AAP 101 Art Appreciation

Unit I Lesson 3 The Arts in the Philippines

The Arts in the Philippines refer to all 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.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the official cultural agency of the government of the
Philippines, has categorized Filipino arts into traditional and non-traditional.

A. Traditional art is a part of a culture of a certain group of people, with skills and knowledge passed
down through generations from masters to apprentices. It portrays the simple life before the massive
growth of a country.

1. Ethnomedicine
Ethnomedicine is one of the oldest traditional arts in the Philippines. These arts possess traditions
(and objects associated with it) which are performed by medical artisans and shamans, ranging
from the babaylan, the manghihilot, and the albularyo. The practices, grounded on the principles
of the physical elements, is both an ancient science and art known to the natives. Herbal
remedies, complemented with mental, emotional, and spiritual techniques, are inherently part of
many of the traditions as well. Mastery over psycho-spiritual practices are also notable in some
ethnomedicine arts in the Philippines.

A shaman of the Itneg people

(Abra) renewing an offering to the
spirit (anito) of a warrior's shield
(kalasag).

Field Museum of Natural History,

Chicago

1922

Ananud (offering) ritual, also called

gakit by the Ibanag of Echague,
Isabela

2016

Photo:
Harold Sibayan Dela Cruz

2. Folk architecture
Folk architecture in the Philippines differ significantly per ethnic group, where the structures can
be made of bamboo, wood, rock, coral, rattan, grass, and other materials. These abodes can
range from the hut-style bahay kubo which utilizes vernacular mediums in construction, the
highland houses called bale that may have four to eight sides, depending on the ethnic
association, the coral houses of Batanes which protects the natives from the harsh sandy winds
of the area, the royal house torogan which is engraved with intricately-made okir motif, and the
palaces of major kingdoms such as the Darul Jambangan or Palace of Flowers, which was the seat
of power and residence of the head of Sulu prior to colonization. Folk structures include simple
sacred stick stands to indigenous castles or fortresses such as the idjang (Batanes), to geologically
altering works of art such as the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, locally called payyo.
 Ifugao bale with rat
guards

National Geographic

2013

An Ivatan house known as

rakuh

Office of the Provincial

Government of Batanes

2017

Maranao torogan or large

datu’s house

Marawi City, 1990

Darul Jambangan
The royal palace of the Sultanate of Sulu based in Maimbung, Sulu.
Circa 1930
 Savidug Idjang

Source: The Cultural Dictionary

of Batanes by Dr. Cesar Hidalgo

Payyó ang tawag ng mga Ifugao

sa ipinagmamalaki nilang mga
hagdan-hagdang taniman ng
palay na inukit sa gilid ng mga
bundok.

Source:
https://philippineculturaleducati
on.com.ph/payyo/

3. Maritime transport
Maritime transport in the Philippines includes boat houses, boat-making, and maritime
traditions. These structures, traditionally made of wood chosen by elders and crafts folks, were
used as the main vehicles of the people, connecting one island to another, where the seas and
rivers became the people's roads. Although boats are believed to have been used in the
archipelago for thousands of years since the arrival of humans through water, the earliest
evidence of boat-making and the usage of boats in the country continues to be dated as 320 AD
through the carbon-dating of the Butuan boats that are identified as remains of a gigantic
balangay.

Balanghai CE 320

Recovered in 1978
Ambangan, Libertad, Butuan, Agusan
del Norte Province, northeastern
Mindanao, Philippines

National Museum of the Philippines

Collection
 A Sama-Bajau lepa houseboat
from the Philippines with an
elaborately carved stern (c. 1905)

4. Weaving
Weaving is an ancient art form that continue in the Philippines today, with each ethnic group
having their distinct weaving techniques.

a. Cloth and mat weaving

Expensive textiles are made through the intricate and difficult process called back-strap
looming. Fibers such as Cotton, abaca, banana fiber, grass, and palm fiber are used in the
Filipino weaving arts. Unlike cloth weaving, mat weaving does not utilize a loom or similar
equipment and instead relies on the crafts folk’s attention in hand-weaving. The difficult art
form is known throughout the Philippines, with those made in Sulu, Basilan, and Samar being
the most prized.

T'nalak (also spelled tinalak), is a

weaving tradition of the T'boli people
of South Cotabato, Philippines

T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by

women who have received the
designs for the weave in their dreams,
which they believe are a gift from Fu
Dalu, the T'boli Goddess of abacá.

Mat being woven in Basey,

Samar

ca 1990

Photo:
Cultural Center of the
Philippines

Traditional Weaving Centers Technique

1. Lake Sebu, South Cotabato T’nalak, a dyed fabric made from refined
abaca fibre.
2. Bansalan, Davao del Sur Inabal, traditional textile made from abaca
colored by vegetable and natural dyes.
3. Parang, Sulu Pis syabit, a traditional Tausūg cloth
tapestry worn as a head covering by the
people of Jolo.
4. Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi Pandan mats with complex geometric
patterns
 5. Pinili, Ilocos Norte Inabel, a weaving tradition native to the
Ilocano people using cotton.
6. Lamitan, Basilan Sinaluan and Seputangan, two of the most
intricately designed textiles of the Yakan
community

b. Basketry
The fine art of basket weaving in the Philippines has developed intricate designs, styles and
forms directed for specific purposes such as harvesting, rice storage, travel package, sword
case, and so on. The art is believed to have arrived in the archipelago due to human migration,
where those at the north were the first to learn the art form.

Palawan tingkop or rice

container

Photo:

Roezielle Joy Iglesia

5. Sculpture

Stone carving is a prized art form in the Philippines, even prior to the arrival of Western colonizers.
These items usually represent either an ancestor or a deity who aids the spirit of a loved one to
go into the afterlife properly.

One of the 15 Ancient

Limestone Tombs of
Mt. Kamhantik

10th to 14th century

Buenavista Protected
Landscape of Mulanay,
Quezon

National Museum of
the Philippines

Ivory carving is an art practiced in the Philippines for more than a thousand years, with the oldest
known ivory artifact known is the Butuan Ivory Seal, dated 9th–12th century. The religious
carvings of ivory, or garing as locally known, became widespread after the direct importation of
ivory into the Philippines from mainland Asia, where carvings focused on Christian icons, such as
Madonna with Child, the Christ Child, and the Sorrowful Mother.

Butuan Ivory Seal

(Ivory stamp or seal stamp

associated with a Rhinoceros Ivory
Tusk)

9th–12th century

Libertad, Butuan in Agusan del

Norte

National Museum of the

Philippines Collection
6. Folk performing arts

Folk dances, plays, and dramas constitute most of the folk performing arts in the Philippines. Like
other Southeast Asian countries, each ethnic group in the Philippines possess their own heritage
on folk performing arts, however, Filipino folk performing arts also includes Spanish and American
influences due to the country's historical narratives. Some dances are also related to the dances
from neighboring Austronesian and other Asian countries.

Notable examples of folk performing arts include the banga and ragragsakan (Kalinga),
manmanok (Bago), tarektek (Benguet), uyaoy/uyauy (Ifugao), pangalay (Badjao), asik and
sagayan (Maguindanao), singkil and kapa malong malong (Maranao), binaylan (Bagobo), dugso
(Talaindig), kinugsik kugsik (Manobo), siring (Lambangian), and pagdiwata (Tagbanua).

Ragragsakan was discovered in Lubuagan, Kalinga province among the

Kalinga people. Ragragsakan came from the Ilocano word "ragsak" which
means "happy". Ragragsakan thus, means "merrymaking or to celebrate".

Watch: Ragragsakan https://youtu.be/Brdi1nBHHDU

Various folk dramas and plays are known in many epics of the people. Among non-Hispanic
traditions are dramas over epics like Hinilawod (Central Panay) and Ibalong (Bicol).

Hinilawod is an epic poem written by the early inhabitants of a place called Sulod
in central Panay. A source of information about culture, religion and rituals of the
ancient people of Sulod; showing us that ancient Filipinos believed in the “sacred,”
in the importance of family honor and in personal courage and dignity.

Watch: Hinilawod: Epiko ng mga Bisaya https://youtu.be/q3gFBN57rYM

7. Folk (oral) literature

The arts under folk (oral) literature include the epics, songs, myths, and other oral literature of
numerous ethnic groups in the Philippines.

The oral literature has shaped the people's thinking and way of life, providing basis for values,
traditions, and societal systems that aid communities in multiple facets of life. As diverse as
Filipino folk literature is, many of the literary works continue to develop, with some being
documented by scholars and inputted into manuscripts, tapes, video recordings, or other
documentary forms.

Lam-ang is the epic of the Christianized Ilocanos of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos

Sur, La Union, and Abra. It is sung in Ilocano during festivals even today.

Watch: Biag ni Lam-ang: Epiko ng mga Ilokano https://youtu.be/bB6FybqkM9I

8. Folk graphic and plastic arts

The fields under folk graphic and plastic arts are tattooing, folk writing, and folk drawing and
painting.

a. Folk writing (calligraphy)

The Philippines has numerous indigenous scripts collectively called as suyat, each of which
has their own forms and styles of calligraphy. By the end of colonialism, only four of the suyat
scripts survived and continue to be used by certain communities in everyday life. These four
scripts are hanunó'o/hanunoo (Mangyan Baybayin of Southern Mindoro), buhid/buid of the
Buhid Mangyan of Mindoro), Tagbanwa (Tagbanwa people of the northern & southern
Palawan), and palaw'an/pala'wan (ibalnan) of the Palaw'an people. All four scripts were
inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Program, under the name Philippine
Paleographs (Hanunoo, Buid, Tagbanua and Pala’wan) in 1999.
 Indigenous
script/Baybayin in
the Philippine
passport

(2016 edition)

"Ang katuwiran ay
nagpapadakila sa
isang bayan"
("Righteousness
exalts a nation")

b. Folk drawing and painting

Folk drawings have been known for thousands of years in the archipelago. The oldest folk
drawing is the rock drawings and engravings which include the petroglyphs in Angono-
Binangonan (Rizal), which was created during the Neolithic age of the Philippines,
corresponding to 6000 BC to 2000 BC. The drawings have been interpreted as religious in
nature, with infant drawings made to relieve the sickness of children.

Discovered in 1965, the Angono Petroglyphs are believed to be the oldest known artworks in
the Philippines. Dating to the third millennium B.C., they are a collection of 127 figural carvings
engraved on the wall of a shallow cave of volcanic tuff. In 1973, they were declared a National
Cultural Treasure, and in 1985 were listed on the World Inventory of Rock Art.

Yakan (Basilan,
ARMM) traditional
wedding with
traditional facial
paintings called
tanyak tanyak

Photo: Private
Collection

Tattooing was introduced by Austronesian ancestors thousands of years ago, where it

developed into cultural symbols in a variety of ethnic groups. Although the practice has been
 in place for thousands of years, its documentation was first put on paper in the 16th century,
where the bravest Pintados (people of central and eastern Visayas) were the most tattooed.

Tattooed people in Mindanao include the Manobo, where

their tattoo tradition is called pang-o-túb. Presently, only
the small village of Tinglayan in Kalinga province has
traditional tattoo artists crafting the batok, headed by
master tattooist and Kalinga matriarch Whang-od.

Whang-Od (Maria Oggay), 105,

is often described as the last
mambabatok

Source: Whang-Od: The Last

Tattoo Artist | Tatler Asia
9. Ornament
Ornament art includes a variety of fields, ranging from accessory-making to ornamental metal
crafts, and many others.

a. Hat-making, mask-making, and related arts

Hat-making is a fine art in many communities throughout the country, with the gourd-based
tabungaw of Abra and Ilocos being one of the most prized. Indigenous Filipino hats were widely
used in the daily lives of the people until the 20th century when they were replaced by Western-
style hats. They are currently worn during certain occasions, such as festivals, rituals, or in theatre.

Teofilo Garcia,
tabungao hat maker
from San Quintin,
Abra, Philippines

NCCA’s National Living

Treasures Awardee,
2012

Watch: Know Your North Season 7 Episode 4 Teofilo Garcia (Victory Liner)
https://youtu.be/e4fZsl13YPk
b. Accessory-making

The art of gold craftsmanship is prevalent among Filipino ethnic groups, where the most known
goldsmiths came from Butuan (Agusan Del Norte) and Surigao del Norte. Regalia, jewelries,
ceremonial weapons, teeth ornamentation, and ritualistic and funerary objects made of high-
quality gold have been excavated in many Filipino sites, attesting the archipelago's flourished gold
culture between the tenth and thirteenth centuries.

Watch: Surigao Treasure: Gintong Pamana https://youtu.be/QgdMsZ73t-4

10. Pottery

The art of pottery, categorized into ceramic making, clay pot-making, and folk clay sculpture, has
long been a part of various cultures in the Philippines, with evidence pointing to a pottery culture
dating around 3,500 years ago. Important pottery artifacts from the Philippines include the
Manunggul Jar (890–710 BCE) and the Maitum anthropomorphic pottery (5 BC-225 AD).
 11. Other artistic expressions of traditional culture
Various traditional arts are too distinct to be categorized into specific sections.

a. Blade arts
The art of sword making is an ancient tradition in the Philippines, where Filipino bladesmiths have
been creating quality swords and other bladed weapons for centuries, with a diverse array of
types influenced by the sheer diversity of ethnic groups in the archipelago. Many of the swords
are specifically made for ceremonial functions and agricultural functions, while certain types are
used specifically for offensive and defensive warfare.

The most known Filipino sword is the

kampilan, a well-defined sharp blade
with an aesthetically protruding
spikelet along the flat side of the tip
and a pommel which depicts one of
four sacred creatures, a bakunawa
(dragon), a buaya (crocodile), a kalaw
(hornbill), or a kakatua (cockatoo).
Other Filipino bladed weapons include
the balarao (Mandaya winged dagger),
balisong (Batangas/fan knife),
bangkung, banyal, barong, gayang
(Moro people in Sulu Archipelago),
bolo (Batangas machete), and
karambit.

b. Martial arts
Filipino martial arts vary from ethnic group to ethnic group due to the diversity of cultures within
the archipelago. The most famous is Arnis (also called kali and eskrima), the national sport and
martial art of the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting styles with sticks, knives,
bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons as well as open hand techniques. Arnis has met
various cultural changes throughout history, where it was also known as estoque, estocada, and
garrote during the Spanish occupation.

Spanish recorded first encountered the prevalent martial art as paccalicali-t to the Ibanags,
didya/kabaroan to the Ilocanos, sitbatan/kalirongan to Pangasinenses, sinawali to the
Kapampangans, calis/pananandata (use of weapons) to the Tagalogs, pagaradman to the
Ilonggos, and kaliradman to the Cebuanos.

c. Culinary arts
Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred ethnolinguistic groups found
within the Philippine archipelago. The majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose
Filipino cuisine are from the cuisines of the Bikol, Chavacano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Kapampangan,
Maranao, Pangasinan, Cebuano (or Bisaya), Tagalog, and Waray ethnolinguistic tribes.

Watch: Pampanga as Culinary Capital of the Philippines | Food Prints with Sandy Daza Season 2
https://youtu.be/i6TPec9FKSI

B. Non-Traditional Arts encompass dance, music, theater, visual arts, literature, film and broadcast
arts, architecture and allied arts, and design. Non-traditional arts are art styles that break away from
the conventionally accepted rules for art, rules established through art schools, cultures, materials,
and methods used, or subjects implied. There are numerous Filipino specialists or experts on the
various fields of non-traditional arts, with those garnering the highest distinctions declared
as National Artist of the Philippines (Pambansang Alagad ng Sining).

1. Dance
The art of dance under the non-traditional category covers dance choreography, dance direction,
and dance performance. Philippine dance is influenced by the folk performing arts of the country,
 as well as its Hispanic traditions. Many styles also developed due to global influences. Ballet has
also become a popular dance form in the Philippines since the early 20th century.

Hispanic dance forms: Jota (Couple dance e.g., Jota Moncadeña, Moncada, Tarlac and Malagueña
in San Pablo, Laguna), Habanera (Social dance e.g., Habanera Capiseña in Capiz, Aklan), Polka
(Lively courtship dance e.g., Polka Tagala in Bataan and Polka Italiana in Negros Occidental),
Rigodon (Formal dance i.e., anniversaries & social gatherings) , Balse (Dance of newlywed couples
e.g., Cariñosa from Bicol and Panay Islands), and Pandanggo/Fandango (Courtship dance e.g.,
Pandanggo Ivatan, wedding dance in Batanes).

Watch: La Jota Moncadeña - Moncada, Tarlac

https://youtu.be/oUTEw6efDY8
2. Music
Musical composition, musical direction, and musical performance are the core of the art of music
under the non-traditional category. The basis of Filipino music is the vast musical tangible and
intangible heritage of the many ethnic groups in the archipelago, where some of which have been
influenced by other Asian and Western cultures, notably Hispanic and American music. Some
Filipino music genre include Manila sound (1970s Hotdog, VST & Company) which brought
hopeful themes amidst the decaying status of the country during the martial law years, Pinoy
reggae (Tropical Depression, Brownman Revival) which focuses on dancehall music faithful to
the expressions of Jamaican reggae, Pinoy rock (Juan Dela Cruz Band) which encompasses rock
music with Filipino cultural sensibilities, Pinoy pop (Basil Valdez, Rey Valera) which is one of the
most popular genre in the country, and Pinoy hip hop (Francis Magalona, Andrew E) which is
genre of hip hop adopted from American hip hop music.

Watch: Hotdog “Manila” https://youtu.be/m7i39fZdTVA

Watch: Francis Magalona “Kaleidoscope World” https://youtu.be/ClNTn1wtq7E

3. Theatre
Theater in the Philippines is Austronesian in character, which is seen in rituals, mimetic dances,
and mimetic customs of the people. Plays with Spanish influences have affected Filipino theater
and drama, notably the komedya, playlets, and the Filipino drama. In the non-traditional
category, theatrical direction, theatrical performance, theatrical production design, theatrical
light and sound design, and theatrical playwriting are its focal arts.

a. The Komedya
Descended from the Spanish comedia (play) of the 16th century, the local komedya first
appeared in Latin and Spanish in 1598 in Cebu. The komedya may be divided into two
principal types: (1) komedya de santo which centers on the lives of patron saints and (2) the
secular komedya known as moro-moro/minoro, highlights the epic battles between
Christian kingdoms in medieval Europe.

A well-known komedya de santo is the Comedia de San Miguel of Iligan City, which is
performed in honor of Iligan’s patron saint, San Miguel Arcangel, on his feast day on 29
September. While an example of the secular komedya is Biag ni Prinsipe Constantino (Life
of Prince Constantine) by Lorenza Pre of Santa Catalina, Ilocos, Sur. Written circa 1990, the
komedya follows a traditional plot. A battle is fought between the Christians of Granada and
the Moors of Amorabia.

Scene of royal personages in the Ilocano komedya Biag ni Principe Constantino by Lorenza Pre,
performed by an all-female cast, Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur, 1990 (CCP Collection)
b. The Playlets
Revolving around the important seasons of Christmas, Lent, or the feast days of barrio or
town patron saints, religious playlets either embroider on the basic, traditional rituals
prescribed by the Roman liturgy or create new dialogue and/or music to dramatize an
episode in the life of Christ or a saint.

Of the Christmas plays, the most famous are the Tagalog panunuluyan (seeking entry), also
known as pananawagan (calling out), the Bikol kagharong (going from house to house), and
the maytinis in Kawit, Cavite which reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn on the first
Christmas Eve.

The maytinis
or
panunuluyan
of Kawit,
Cavite, 1990

Photo:
CCP
Collection

In most parishes, the via crucis (way of the cross) is a solemn procession of the image of the
Nazarene, usually held on the different Sundays of Lent or on Holy Week. In most Catholic
parishes today, the liturgical ritual of the paghuhugas (washing), which dramatizes the
washing of the feet of the apostles by Christ in the Last Supper, is the highlight of Maundy
Thursday. In some Tagalog and Bicol towns, another reenactment follows the paghuhugas—
the huling hapunan or ultima cena (last supper), which commemorates Jesus’s last meal
with his apostles. On Good Friday, the siete palabras (seven last words) dramatizes Christ’s
agony on the cross from noon to three in the afternoon. Popular in many Catholic parishes
all over the country, the encuentro or salubong (meeting), which is also known as padafung
(Ibanag), alleluya (Aglipayan churches), sugat (Cebuano & Waray), sabet (Ilocano), reenacts
the meeting of the Virgin and the Risen Christ in the early morning of Easter Sunday.

Huling Hapunan,

Gasan,
Marinduque, 1987

(CCP Collection)

Easter Sunday
salubong

Cainta, Rizal

2011

Photo:
Jude Ilagan
 c. The Drama
The drama was brought into the country by Spanish troupes, many of whom came after the
opening of the Suez Canal (Egypt) in 1869. The drama is a play in prose that revolves around
Filipino characters and situations, emphasizing current issues. Sometimes, the drama may
feature a song or two to create mood and provide relief from long stretches of dialogue.
Dramas were often performed together with the sarsuwela.

Kalbaryo ng Maralitang Tagalungsod, Manila, 1988 (Image/Christ and Art in Asia,

Issue 41, December 1989, Nicanor G. Tiongson Collection)
From 1988 to 1992, Al Santos’ Kalbaryo ng Maralitang Tagalungsod (Calvary of the Urban
Poor) focused on the plight of the Manila urban poor, whose calvary is a garbage dump called
Smokey Mountain and whose crosses are the various anti-poor ordinances issued by the local
government.

Like the sarsuwela, the drama was presented commercially on the open-air entablado in
the provinces during fiestas. Using telones and appropriate props, the drama was performed
by professional or by community actors sometimes called dramista, who were taught the
techniques of acting for melodrama or for comedy.

Most komedya, sinakulo, sarsuwela, and drama continue to propagate ideas that lead to
divisiveness (e.g., Muslims are bad, Christians are good), passivity (e.g., to be Christlike
submissiveness is always good), authoritarianism (e.g., “Utos ng hari, hindi mababali,”
meaning “The king’s word cannot be broken”), and blind acceptance of the status quo (e.g.,
it is not social structures that are oppressive but abusive individuals).

4. Literature
Poetry, fiction, essay, and literary/art criticism are the
focal arts of literature under the non-traditional arts.

From 1593 to 1800, majority of literary arts made in the

Philippines were Spanish-language religious works, with
a noble book being Doctrina Christiana (1593) and a
Tagalog rendition of the Pasyon (1704). The pasyon,
from Spanish pasion, is a type of doctrinal and didactic
religious verse that narrates the life of Jesus Christ.

Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Española y Tagala

(Christian Doctrine in the Spanish and Tagalog
Languages)

Published 1593 / Manila

The first book published in Tagalog, the Doctrina Christiana

was a handbook that taught the native Tagalog the rudiments
of the Catholic faith.

Tagalog translators:
Father Juan de Plasencia, OFM & Miguel de Talavera
 Ilonggo Translation of the
Pasyon

Quinabuhi cag Pasion ni

Jesucristo nga Aton
Guinoo (The Life and Passion of
Our Lord Jesus Christ), 1884

Mariano Perfecto

Photo:
Nicanor G. Tiongson Collection

5. Film and broadcast arts

Film and broadcast arts focus on the arts of direction, writing, production design,
cinematography, editing, animation, performance, and new media.

The origin of the cinematic arts in the Philippines officially began in 1897, upon the introduction
of moving pictures into Manila. Filipinos aided foreign filmmakers in the Philippines for a time,
until in 1919, when filmmaker José Nepomuceno made the first Filipino film, Dalagang Bukid
(Country Maiden).

The 1940s created films that would point towards the reality of the people, due to the occupation
years during World War II. The golden age of cinema met the turbulent years from the 1970s to
1980s due to the dictatorship. The films under the period were overseen by the government, with
various filmmakers being arrested. A notable film made during the period is Himala, which tackles
the concept of religious fanaticism. The period after martial rule dealt with more serious topics,
with independent films being made by many filmmakers. The 1990s saw the emergence of films
related to Western films, along with the continued popularity of films focusing on the realities of
poverty.

Himala ("Miracle") is a 1982 Filipino

tragedy film directed by Ishmael Bernal
and produced by the Experimental
Cinema of the Philippines.

The film's script was written by Ricky

Lee based on a series of alleged Marian
apparitions to schoolgirls on Cabra
Island in the province of Occidental
Mindoro, which took place from 1966
to 1972.

At the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival,

Himala won Best Picture, Best Director,
Best Story, Best Cinematography, Best
Production Design, Best Editing, Best
Actress (Nora Aunor), Best Supporting
Actress (Gigi Dueñas), and Best
Supporting Actor (Spanky Manikan).
6. Architecture and allied arts

Architecture under the category of non-traditional arts focus on non-folk architecture and its
allied arts such as interior design, landscape architecture, and urban design.

Throughout the colonial eras, from Spanish to American rule, various architecture styles were
introduced. Beaux-Arts (French, Fine Arts) became popular among the wealthy classes. A notable
example is the Lopez Heritage House (1928/Jaro, Iloilo City). Italian and Italian-Spanish
architecture can be seen on certain buildings such as Fort Santiago (1571/Manila) and The Ruins
(1900s/Talisay, Negros Occidental). Neoclassical is perhaps the most vividly depicted in the
Philippines, as many government buildings follow the architecture. Examples include the Baguio
Cathedral (1936/Benguet Province), and the Manila Central Post Office (1930/Ermita, Manila)

Lopez Heritage House or

Mansion de Lopez
“Queen of Heritage
Houses in Iloilo”

2004 NHCP’s National

Historical Landmark

Owners:
Don Vicente Lopez &
Doña Elena Hofileña

The Ruins
“Taj Mahal of Negros”

Owners:
Mariano Ledesma Lacson
&
Maria Braga-Lacson

7. Design

The design arts under the non-traditional arts usually

emphasize industrial design and fashion design.
Industrial design, or the art where design precedes
manufacture for products intended for mass production,
has been a key factor in improving the Philippine
economy. Packaging of food and other products, as well
as the main aesthetics of certain products such as
gadgets, are prime examples of
industrial design, along with the Imelda Marcos’
aesthetics of mass-produced Wedding Gown
vehicles, kitchen equipment and May 1, 1954
utensils, furniture, and many
Designer:
others.
Ramon Valera
Father of Philippine
Fashion
8. Visual Arts
The visual arts under the non-traditional arts include Painting, Non-Folk Sculpture, Printmaking,
Photography, Installation and Site-Specific Art, Mixed Media Works, Illustration, Graphic Arts,
Performance Art, and Imaging.

a. Painting
The influences brought by other Asian and Western cultures artistically advanced the art of
paintings. In the 16th century and throughout the colonization era, paintings of religious
propaganda for the spread of Catholicism became rampant. Majority of these paintings are
essentially part of church structures, such as ceilings and walls. In the 19th century, wealthier,
educated Filipinos introduced more secular Filipino art, causing art in the Philippines to
deviate from religious motifs. Notable oil paintings of the 19th century include Basi Revolt
paintings (1807), Sacred Art of the Parish Church of Santiago Apostol (1852), Spoliarium
(1884), La Bulaqueña (1895), and The Parisian Life (1892).

La Bulaqueña

(The Lass from Bulacan)

1895

Oil on canvas

Juan Luna

National Museum of the

Philippines Collection

The lady in the picture was

Emiliana Yriarte Trinidad
(b. 4 Jan 1878 d. 22 Mar 1971).

In the American occupation, a notable Filipino painting was The Progress of Medicine in the
Philippines (1953). After World War II, paintings were heavily influenced by the effects of war.
Common themes included battle scenes, destruction, and the suffering of the Filipino people.

The Progress of
Medicine in the
Philippines

1953

Oil

Carlos “Botong”
Francisco

National Museum of
Fine Arts, Manila
b. Sculpture
Notable non-folk sculptures include Oblation (1935/UP Diliman), which reflects selfless
martyr and scholar José Rizal, Tandang Sora National Shrine (2012/Quezon City), depicting
the revolutionary mother of the Katipunan Melchora Aquino, Mactan/Liberty Shrine
(1969/Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu), which depicts the classical-era hero Lapu Lapu who vanquished
the colonizers during his lifetime, People Power Monument (1993/Quezon City), which
celebrates the power and activism of the people over its government, Filipina Comfort
Women (2017/Manila), which immortalizes the suffering of and judicial need for Filipina
comfort women during World War II, and the Bonifacio Monument (1933/Caloocan City),
depicting the revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio.

Mactan Shrine or
Liberty Shrine

Lapu-Lapu City,
Cebu, Philippines

Established in
1969 as National
Shrine through
Republic Act No.
5695 of President
Ferdinand Marcos

c. Other Visual Arts

Other forms of visual arts in the Philippines are Advertising Art, Komiks and Editorial Cartoon,
Leaf Art, Multimedia, Sound Art, and Video Art.