
Cariñosa Philippine folk dance. You
might think that most of the Philippine
folk dances include women characters
that have a shy and Maria
Clara personality. While it’s true,
Cariñosa is a Filipino cultural dance
made for flirting, hence it’s a courtship
dance in the Philippines.

• The dancers make a number of

flirtatious movements as they peek out
at one another behind fans or
handkerchiefs.
Pandanggo sa Ilaw - Mindoro
• Just like Binasuan, Pandanggo sa
Ilaw is a game of balancing glasses,
only with candles inside. Dancers
have to balance three oil lamps: one
on the head, and one in each hand.
It’s a lively dance that originated on
Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro.
The music is in 3/4 time and is
usually accompanied by castanets.
So if you’re always game for
challenging Filipino dances, try
Pandanggo sa Ilaw.

• The Pandanggo sa Ilaw is similar to

a Spanish Fandango, but the
Pandanggo is performed while
balancing three oil lamps
 Kuratsa - Samar Island
• The Kuratsa is considered
as a courtship dance in the
Philippines. This Filipino
dance has three parts. First
is where the couple
performs a waltz. Second,
the music sets a faster pace
as the man pursues the
woman around the dance
floor in a chase. Lastly, the
music becomes even faster
as the man wins over the
woman with his mating
dance.
Sayaw sa Bangko - Pangasinan
• It is performed on top of a
narrow bench. To ace this
ethnic dance in the
Philippines, dancers need
good balance as they go
through a series of
movements that include
some impressive
acrobatics.
Kappa Malong-Malong - Mindanao
• The Kappa Malong-Malong is a
cultural dance in the
Philippines influenced by
Muslims. The malong is a
tubular garment, and the
dance essentially shows the
many ways it can be worn.
This traditional dance in the
Philippines is not only for
women though, there is also a
men’s version of the dance
since they wear malongs in
different ways.
Pantomina - Bicol
• Pantomina is another
courtship dance in the
Philippines. It is a regular
feature of festivities in
Bicol, and is said to
mimic the movement of
doves in courtship.