INDIGENOUS CREATIVE

CRAFTS; ILOCOS REGION AND

CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE
REGION
PREPARED BY:
LEA PERALTA
VHON JUSTINE DAYACA
JESSALYN CASIL
PRECIOUS CABINGABANG
NOVIE MEL DADUFALZA
SHARA ELLA FRANCO
JASTHINE LEANO
MARK JAPHET RODRIGUEZ
CRISTAL AQUINO
MEALODY JANE NICOLAS
 Ilocos region includes the provinces of Ilocos Sur,
Ilocos Norte, La Union and Pangasinan

ILOCOS With its rich history, diverse cultures, as well as its

people’s resourcefulness and industriousness, it is not

REGION
surprising that the Ilocos region is rich in its arts and
crafts traditions.

Iloconos are known for their expertise in weaving,

woodcarving, and pottery; as well as modern artisans
who create innovative products for the local and global
market.
 A.WEAVING

Traditional Ilocano handicrafts, like the “inabel” fabrics &

“burnay” jars are folk arts that continue to tell its tales for many hundred
years now. They are not only relevant to the northern region but also to
the development of art & culture in the Philippines. But the truth is, these
age-old crafts are losing its popularity to modern technology, replacing
the beautiful rawness of art with machine-precise pieces. And sadly, its
delicate fate lies in the hands of its tradition bearers, patrons & cultural
vanguards.
BOLINAO MATS
The arts and crafts of
Pangasinan includes the
smoothly woven Bolinao
mats made from buri or
raffia leaves, and the
bamboo crafts of San
Carlos
ABEL LOOM WEAVING
 INABEL WEAVING
 “Abel” or “inabel” is a fabric customarily made of cotton fiber
turned into spools of beeswax-brushed yarn & woven in a
handloom. From it comes out beautiful blankets, pillowcases,
tablemats, sweaters & shawls. Traditional designs include the
geometric “binakol” or “inuritan”, the spiral “kusikos” & the
flower called “sinan-sabong”.
 Abel in Ilocano is the process of weaving
 Weaving the inabel requires mathematical precision. Each
strand of thread is meticulously counted & arranged according
to color before it is tensioned into the loom. And in a rhythmic
pattern, the steps of the wooden pedals & the knots of each
crisscrossing weft have to move seamlessly or everything goes
in a messy tangle.
 The women of Ilocos, particularly in the
towns of Paoay, Vigan & Pinili have been
weaving since pre-Hispanic time. And as
early as 17th century, inabel & some other
traditional Ilocano handicrafts already
made its way to the West through the
Galleon Trade.
But sadly today, the weavers of Ilocos
like Lola Milagros & Magdalena
Gamayo, a National Living Treasure,
cry on their handiworks that are losing
to machine-made inabel, inferior thread
quality & the younger generation
unwilling to learn.
Ilocos' traditional weavers use hardwood pedal looms, in creating
different design techniques.
• Behind the beautiful designs and patterns, it also convey some meaning.

BINAKUL PATTERN - It is a dizzying pattern that is meant to ward off

and distract evil spirits, protecting the wearer.
THE PINILIAN OR BROCADE
WEAVE - Multi-Heddle Design IKAT TIE DYE TECHNIQUE
Technique

THE SUKSUK OR DISCONTINUOUS

SUPPLEMENTARY WEFT
TECHNIQUE
The traditional process of weaving abel cloth starts with
preparing the cotton, from picking cotton balls, removing seeds,
pounding or beating, twisting using a spindle, and winding the
cotton yarn into the skeiner. The skeined yarn is then brushed to
make it glossy and durable before it is wound to a bamboo
spool.

Once the yarn is ready, it’s time to prepare the loom.

The weaver winds the spool yarn into the warping reel.
The warp yarn is then wound into the warp beam rod.
Next comes heddling, in which the warp yarn is inserted
through the eye of the heddle using a weaving hook.
After that, the weaver inserts the warp yarn through the
spaces of the reed and “dresses” the loom by tying the
heddles behind the beater. Here, the weaving of the cloth
commence.
 In Ilocos, it is common for an inabel to be used as material
for everyday household items such as curtains, tablecloths, bath
towels, table runners, bed linen, bags, and even mosquito nets.

In order to preserve and prolong this traditional type of

weaving, the younger generation of Ilocanos are being encouraged
to keep the tradition of inabel alive. In the town of Pinili in Ilocos
Norte, the local government has been offering basic weaving
courses to all interested individuals since 2018. The lessons are
presided by Magdalena Gamayo, one of the country’s National
Living Treasures.
B.WOODWORKS
 Finest Wood Furniture Maker - The Pride of San Vicente (Ilocos Sur), "Little
Florence in Spanish Time"
San Vicente was dubbed the little Florence
during the Spanish times. It was in Florence,
Italy where the seed of Renaissance grew
and spread throughout Europe, and to other
parts of the world through colonization, the
Philippines being a colony of Spain for four
centuries.
Antique Chairs and Open Cabinet

Frames Jewelry box and Miniature Wooden

Furniture
Narra Aparador
 C. OTHER CRAFTS
i. ARCHITECTURE

The 45 meter bell tower was built by the

Augustinians in 1612 and belief to be the tallest
tower in the Philippines.

It is believed that the tower is sinking at a rate of

an inch every year. There aren’t any conclusive
scientific explanations for this, but one accepted
theory is that the tower being built on sandy land
and its heavy and massive structure is causing it to
slowly bury itself into the ground.

.
Paoay Church: The Magnificent Historical Icon of Ilocos Norte
Paoay Church, also known as San Agustin Church, is one of the top tourist destinations in the province. Its
spectacular view from all angles occupies most tourists’ posts on social media, as well as postcards, books, and
magazines.
It was build of coral blocks and stucco-plastered bricks and considered the oldest church in Ilocos.
Calle Crisologo: Walking
Through A Tale of War
and Love
The most beautiful street in the Philippines can be
found in Vigan Calle Crisologo

Calle Crisologo is a street of old Spanish structures,

mostly houses of wealthy families and Filipino-Chinese
traders. This is where you’ll see the famous cobblestone
streets that represent Vigan’s image.
 VIGAN
“Intramuro
s of the
North”
 POTTERY
Pottery is an ancient art form & in Ilocos
this tradition of molding unglazed earthen jars
is called “burnay”. It was originally used to
age vinegar, wine & “bagoong” or fish paste.
In Vigan, the clay is kneaded by a carabao
before it goes to the potter’s wheel that is
today still spun by foot. It is then shaped into
jars, dried & fired in a kiln. These fragile
pieces of art combine the elements of earth,
water, wind & fire that only expert
“agdamdamili” or potter can only achieve.
CORDILLERA ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
I. WEAVING
Ikat or Ifugao Textile
It is a style of weaving that uses a resist
dyeing process on either the warp or weft
before the threads are woven to create a
pattern or design. Ifugao Ikat is
characterized by diamond stripes of white
and red stripes. It is known for its colors
and striking design patterns. Ikat means to
tie or bond.
TYPES OF IKAT WEAVING

WARP IKAT
Is when only the vertical yarn,
the warp, is tie-dyed for weaving. It is
used when regular patterns are to be
woven. It’s difficult to weave because
the weft colors are to be thrown
precisely against the warp patterns
WEFT IKAT
is when only the
horizontal yarn, the weft
is tie-dyed for weaving.
This results in a more
irregular and organic
fabric design.
DOUBLE IKAT
When both the warp and
the weft are tie-dyed that’s what
you call the double Ikat. This
requires the utmost precisions
skills in counting and mounting
the warp yarns and throwing the
weft shuttle against the warp
patterns in actual weaving.
Kalinga Textile
- Kalinga hand woven fabrics are
characterized by dominant red stripes and
motifs of geometric patterns with nature
symbols interlaced with white yellow and
black fibers. Originally woven in Lubuagan,
the “ka-in” (wrap around skirt) is now more
known as the Kalinga. The different types of
ka-in are gilamat, silugwid,
pilakpak,gililing, ilaktob and ilaglis.
 Gilamat Ka-in
(skirt)
The Tapis of
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEN’S G-
STRING

 Pilagpagen, kilayao and sillayuti

This are traditionally on rituals and
special occasions like weddings, festivals, and
other important occasions. In Kalinga weaving
symbolism, the sky and the ground are
represented by the colors of indigo and red
respectively. Mountains are represented in
yellow and embroidered in the fabric. Yellow
symbolizes wealth and refer to growth and
fertility.
Bontoc Textile

Bontoc hand woven fabrics

are characterized by motifs that
include geometric shapes of things
around them such as man, lizard,
mountain, rains and flower.
Types of Bontoc Textile

SINIWSIWAN- Bontoc’s blanket and

clothing. This fabric is used for wanes
pr men’s g-string (bahag).

LUFID(Tapis)- married women of

Bontoc and Kankanaey wears type of
belt called ginaspala wanes with
inawin which

LUFID (TAPIS) SINIWSIWAN

B. WOODWORKS

DUYU

Food bowl of Bontoc and Ifugao tribe

in Northern Luzon during the 20th century.
This bowl, carved from a single piece of wood,
was used to serve food and wine.

Ifugao Carved Wooden Ritual Bowl with

Handle (Duyu)
WOODEN CONTAINERS

MANUNGGUL JAR ULBONG, RICE STORAGE

URN

secondary burial jar, a

container where to
reburial human remains
after an exhumation TRIBAL ART Hand carved -
MANUNGGUL JAR - Wooden
Sculpture
Bamboo Nose flutes

 A high pitched woodwind

instrument, a slender tube closed at
one hand with finger holes on one
end and an opening near the closed
end, and across which the wind is
blown.
 This nose flute is called
KALELENG of the northern bontok
people (tongali among the Kalinga
People.
 BUL-UL (the rice God)

Bul ul or Tinagtaggu is a
carved wooden figure used to guard
the rice crop by the Ifugao peoples of
Northern Luzon. The sculptures are
highly stylized representations of
ancestors and are thought to gain
power and wealth from the presence
of ancestral spirit.
Wooden Mortar and Pestle

Finely carved miniature Ifugao mortar

and pestle made out of wood that is
traditionaly used in separating rice grains
and panicles.
C. OTHER CRAFTS

Traditional Tattoo
The ancient art of
tattooing is inspired by tradition
throughout the Cordilleras. One
of the most famous of all tattoo
artisans is the great Maria
Onggay, more popularly known
to the world by her native name
Apo “Whang-Od”. For the
traditional Cordilleran, a tattoo
is earned through bravery and
courage while the women see it
as an expression of beauty.
Silver craft and Metalcraft

The birth of the pioneer mining firms in

the region beckoned the start of the thriving gold
and silver craft starting in the late 1800s to the
early 1900s.
Example: Lingling o
it is an amulet that worn around the neck
that symbolizes fertility.
Basket or Labba

Bowl shaped basket

that is made from rattan.
Hat Weaving

commonly used materials are straws.

Example: Buntal – a traditional straw hat from
the Philippines woven from fibers extracted from
the petioles of buri palm leaves.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!!!!