MIMAROPA Arts and Crafts

The Philippines is home to different islands, each having its own traditions and cultures. Among these
islands are Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan or “MIMAROPA“. The region of MIMAROPA consists of
these islands which are close to one another. As such, they share similar art and culture. For example, the rich
artistic heritage of the Mangyans can be found mostly in Mindoro. However, traces of it are also found in
Romblon and other areas near MIMAROPA.

a. Relationship to Philippine culture

The arts and crafts of MIMAROPA are a combination of designs from indigenous people that resides in the
regions and the colorful and rich influence from the Spanish conqueror. Most of their crafts are made of
materials that are abundant in their areas. Their designs are derived from their surroundings and represent
their community. Some are used for religious activities while some have utilitarian functions and even became
large industry for them Up to the present, the skills in weaving, pottery-making and sculpting have been an
important part of their community. These are passed on from generation to generation. Even with the
influence of modern technology, traces of their indigenous traditions and designs are still visible in their arts
and crafts today.

The Mangyans are the indigenous people in Mindoro, the largest island in the country. Here, we can see
different displays of art which they feature in festivals such as the Malasimbo. The Mangyans celebrate the
festival as a way to uphold culturally sustainable development. Furthermore, it also aims to preserve the
indigenous culture of the Mangyan Heritage. Mangyans also have different crafts which are still made up to this
day. There are Mangyan Bracelets, Baskets, Pots, and more.

There are seven native groups living in Mindoro. Collectively, they call themselves Mangyans. These
groups are different from each other based on their language, customs and ways of living. The groups living in
the Southern part of Mindoro are called Hanunuo-Mangyan which means “true/real/genuine” Mangyan while
another group is called Iraya-Mangyan. The art of Mangyans displays their rich, artistic heritage. One of their
art forms is the ambahan, a rhythmic, poetic expression with a meter of seven syllables. This is presented
through recitation and chanting without a determined musical pitch or accompaniment. It is purpose is to
express in a symbolic way a situation or certain characteristics by the one reciting the poem. A variation of this
is the urukay, which uses eight syllables instead of seven. It is frequently written on bamboo tubes or slats.
The Iraya-Mangyans of Mindoro are fond of making baskets with intricate patterns and designs of humans,
animals, trees and other objects. It is made of dried nito grass and forest vines, meticulously and patiently
woven to create these very unique baskets.

Craft refers to an activity involving skill in making things by hand or the objects that are produced by
manual skills. Accessories collectively refer to things or objects that add beauty, convenience or effectiveness
to something. On the other hand, body ornamentation would pertain to things that are put to the body as
either decorations or significant symbolism. It has been a generational aim for the Iraya Mangyans, an
indigenous group of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro to guard and flourish the art of weaving in the said place.
Their art of weaving had been most prominently known in the production of baskets. However, as seasons had
been dynamic, the Iraya Mangyans have also developed this art form in creating modern items such as
coasters, trays, and bread plates among others. The indigenous group ensures that the products they produce,
like this woven basket, do not ruin the nature and are still contributory to environmental sustainability. Thus,
there is proper regulation in the use of nito, a special vine that grows in the wild, which is one of the raw
materials in creating baskets. One among their primary reasons for such regulation is that, nito cannot be
planted nor cultivated. Another traditional hand- woven bag from Mindoro is the bay-ong of the Hanunuo
Mangyans. The bay-ong is made from buri (palm leaves). The pakudos design, once used to ward off evil
spirits can be now commonly seen in their bags, clothing and accessories. Minus the original string strap, the
bay- ong is an ideal and a uniquely designed local product of the Hanunuo Mangyans. There is also a weaving
culture that has been passed on through the generations by the people of Marinduque. The weaving skill of the
people were supported by the availability and abundance of buli (buri palm) and raffia that grow in their areas.
These leaves became staple materials in the weaving of the Marinduqueños. Woven crafts from buli range
from multi- purpose baskets and beyond. Meanwhile, it is not only the beautifully woven mats and bags that
the island of Romblon is famous for. Marble stones crafted to different products such dining and center tables,
mortar and pestles, key chains, sungkaan and the like are also a certified attraction here. These products are
commonly the souvenir items that tourists who have visited Romblon will usually be bagging home. The variety
of colors that Romblon marble products comes in include pure white, gold, gray, and rare onyx black. The
availability of marble stones in this place is so abundant that among the many attractions in Romblon, the
Marble Zoo is one. It is a place that showcases various finely sculpted images of animals, all made out of pure,
smooth marble stones and it serves as a trademark tourist spot in Romblon. Tingkop is a traditional basket in
Palawan by the Palaw-an tribe which is made up of blackened and/or natural bamboo. Manunggul Jar is a
salient secondary jar found in Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point, Palawan, hence, manunggul jar. The National
Museum described the upper portion of the jar as well as the cover as incised with curvilinear scroll designs
and painted with natural iron or hematite. The jar cover or commonly known as the lid, is structurally designed
with a boat having two human figures that represent two human souls on a voyage to the afterlife.

b. Relationship to Traditions

The Southern Tagalog and Visayas are among the many places in the Philippines that own rich cultures
and traditions. The people of these places have long embraced crafting objects and have been doing
trademark designs that served as its cultural spine. No wonder why whenever you will search for the best
crafts and accessories in the Philippines, you surely can’t keep but come across them. While Mangyan is the
collective name for the indigenous groups living in Mindoro, the seven ethno- linguistic tribes to be exact, each
with its own name, language and set of costumes, there is a remarkable body ornamentation culture that
works well for the Buhid Mangyan tribe. Buhid women wear woven black and white brassier called linagmon
and a black and white skirt called abol. Unmarried women wear body ornaments such as braided nito belt
(lufas), blue thread earrings, beaded hand band (sangbaw), beaded bracelet (uksong) and beaded long
necklace (siwayang or ugot). The men wear g- strings. To enhance body beauty, the men also wear ornaments
like a long, beaded necklace, tighter choker (ugot) and uksong.

The Moriones Festival in Marinduque is a much-awaited Lenten tradition that is celebrated every Holy
Week. “Morion” means masks that are made from wood or papier-mâché, adorned with colorful shells, animal
hairs, tassels, and crepe papers. People who act as Roman soldiers during the festival wear these masks
together with vest, capes, and wooden shields. Weaving is a skill that has been passed on through the years
by the people of Marinduque. Because of the abundance of the buli (buri palm) and raffia that grow in their
areas, these leaves become staple materials in the weaving of the Marinduqueños.

Romblon is known not only for its fine marble products but also for the beautifully woven mats and bags
out of romblon plants. Palawan, known as the country’s last frontier, is rich in cultural and natural diversity. It
is said that the first inhabitants of Palawan are the Tagbanuas. They have their own writing system that they
use to communicate with each other. Like the Hanunuo and Buhid Mangyans, they use their writing system to
write their own history. The men of Palawan are skillful wood carvers while children and women are proficient
weavers.

c. Relationship to History

MIMAROPA (an acronym for Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), was created in 2002 by Executive
Order No. 103 that divided Region IV (Southern Tagalog), into Regions IV-A (Calabarzon), and IV-B. That
makes it one of the youngest Philippine regions. But then we know that the oldest human skeletons in the
Philippines were found in Palawan (of the Tabon Man), and there were similar finds in Marinduque caves in the
1960’s, making Mimaropa also the most ancient region of all. A region where Tagalog is widely spoken, part of
Luzon but detached from it, and stretches from the periphery of Batangas and Quezon to the proximity of
Borneo. Prior to 2002 the region was simply called Southern Tagalog consisting of 11 provinces and 7 cities,
even as the southern provinces on Luzon mainland have long before grouped themselves as Calabarzon. But
the initiative to create a separate region for these five island-provinces of Luzon really came from these islands
themselves. It was felt that the closeness of the Calabarzon to Manila, the center of power, puts the islanders
at a great disadvantage. Calabarzon appeared to get all the economic development projects, and such projects
and support funds come down to the island-provinces in trickles. Mimaropa thus became a separate group of
islands. In other areas, however, the bond among the Calabarzon and Mimaropa provinces remain even closer,
such as cooperation in regional tourism development. Because Mimaropa is ancient, it is home to indigenous
peoples. The Mangyans survive in Mindoro (they speak seven different languages: Irava, Alangan, Tambuid,
Hanunuo, Tadyawan, Buhid and Ratagnon). In Palawan there are many cultural groups: Cuyonon & Agutayon,
considered the ethnic elite of the province; Muslim groups such as Molbog, Jama Mapun and Tausug live in the
southern coast; Tagbanuas the largest indigenous group inhabiting the central portion; And there are even
smaller cultural communities like Pala’wan, Taut batu, Batak, Ken-uy and Kalamian. Romblon, because it is
near the Visayas has three main languages, Romblomanon, Asi and Onhan – they belong to the Visayan
language family. Marinduque has no indigenous groups except Tagalogs, but many descendants of the Asi
tribe live in the southern part of the island and they are known to still cling to their roots in Banton. Tagalog
spoken in Marinduque has been carefully studied and it has been concluded that the language spoken here is
the root from which modern national forms of speech have sprung. (1914 study by Cecilio Lopez).

Oriental Mindoro has 14 municipalities and 1 city, and all of these places have, in recent years,
developed their own festivals to showcase their culture and arts. Such festivals, of course, encourage creativity
– cultural & artistic programs. Some of these are “Mahalta”, “Bansudani”, “Sulyog”, “Bahaghari”, “Biniray”, and
“Sanduguan”.

The situation is, more or less, the same for Occidental Mindoro. Tourism councils exist in 9 out of 15
municipalities of Occidental Mindoro. They made a strong move this year by hosting the Southern Tagalog
Tourism Council Assembly in San Jose in 2009 and there, the culture and arts of the province were showcased.
Assembly venue was onboarding the 7107 Islands Cruise Ship.

Romblon is also known for its traditional weaving and basketry. Handicrafts are a major home industry
where women are engaged. Local artisans are noted for their good woodwork. The Cathedral of St. Joseph, for
example, features this woodwork done by local artisans. But it has no known arts councils in existence. “Biniray
Festival” in Romblon is a nine-day affair in January marked by a carnival atmosphere, merry-making and
dancing and is organized as a collaborative effort by government and the local church.

REFERENCE:

http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2010/02/gintong-binhi-and-arts-culture-in.html
http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/139/the-cultureand-art-of-the-mangyan
https://philnews.ph/2021/10/28/arts-and-crafts-of-mimaropa-examples-art-of-visayas-mimaropa/
http://www.mangyanblogger.com/2013/10/irayamangyans-preservetraditions-thru.html
https://fishesca.wixsite.com/mysite/single-post/2016/03/03/Marinduques-Culture
http://marinduquegov.blogspot.com/2012/07/next-level-for-argao-buriweavers.html
https://explora.ph/attraction/840/marble-shopping-center

VISAYAS Arts and Crafts

Visayas is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines consisting of major and
minor islands. It is divided into three administrative regions: Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Western
Visayas. They speak different languages including Cebuano (the largest group), Ilonggo (Hiligaynon), Kinaray-
a, Akeanon, WarayWaray, and Leyte. They have a rich culture that can be seen in their folk arts, motifs, and
design that are usually inspired by indigenous and foreign influences.

a. Relationship to Philippine culture

Antequera baskets are handicrafts made out of any native materials on hand like bamboo, rattan,
wicker, nito, buri, sig- id and other vines. Hampers, wall decors, home furnishings, bags and fashion
accessories are examples of the crafts that are formed out of this native weaving culture of Bohol. Basket
weaving is among the earliest industries that have been established in Bohol, particularly in the town of
Antequera where most of the weavers have developed the skills and have handed them down from generation
to generation. For years, this has been the town’s industry and earned them the title “Basket Capital of Bohol”.
Kapiz (capiz) shell undergoes the process of bleaching and drying before it is formed into various shapes. This
is one of the necessary materials in the crafts of people in Panay Island, particularly in Aklan and Iloilo, in
which people get to produce items like plates, chandelier, utility box, windows, and others. The weaving
community in Guimaras started a very long time ago when their ancestors started crafting banigs as a source
of livelihood. They use baryos leaves that are grown in nearby plantations. The plant is dried, colored and
pressed and is mainly used for craft- making. These days, the people of Guimaras have started using small
technologies to aid in their weaving cultures. Though panubok is technically the traditional embroidery of the
Panay- Bukidnon women, it is also used to produce crafts that are considered accessories for Panay- Bukidnon,
particularly in their native costumes. Coins are also among the basic materials used. A choker- type necklace
designed with panubok and coins called bali- og is traditionally worn by Panay-Bukidnon (tumandok) women.
Meanwhile, biningkit is a jewelry made from coins and beads. The necklace uses coins to denote the wealth of
a person’s family. The tattooed indigenous Cebuano, Waray and Porohanon people were once described by the
Spaniards during the Spanish colonization using the term pintados, which actually means painted. These group
of tattooed men were found on the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Camotes islands, Negros, Leyte, Samar and
adjacent places. These men have been known from their tattoo art using sharp pieces of iron pricked on their
skin. Black powder is applied to the open wounds and is absorbed by the skin permanently, thus, creating
tattoos. If you will notice, the folks both in MIMAROPA and Visayas developed weaving and creating of crafts
and accessories based on the abundance and availability of primary materials around them and on how each
method of creating and weaving is significant to their cultural system. Most of these methods support their
livelihood and basic means of living while maximizing the resources surrounding them and are available at
hand. Likewise, these productions carry an important role in the local and national tourism and industries as
most of them come up as souvenirs.

b. Relationship to Traditions

Weaving from indigenous textiles such as jusi and piña is a primary form of arts and crafts in Panay
Island even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. It was once tagged as the “Textile Capital of the
Philippines”. The patadyong is a wrap-around piece of cloth worn by women a skirt paired with a kimono and
used as a tapis when bathing outdoors or washing clothes in the river, or as a carriage for babies.
Characterized by its linear and geometric designs of different colors. Piña weaving is an age-old tradition in
Aklan, the leading manufacturer of piña cloth in the country. It requires long hours of laborious extraction of
fibers from pineapple leaves in which it is scrap with a broken china plate and pummeled by hand to reveal the
first set of fibers called bastos. After this, it is scraped with a coconut shell to get the finer fibers. The people of
Aklan weave baskets, trays, and mats. Pandan and bariw plants are the materials they use in their weaving.
The process of pagrara or weaving is often a form of social interaction. Bukog – a simple stripping machine
made of bamboo that is used to remove the thorny sides of the leaves. Palpag - a process of pounding the
bariw when it turned into deep brown until such time that the leaves become soft. Kulhadan- a machine with
blades where the tied bundles of bariw is pounded once again before stripping them. In the pre-Historic times,
the Negros Island was first called Buglas, named after the type of grass like sugarcane that grows abundantly
in the island. The weaving tradition of the Negrenses includes the production of roofing materials, walls, hat,
and baskets. The materials commonly used are pandan and buri. The Negrenses also weave fabric from abaca
(Musa Textile) twine and indigenous plants like banana known as sinamay. Sinamay weaving is a world class
industry. Its application has expanded and improved, going beyond the simple fiber craft to sophisticated
industrial uses. Basket weaving is among the earliest industries that have been established in Bohol,
particularly in the town of Antiquera which is known as the “Basket Capital of Bohol”. Their products are made
from whatever native products on hand: bamboo, rattan, wicker, nito, buri, sigid, and other vines. On the
other hand, the municipality of Tubigon is known as the “Loom Weaving Center of Bohol” this is because of
their woven products that are made from raffia or buri leaves that are abundant in the area and in the
neighboring municipalities. The town of Basey is known for its woven products such as mats, wall decorations,
and the famous colorful sleeping mat called “banig”. A typical banig is usually measures around 2X3 meters
and is as thin as a sheet of chipboard. It is made from tikog, a reed grass that grows in swampy areas along
the rice fields. The colorful banigs are more expensive than simple ones. From sleeping mats, the weavers
have produced other products such as bags, decors, place mats, furniture matting, and other adornments.

c. Relationship to History
 As the Spaniards first set foot in the islands of Visayas, they introduced the Roman Catholic Religion.
They also built churches that helped in the propagation of their faith and gaining the trust of the people such
as the Molo Church which the design is a fusion of Gothic and Renaissance style. It is located in Molo, Iloilo
made froom White Coral Rocks. The spires of the two towers of the church, and the interior elements, such as
the altar and the pulpits, show the gothic characteristics of the church, and it is regarded as a “Women’s
Church” because of the 16 women saints inside and its patron saint, St. Ann. The other one is the Miag-Ao
Church has the design of Baroque – Romanesque Style which is originated in the Miag-ao, Iloilo. It has
massive quality, thick walls, round arches, sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers, and decorative arcades. It is
famous for its artistic sculptural relief carved in the façade of the church that illustrates the way of life of the
people of Miag-ao. The Ruins is also another place that has a Neoclassical style that can be found in Talisay,
Negros Occidental built in 1900 by a wealthy haciendero for his Portuguese wife.

REFERENCE:

https://altavistadeboracay.com.ph/blog/arts-crafts-visayas
https://www.slideshare.net/imeerivera2/arts-visayas
https://rappler.com/bulletin-board/miagao-hablon-weavers-demos-lecturesiloilo-march-2019
http://pjaranador.blogspot.com/2015/07/tubuk-heritage-needlecraft-of-iloilo.html
https://ecoworldonline.com/innovative-textile-solutions/
http://www.benjielayug.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/The-finished-banig-mat.jpg
http://www.boholtourismph.com/tubigon-loom-weaving-experience-tour/
https://www.funeasyp.com/index.php?main cts_id=692164
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-native-weave-bambimage34767688
https://www.sye.com/millinery-supplies/zoria-abaca-sinamay-fabric.asp
https://raulgatal.blogspot.com/2014/03/heres-why-antequera-is-basket-capit