THE PHILIPPINES AS HAVING A RICH ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL

TRADITION FROM PRE-COLONIAL TO PRESENT TIMES

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

ARTS 7

I. Introduction

Arts and crafts are important means of expression, which

communicate views, ideas and feelings through the use of skills and
imagination. These are important parts of our daily lives can be found
everywhere.

This module will take you to the journey of arts and crafts of Luzon
(Highlands and Lowlands). You will become familiar with different
designs, motifs and history of their attires, fabrics, crafts and
accessories used by the people of different regions.
The sculptures and architectures of Luzon reveal many aspects of the
people’s culture, tradition and history. The elements and principles of
arts and these fascinating arts and crafts will lead you to understand
the rich culture and tradition of the Philippines that is handed down
from generation to generation.

II. Learning Competency

 Traces the external (foreign) and internal (indigenous) influences
reflected in the design of an artwork and in the making of a craft or
artifact.

III. Nominal Duration

 60 Minutes

IV. Objectives/Learning Outcomes

 Identify characteristics of arts and crafts in the specific areas of
Luzon
 Analyze and reflect on the mood, idea or message emanating
from the selected artifacts and art objects.
V. Content Lesson/Discussion
Arts in the Philippines refer to the various forms of the arts that have
developed and accumulated in the Philippines from the beginning of
civilization in the country up to the present era. They reflect the range
of artistic influences on the country's culture, including indigenous
forms of the arts, and how these influences have honed the country's
arts.

Ilocos Region

Architecture

Vigan is the most intact example in Asia of a planned Spanish

colonial town, established in
the 16th century. Its
architecture reflects the coming
together of cultural elements
from elsewhere in the
Philippines and from China
with those of Europe and
Mexico to create a unique
culture and townscape without
parallels anywhere in East and
South-East Asia. An important
trading post before the colonial era, Vigan is located at the river delta
of Abra River, along the northwestern coastline of the main island of
Luzon, in the Province of Ilocos Sur, Philippine Archipelago. The total
area of the inscribed property is 17.25 hectares. The traditional
Hispanic checkerboard street plan opens up into two adjacent plazas.
The Plaza Salcedo is the longer arm of an L-shaped open space, with
the Plaza Burgos as the shorter. The two plazas are dominated by the
St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall and the
Provincial Capitol Building . The urban plan of the town closely
conforms with the Renaissance grid plan specified in the Ley de la
Indias for all new towns in the Spanish Empire. There is, however, a
noticeable difference between Vigan and contemporary Spanish
colonial towns in Latin America in the Historic Core (known as the
Mestizo district), where the Latin tradition is tempered by strong
Chinese, Ilocano, and Filipino influences. As its name implies, this
district was settled by affluent families of mixed Chinese-Ilocano
origin. The area contains the historic footprint of the entire town and
consists of a total of 233historic buildings tightly strung along a grid
of 25 streets.

The two storey structures are built of brick and wood, with a steeply
pitched roof reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture. The
exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by window panels of
kapis shells framed in wood which can be slid back for better
ventilation. Most of the existing buildings were probably built in the
mid 18th to late 19th centuries. Due to the economic decline of Vigan
as an economic center after the World War II, only a few of the historic
buildings had internal reorganization for alternative use. The Chinese
merchants and traders conducted their business from shops, offices
and storerooms on the ground floors of their houses, with the living
quarters above. In addition to the domestic and commercial
architecture, Vigan possesses a number of significant public
buildings, which also show multi-cultural influences.

Vigan is unique for having preserved much of its Hispanic colonial

character, particularly its grid street pattern and historic urban lay
out. Its significance also lies on how the different architectural
influences are blended to create a homogenous townscape.

TEXTILE

Now that most fabrics are

mass produced with imported
threads from overseas,
textiles carefully hand-woven
with Philippine cotton are
becoming increasingly
difficult to find. One of these
textiles is the Abel of the
Ilocos region in northern
Philippines. Abel comes in
many designs, but one of the
most recognizable patterns is
the binakul.
Binakul is a textile pattern handwoven on a small scale in Ilocos
which is also known as binakel, binakael, or binakol (meaning “twill”
in Ilocano). Binakul was popular by the end of the 19th century;
today, however, its weaving is considered a dwindling industry due to
the non-availability of local cotton and its price disadvantage
compared to factory-woven alternatives.

Binakul can be easily recognized by its uniform, interlocked geometric

patterns that result in psychedelic optical art designs, which are said
to represent the waves of the sea and, among indigenous peoples of
the Cordilleras, protection against malevolent spirits. On display at
Art of the Loom are examples of antique and modern binakul.

Designs range from whirlwinds and stars to fans, cat’s pawprints, and
capiz windows.

Binakul is traditionally used as blankets but, most recently, designers

have explored its use in contemporary fashion and personal
accessories. Part of the exhibit is a showcase of modern-day
applications of binakul, such as binakul and snakeskin clutches
fashioned by couturier Pepito Albert, a modern lamp by designer
Olivia d’Aboville, boleros by Victoria de Borja, and creations by
fashion designer Jojie Lloren especially made for the exhibit.

POTTERY

Jars made from Vigan are

much sought-after by foreign
and local visitors. This
earthenware is called burnay.
The industry that has grown
from the making of burnay
dates back to pre-colonial
times when immigrants from
China came to settle in
Vigan. They practiced the
craft of making earthenware
using the grade A clay that
was found in plenty in the Western area of Vigan. The making of
burnay is done with just the use of the potter’s skillful hands and use
of pottery wheel and kiln. Fine sand is used to temper the clay, which
once fashioned into the desired shape is placed inside high-
temperature ground kilns made from brick and clay. Compared to
terracotta, people say that the burnay is hardier.

Its earlier use were for tea drinking, and as container for salt, brown
sugar, water, local wine (basi) and bagoong (fermented fish). It is even
said that basi and bagoong taste much better when stored inside
burnays. Nowadays, people buy them mostly to serve as decorations
inside their homes and gardens. Miniature versions of the jars are
also made in abundance because they have become a favorite
souvenir item of foreign and local tourists.

Liking for the burnay has reached the markets abroad, especially in
Europe. Local and foreign traders have made contacts with factory
owners to order from their current offerings or for burnay products to
be done according to new buyer or market specifications. Most of the
local traders come from Manila and Bulacan. The biggest local trader
of burnay is said to be the Bulacan Garden. Most of the foreign
traders are from Great Britain and Belgium. The continuous demand
for the local earthern craft has sustained the livelihood of many
Chinese and

Fil-Chinese generations who own burnay factories or camarin, and

the preservation of the craft. The Pagburnayan or the place where
these camarins can be found is in the Baranggay VII, in the
Southwest part of the city. There are only about three burnay
camarins now in existence all over the country, and they are all in
Vigan. Tour packages to Vigan are sure to include a visit to
Pagburnayan, as it is a must-see attraction. One of the descendants
of Chinese immigrants who introduced burnay-making in Vigan, Fidel
Go has been awarded by the National Commission on Culture and
Arts in 1990 as National Folk Artist. He is the owner of Ruby Pottery
and until now continues to practice and sustain the craft of burnay-
making.
CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (CAR)

KALINGA

Textile

The province of Kalinga is one of

the many places in the Philippines
where the practice of traditional
backstrap loom weaving not only
survives but thrives. The Kalinga
weavers produce handwoven
fabrics for a variety of uses, from
traditional cloth for clothing and
ritual use to commercial fabrics
intended for making household
decor, souvenirs, bags, and
accessories.

The major weaving center in Kalinga is the village of Mabilong in the

town of Lubuagan. The weavers of Mabilong are known for their
backstrap weaving techniques, which they pass on to their daughters
as soon as they are able to operate the loom. But weaving isn’t
reserved only for women—male family members take part in the
activity as well.

As soon as the women are finished weaving a piece of fabric, the men
step in and stitch the designs. The design motifs and symbols are
inspired from elements in the environment, such as birds and other
animals, mountains, and stars.

Kalinga weaves are characterized by the traditional color

combinations of red and black stripes and the use of beads. Many
traditional Kalinga weaving designs and patterns remain unchanged
through generations, with weavers taking care not to make alterations
since the colors and details have specific meanings. Red, for instance,
symbolizes bravery while black represents the earth or the ground.
Mountain symbols are embroidered in yellow, a color that also
symbolizes wealth and fertility.
Basketry

Baskets range in form and size, from

portable lunch containers to woven
jars. Winnowing trays, carrying
baskets, and covered containers
allowed people to harvest, transport,
store, and serve food and crops.
Basketry hats and rain capes protected
against sun and rain. Traps and sieves
helped in catching fish, shellfish, and
insects. Assorted basketry bags and
pouches contained personal items,
such as tobacco. Hunters embarked on
expeditions with woven backpacks
filled with provisions to be consumed
along the way, which they replaced
with meat after a successful hunt.

Basketmaking is gender specific among some groups. For instance,

both Ifugao men and women engage in basketmaking, while among
the Kalinga, men do all of the weaving. Baskets are made of bamboo,
rattan, or a combination of the two. The most frequently utilized
construction technique entails plaiting, although wickerwork, twining,
or coiling are also employed. Typically in plaiting, two elements are
woven over and under each other at a right angle.

Since the late 1950s, baskets have become less common in the daily
lives of the people of the Cordillera. Containers made from materials
such as plastic or aluminum now serve the same purpose as
traditional baskets. These replacements are affordable, easy to obtain,
and often regarded as superior or more practical. Presently, many
traditional basket forms survive solely because of tourists' interest in
Philippine crafts.

This exhibition displays a selection of twentieth-century Philippine

basketry of the Luzon Cordillera. Once created for everyday use, here
they can be appreciated for their exceptional beauty and
craftsmanship. The groups represented in the exhibition from this
 region include the Ifugao, Bontoc, Tinguian, Ibaloi, Kalinga, and
Kankanay peoples. Carrying baskets, backpacks, rice containers,
hats, and rain capes are some of the many interesting forms on
display.

Tattooing

Somewhere among the Cordillera

mountains of the Kalinga district in
Northern Luzon, lives Whang-Od, a
centenarian, who with her wrinkly
old hands is the sole crusader
keeping the tradition of Kalinga body
art alive. Whang-Od belongs to a
generation of people from the
Philippines’ Buscalan community,
who are probably the only few people
left with elaborate inked designs on
their body.

What is also intriguing is that 102

year old Whang-Od seems to be one of the last tattoo artists keeping
this form of tribal body art alive in the Philippines.
Kalinga body art and tattoos have a long, rich history, that
inextricably ties it to the life and culture of the indigenous
community. Unlike modern day tattoos that only have a personal
connection with the wearer, the Kalinga tattoos have important social
and cultural connotations.

Their social symbolism is what sets them apart from modern tattoo
art as we see in our cities. While tattooed Kalinga men were
considered to be men of valour and bravery, tattoos on Kalinga
women’s bodies would signify them coming of age, ready to take on
marriage and motherhood.

VI. PROCEDURE/ PERFORMANCE OF SKILLS

ACTIVITIES

1. Look at the pictures below. Observe the elements of

arts like line, shape, form, space and texture. Give
interpretation/meaning based on your own
understanding about it.

a. Performance Output
Activity: Make your own pot/jar using a clay or any available
material you can use in pottery making.

Pinch Pot!

Materials:
 Clay
 Pencil

Procedures:
 1. Form the clay into round balls
2. Using your thumb, Push it in the center
3. Rotate it at the center and continue pinching the clay until you
get the desired shape.
4. Start designing your pot using the tip of the pencil. You can use
the tattoo designs of Kalinga or different patterns in Ilocos and
Cordillera Province textile as inspiration.

i. Rubrics Analytic
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Creativity Totally Most of the Some The artwork is
original artwork aspects of a copy of seen
design, no elements the artwork in source
element is are unique, are unique, material or
an exact but 1 but several other students
copy of element elements
designs may be are copied
seen in copied from from source
source source material or
material.l material. other
students.
Attractiveness The artwork The artwork The artwork Craftsmanshi
/ shows that shows that shows that p is poor.
Craftmanship the creator the creator the creator
 was took was took was took
great pride great pride great pride
in his /her in his /her in his /her
work. The work. The work. The
design and design and design and
constructio constructio constructio
n look n look n has
carefully planned. several
planned. flaws.

Knowledge The student The student The student The student

about culture/ can answer can answer can answer does not
Story 3 questions 2 questions 1 questions understand
correctly correctly correctly how the attire
about how about how about how related to the
the attire the attire the attire culture being
relates to relates to relates to studied.
the culture the culture the culture
being being being
studied. studied. studied.

b. Knowledge

ASSESSMENT

1. Name at least 3 arts and crafts of Luzon that you must be

proud of. Then describe each.
2. Based on your output, what are the elements of arts did you
apply in your artwork? How did the activity help you appreciate the
Luzon art style?
3. How can you help preserve old arts and crafts made by our
ancestors’ Cite specific ways on preserving and valuing our rich
culture?

VII. References

Music and Arts Learners Material 7.2017.