REGION 7- CENTRAL VISAYAS
Arts and
o Patadyong (Panay Island)
is an indigenous Philippine rectangular or tube-like
wraparound skirt worn by both men and women of the
Visayas islands and the Sulu Archipelago, similar to the
Malong, or Sarong. It was also historically worn in parts
of Luzon like Pampanga and Sorsogon.
In the precolonial era, it was usually worn with a barú or
bayú, a simple collar-less shirt or jacket with close-
fitting long sleeves. During the Spanish period, this
evolved into the kimona, a variant of the baro't saya
worn by Christianized Visayan lowlanders consisting of
a loose translucent blouse, an undershirt, and a
patadyong or a patadyong-patterned skirt
o Piña Weaving (Panay
Island)
Piña weaving is a traditional Philippine fiber made from
pineapple leaves. Pineapples were widely cultivated in the
Philippines since the 17th century for weaving lustrous lace-like
luxury textiles known as nipis fabric. The name is derived from
Spanish piña, meaning "pineapple". Kalibo, Aklan, is the main
and the oldest manufacturer/weaver of piña cloth in the
Philippines which are being exported to various parts of the
world most particularly North America, and Europe Piña
weaving is an age-old tradition which was recently revived in the
past 20 years.
Pineapple silk was considered the queen of Philippine fabrics
and is considered the fabric of choice of the Philippine elite.
During the 1996 APEC summit held in the Philippines, world
leaders donned barong tagalog made of piña sourced from
Kalibo during the group photo. Producers include La Herminia
Piña Weaving Industry, Malabon Pina Producers and Weavers
Association, Reycon's Piña Cloth and Industry, and Rurungan
sa Tubod Foundation.
o Capiz Shell (Panay
The windowpane oyster a.k.a Capiz Shell is a bivalve marine
mollusk in the family of Placunidae.They are edible, but valued
more for their shells (and the rather small pearls). The shells
have been used for thousands of years as a glass substitute
because of their durability and translucence. More recently, they
have been used in the manufacture of decorative items such as
chandeliers and lampshades; in this use, the shell is known as
the capiz or kapis. Capiz shells are also used as raw materials
for glue, chalk and varnish.
Distribution extends from the shallows of the Gulf of Aden to
around the Philippines, where it is abundant in the eponymous
province of Capiz. The mollusks are found in muddy or sandy
shores, in bays, coves and lagoons to a depth of about 100 m
(330 ft).
o Banig
(Samar)
A baníg is a handwoven mat usually used in East Asia and
the Philippines for sleeping and sitting. This type of mat is
traditionally made in the Philippines.
Technically, it is not a textile. Depending on the region of
the Philippines, the mat is made of buri (palm), pandanus
or sea grass leaves. The leaves are dried, usually dyed,
then cut into strips and woven into mats, which may be
plain or intricate.
The Samal of Sulu usually make their mats out of buri
leaves. Mats from Basey, Samar use tikog leaves which
are dyed in strong colours to make beautiful, unique
designs. Banig mats from Bukidnon are made from sodsod
grass, a ribless reed endemic to the area.
Festivals
o Ati-atihan Festival
The Ati-Atihan Festival is a Philippine festival held annually in January in
honor of the Santo Niño (Holy Child or Infant Jesus) in several towns of
the province of Aklan, Panay Island. The biggest celebration is held
during the third Sunday of January in the town of Kalibo, the province’s
capital. The name Ati-Atihan means "to imitate Ati", the local name of the
Aeta people, the first settlers of Panay Island and other parts of the
archipelago. The festivity was originally a pagan celebration to
commemorate the Barter of Panay, where the Aeta accepted gifts from
Bornean chieftains called Datu, who fled with their families to escape a
tyrannical ruler, in exchange for being allowed to dwell in the Aeta’s
lands. They celebrated with dancing and music, with the Borneans
having painted their bodies with soot to show their gratefulness and
camaraderie with the Aeta who had dark skin. Later on, the festivity was
given a different meaning by the church by celebrating the acceptance of
Christianity, as symbolized by carrying an image of the Holy Child or
Infant Jesus during the procession.
o Masskara Festival
The MassKara Festival(Bacolod)
(Hiligaynon: Pista sang MassKara,
Filipino: Pista ng MassKara) is an annual festival with highlights
held every fourth Sunday of October in Bacolod, Philippines. The
most recent festival was held from October 8–27, 2019. The
festival sites include the Bacolod Public Plaza, the Lacson
Tourism Strip and the Bacolod Government Center.
The Festival first began in 1980 during a period of crisis. The
province relied on sugar cane as its primary agricultural crop and
the price of sugar was at an all-time low due to the introduction of
sugar substitutes like high fructose corn syrup in the United
States. This was the first MassKara Festival and a time of
tragedy; on April 22 of that year, the inter-island vessel MV Don
Juan carrying many Negrenses, including those belonging to
prominent families in Bacolod City, collided with the tanker
Tacloban City and sank in Tablas Strait off Mindoro while en
route from Manila to Bacolod, which resulted in 18 lives lost, and
115 missing.
