Indigenous Creative

Crafts: Eastern,
Western
and Central Visayas
GROUP
5
 V I S AYA S
According to historical sources, the word
Visayas derives from the term Sri Vijaya ,
which was an ancient empire that settled
in Panay Island during the 9th century
AD. Historical accounts mention that the
Visayans, residents of the Visayas
Region, who we know today, descended
from Malay migrants who had to move to
Panay due to the declining Sri Vijaya
Empire. The name is said to be in
remembrance of one of the most powerful
influences in Southeast Asia in early
times. 2
Indigenous Creative Crafts
in Visayas Regions

1 WEAVING

2 WOODWORKS

3 POTTERY

OTHER
3
HANDICRAFTS
Tikog Grass Weaving
(Samar and Leyte)
Basey in Samar province is one of the oldest towns in the
country dating back to Hispanic times and tikog (rush) weaving
has always been its leading industry until Typhoon Yolanda
practically wiped it out. Tikog is a grassy plant which grows in
aquatic or grassy areas. Many of the weavers were from
generations of weaver families in Basey and knew only how to
weave. Tikog Weaving is also widespread in the province of
Leyte.
Artistic & Social Purposes
The provincial government of Samar aims to boost the local
economy through tourism. They've launched the Spark
Samar tourism campaign, introducing "Lara" as a new
brand for woven mats, known locally as weaving. This
initiative is part of their summer tourism promotion program.
S T Y L E / Presentation Template

Abaca Fiber
Products (Leyte)
Abaca fiber is in demand globally as a raw material for coarse
and stiff clothing, foot wear and cordage, textile, handicraft and
specialty paper products like tea bags, sausage casings,
cigarette papers, non-woven and disposables and as natural
fiber material for dashboards and car interiors.

Markets of Southern Leyte abaca fiber included the local abaca

handicrafts processors in the province, whose workers were
mostly women as well as the pulp, paper and cordage factories
in Manila, Cebu, Iligan, and Bicol.

Slide 5
 S T Y L E / Presentation Template
Hablon Weaving
(Cebu)
Hinablon, is a product in a traditional process of
weaving known in the town of Argao.
The weaving process itself is called hablon.
Produced with local fibres such as piña, cotton,
and abaca, the "hablon” comes from the Visayan
word “habol,” which means blanket.
ARTISTIC & SOCIAL PURPOSES
It is now made into dresses, gowns, table runners,
wallets, and pouches. Research and development
continues to be done to upgrade the product and
transform it into one of Cebu’s prized possessions.
Hablon Weaving
(Ilo-ilo)
Hablon, taken from the Hiligaynon word "habol”
meaning “to weave", refers to both the process of
making the fabric and the end product. It is
traditionally made of locally-made fibers such as
piña, abaca, and cotton.
The municipalities of Miagao and Oton are still the top
producers of the hablon weave in the province. They
also manufacture and sell export-quality products such
as traditional patadyong skirts, Barong Tagalog, saya,
and bandana; as well as household and novelty items
like table runners, picture frames, slippers and
seminar/corporate bags, etc.
ARTISTIC &SOCIAL PURPOSES
Iloilo’s hablon weaving commerce, in particular, is
currently making a name in the international design
industry as demand for hand-woven textiles increased
impressively over the past few years .
Slide 6
Tubigon Loom
Weaving (Bohol)
Loom weaving is considered a major source of
income for the local residents of Tubigon. For
many weavers, wives of farmers and fisherfolks
in Tubigon, loom weaving has been their major
source of bread and butter. Loom weaving
utilizes raffia fibers extracted from young,
unopened buri leaves. The fiber knitted for your
table placemat, or bag, comes from buri palm
tree, which grows abundantly in Bohol.

ARTISTIC & STRATIFICATION

Into wooden looms, these raffia fiber join a countless
other fibers to form tapestries that narrate a history of
a craft that feeds a community and its future
generations.
Tubigon was derived from the word “ Tubigan ” which
meant a place abounding with water.

7
 Antiquera
Weaving (Bohol)
These handicrafts are made out of
whatever native material is on
hand: from bamboo, rattan,
wicker, nito, buri, sig-id and other
vines.

Antequera baskets, including other

native products such as hampers,
home furnishings, wall decors,
furniture, bags and fashion
accessories, come in all shapes and
8
Sinamay Weaving
(Negros Oriental)
Sinamay is one of the most popular hat-making
foundations in the world. It is woven from the
processed stalks of the abaca tree, a banana palm
native to the Philippines. Less gossamer tissue, but
almost transparent and far more durable than the
fabrics made from pineapple fiber.
Sinamay materials are used in making gift boxes;
packaging materials, decorative accessories, wall
covering; draperies, fashion accessories, footwear;
tabletop accessories and more .
 Pinya Weaving
(Aklan)
"Piña” fiber is extracted from the leaves of a pineapple

plant. Its scientific name is ananas comosus. Piña fiber

is often blended with cotton, abaca, silk, or
polyester to create wonderful light, breezy fabrics.
Artistic & Social Purposes
The weavers decided on their own design. The designs
usually took the form of flowers, fruits, coconut trees, nipa
huts or other designs concocted by the weaver’s
imagination.
The traditional decoration for this fabric is a style of hand
embroidery called calado. An embroidered piña garment is
called piña calado.
 The Patadyong
Weavers of
Bugasong (Antique)
The art of patadyong making was developed in the late
1960’s when a lot of high quality products were made,
using cotton and abaca as raw materials. During the
1980’s, with polyester as their raw material, the
production of hand woven textile heightened and more
quality designs and products were produced featuring
different designs (stripes, squares, rectangles,
checkered, etc.) Patadyong weaving is done by
interlacing the different colors of threads through a
wooden handloom locally called tiral or habulan.
 The Negros Island
Silk
( N e silk
In Negros, g rfabrics
o s areOun-shiny
c c i dlooking
e n more
t a llike
)
wool in their uneven textures. Negros produces raw
silk – un-shiny, un-shimmering but splendid.
Processed in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City since 1989,
silk in thread or fabric form is so in demand that silk
worms need to work overtime. (silk weavers
tediously crafting threads of silk yarns from the cocoons of
silkworms).

Individually designed and

made of silk, cotton and a mix of polyester – their line
include placemats and table runners; scarves
shawls, blankets and other garment products
distributed nationally.
 S T Y L E / Presentation Template
WOODWORKS

Bamboo Bamboo bed

Handicrafts and
Furniture
(Tanauan,
T a nLeyte
a uacclaims
a n ,as the
Le y t e )
home of fine quality
Bamboo Gazebo
bamboo furnitures, bamboo gazebos, bamboo living
room sets, bamboo dining room sets, bamboo beds
and bamboo accessories.
For the locals, bamboo, in a skillful work of art, with the
beauty of its own forms and its warm character the
Bamboo living
precious natural material bamboo is destined to fullfil
room set
the natural human desire at home.

Slide 13
S T Y L E / Presentation Template

Pottery in Ilo- Traditional pottery making in the

Ilo area starts with the gathering the
clay from natural deposits.
In Iloilo, pottery making has been
a thriving industry since. One of
the ancient means of livelihood
and crafts, “Pottery” still holds
true to residents of two
barangays of Municipality of
Pavia, Pandac and Jibao-an,
providing activities in those
barangays and improving their
way of life.
Products include flower pots,
cooking pot, kalan (stove), vases,
jars, and other décor.
S T Y L E / Presentation Template

Other Handicrafts

Capiz Shell Crafts

Capiz comes from the shell of the Placuna placenta
mollusk, which is native to the seas of Southeast Asia,
specifically Indonesia and the Philippines. The
mollusks are edible, which means fisherman can
harvest them for their meat and reduce waste by
reusing their shells for décor and handicrafts,

Traditionally, capiz shell was used as a substitute for

glass, which is why the Placuna placenta mollusk is
nicknamed the “windowpane oyster”.

Slide 15
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