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 Other arts that use weaving techniques are basketry,
as well as the making of hats and fans. The Cordilleras
are rich in baskets for all purposes, reflecting
occupational needs related to rice planting on the
mountain terraces, hunting in the forests and fishing in
the streams. Their backpack or pasiking for
instance, is not only an example of good design but is
also structured to support the human frame. Aside from
baskets and containers related to hunting and
agricultural activities, there are also many kinds of
bamboo fish traps with shapes and sizes to suit the
different species of fish found in the rivers.
Many parts of the country have lively woodcarving
traditions. The Cordillera groups carve anito
figures called bulol which double as ancestral
spirits and granary gods. They are often found in pairs
to signify the value of fertility. Human and animal
motifs are also integrated into parts of houses such as
door posts, as well as household objects such as bowls,
forks and spoons.
In Southern Philippines, the Maranao and the
Tausog of Mindanao are known for their okir-a-datu,
ornate curvilinear designs and motifs applied to
woodcarving. The principal okir designs are the sarimanok,
the naga and the pako rabong.
The sarimanok carved in wood,
simply varnished or painted in many colors (it is also
executed in brass), is the stylized design of a bird
holding a fish in its beak or standing on a base in the
shape of fish. While its meaning derives from epics and
myths, it also alludes to Lake Lanao with its fertile
waters. The naga has the form of an elaborate mythical
serpent with a vigorous S-curve and numerous curvilinear
motifs to suggest its scales. The pako rabong is a
stylized growing fern with a broad base gracefully
tapering upwards. The sarimanok and naga are found in
the panolong, the extended floor beam of the torogan
or the large Sultan’s house, and it its interior beams
and posts.
The Tagbanua of Palawan carve wooden figures of different kinds of birds and
animals. Again, their meanings are linked to religion
and ritual. For birds play an important part in Tagbanua
mythology as messengers that link the many levels of
their heaven. The animals and other creatures that they
carve, such as the pig and the wild boar, have a part in
ritual as sacrificial offerings. Their carvings are of
blackened wood, incised with geometric designs that
bring out the original light tone of the material.
Jewelry, another ancient art, began as
amulets and charms to ward off evil spirits or to give
supernatural powers to the wearer. It was only later
that is assumed a purely ornamental character. The
Cordillera groups have an ancient amulet design called
the ling-ling-o, said to signify fertility, found
in necklaces, rings and earrings. The T’boli wear some
of the most splendid body ornaments in brass chains and
bells, strings and nets of multi-colored beads, and fine
chains of horsehair forming neckpieces, earrings and
rings, bracelets and anklets. Related to religious
belief and to social function, body ornaments are worn
to please the gods, to signify the status of the wearer
and enhance her charms. A belt made of a row of brass
bells that tinkle with every movement calls attention to
the presence of a young marriageable girl. Often,
jewelry is worn along with elaborate tattoos on and
around the arms and legs that function as a permanent
body design with motif from nature related to the
animist worldview. Even in our day, anting-anting medals
with their mystical symbols and figures in relief are
worn by the folk as amulets rather than as mere body
ornaments.
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