LOCAL MATERIALS TO CONTEMPORARY ARTS

1. Puni or palm leaf folding (Bulacan)

Leaf folding or puni was intended to create artful toys for kids. However, puni can also be used to create
woven baskets, bags, and even fans. The most common presentation of Puni art is the “Palaspas” we see
every Holy Week.

3. Singkaban or Bamboo art

Singkaban is the art of shaving bamboo into artful creations that can be used as a décor for arches or the
home. Skilled craftsmen patiently shave off the bamboo, layer by layer, to create curls and delicate
twirls of their bamboo.

4. Sanikulas Cookie Mold Carvings (Pampanga)

These Sanikulas Cookies are arrow root cookies that have the image of St. Nicholas (The Healer) molded
on it. The molds are an exceptional piece of folk’s art and rarity. It is also made of hardwood and are of
different shapes and sizes.

5. pabalat pastillas wrapper cutting art

The wrapper was made out of delicate Japanese paper. The way to make it is so delicate that only the
ones with skilled hands and perfect control of their motor skills can produce the best kind.

6. Taka

In the Philippines, the first recorded of a created Taka was by a woman named Maria Bangue in the
1920’s. She has wooded molds that were covered with strips of paper clipped in the sticky paste. She
would later paint them carefully and present as children’s toys.

7. Pagbuburda (Taal, Lumban, Laguna)

The art of embroiling is happily alive and flourishing the towns. Although it’s mostly done by women
who are wives of the farmers and fisherman, it is not uncommon to see fisherman and farmers who are
also carefully and delicately embroidering floral designs during their “off-season”.