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Mary Help of Christians College – Salesian Sisters, Inc.

Canlubang, Calamba City, Laguna
PAASCU ACCREDITED LEVEL III
S.Y. 2020 – 2021

UNIT 3
Contemporary Arts in the
Philippines
Philippine Folk Dance

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Folk dancing is the oldest form of dance probably one of the earliest forms of
communication. It is this self-expression that separates folk dancing from the functional
aspects of games and gymnastics in the physical education program.

Dance is the expression of oneself through rhythmic movement. Folk dance, which is
also the expression of oneself, is an expression through patterned movements. It is this
patterning that traditionally separates folk dance forms from other dance forms. It is
probably this characteristic of folk dance that has turned many youngsters off to dance
their inability to perform a set of patterned movements.

Folk dance may be defined as the traditional dance of a given country which evolved
naturally and spontaneously with everyday activities, e.g. occupations, customs,
festivals, rituals, and innumerable themes common to all people everywhere. Genuine
folk dances are handed down from generation to generation and are danced by
everyday folk of all ages. They are more or less fixed in their pattern, but may differ in
various areas of provinces

The Philippines has many popular folk dances which have evolved and changed as
they have been passed down from generation to generation. A particular dance might
be performed slightly differently from one region to the next but it remains true to its
roots.

Five Major Classifications of Philippine Folk Dances

CORDILLERA

The ethnic dances in the Philippines are found in the different regions from the northern
part to the southern part of the country. The Cordillera groups composed of the
Bontocs, Ifugao, Benguet, Apayao, Kalinga, Itneg, Ilonggot, and Gaddang (BIBAKIIG)
have their own unique customs and traditions reflected in their dances.

Cordillera, a name given by the Spanish Conquistadors when they first saw the
mountain ranges. Meaning "knotted rope", the Spanish term refers to the jumbled rolls
and dips of this long-range traversing the northern part of Luzon Island.

Today, if one is to generalize one of the six ethno-linguistic tribes as an "Igorot" is

considered degrading. Living amidst the rice terraces that tower over Northern Luzon
are a people whose way of life existed long before any Spaniard or other foreigners
stepped foot on the Philippines. The Bontoc, Ifugao, Benguet, Apayo, and the Kalinga
tribes reign over Luzon's mountain terrain.

They are pagan people, living simple lives to appease their gods. Their rituals celebrate
their daily lives - a good harvest, health, peace, war, and other symbols of living. Such
traditions have survived the changing scope of the Philippines and the tribes continue
to maintain their cultures that are a part of the colorful cultural fabric known as
Philippine culture.

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 CORDILLERAN NATIVE ATTIRE

Male Native Costume

The “bag” (bahag) is the common costumes for male Igorots or

Kalingas. It is a long woven material about 10 to 15 inches wide
and 3 to 5 feet long.

Its main purpose is to cover the man’s private parts. It’s firmly
secured at the waist to prevent the clothing from falling off and
to ensure that it covers the male organs safely and properly.
Traditionally, there are no upper clothes for men. Tattoos are
common in the upper body. The amount of tattoos indicates the
male’s authority in the village.

Female Native Costume

The female Igorot or Kalinga costume consists of a large

rectangular woven clothing about 3 to 5 feet wide, and 3 to 4
feet long.

It’s simply worn like a skirt and secured around the waist. In the
olden times, there were also no upper clothing for women, but
as the modern era has come to influenced the new
generation, earth colored blouses are now worn. There are still
some villages where married women go topless with the older
generations. The new generation though has decided to wear
upper clothing for decency purposes. However, going topless
during the olden days was not considered indecent.

The native beads or “bongol” in the Kalinga dialect usually

adorns the woman’s upper body. The weight and amount of
beads in the “bongol” indicate the status of the woman.
Richer and nobler women have heavier and multi-layered
“bongols”.

Example of Dances among the Cordillera Groups

BONTOC

Takik / Dongadong - a love, or courtship dance that also

originated from the Mountain Province. The takik is varies
by region and can be faster or slower, with different
movements depending on where you are from. This
particular dance is based off the Bontoc region and is
commonly performed during the Begnas, a rice
thanksgiving festival. The striking of the solibao (ethnic
drum) is the guide of the players. The drummer squats and
strikes the solibao alternately with his left and right hand.

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IFUGAO

Dinuya - a thanksgiving-festival dance that involves the

community. It originates from the Ifugao region of the
Philippines. The female dancers represent sparrows while
the male dancers represent eagles. The motion of the bow
shows the strength of the warrior and is represented
through the motion of an eagle flying. As the males spread
their wings, they represent the eagle as a strong and
majestic creature. The females, have quick and minuscule
movements similar to a sparrow. The male used an
instrument called gangsa, a single hand-held smooth-
surfaced gong with a narrow rim.

BENGUET

Tarektek– a courtship dance where two female tarektek

(woodpeckers) try to get the attention of the male
tarektek by brandishing their blankets over each other to
show their affections.

KALINGA

Ragrasakan – a dance adaption of a tradition in which

Kalinga women gather and prepare for a budong or
peace pact. The Kalinga borrowed the beautiful word
Ragragsakan from the Ilocano, which means "merriment".
The two biggest occasions for a Ragragsakan in a Kalinga
Village are for the homecoming of successful head takers
and the culmination of peace-pact between warring
tribes. In this dance, Kalingga maidens balance labba
baskets on their heads, wave colorful tribal blankets and
sing short Salidumay songs as they snake through the terrace dikes and skip through
breaks in the path. This dance portrays the walk of the industrious Kalingga women,
caring water pots on their heads and wearing the colorful hand-woven "blankets of life"
around their necks.

ITNEG

Idudu – a tribal dance from the Abra province in Cordillera.

This dance depicts a day in the life of Itneg or Tinguian
tribe. It tells the story of a father plowing the field as the
mother cares for her children. In time, the father and
mother exchange duties as the mother finishes planting
and other chores in the field, and the father tends to the
kids.

GADDANG

Bumbuwak - a traditional Gaddang dance that mimics

birds attracted to tobacco plants.

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 MUSLIM

The Muslims in the Philippines, also known as Moros, were able to

resist Spanish conquest. They preserved the Islamic lifestyle that
differs from the majority of the Philippine population. Down in the
southern part of the country are the muslim groups. The ethnic
groups are the Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug, Yakan, Samal,
Java Mapun, and Badjao.

The dances performed by these groups describe the everyday

living of the people. Common to their dances are the use of
fingers to express feelings and emotions. Some believe that
Muslim dances are influenced by Malays and Indonesians due to
their geographical setting. The dances are characterized by vivid colors and rhythmic
movements which reflect the influence of Arabian and Indo-Malaysian cultures.

MUSLIM NATIVE ATTIRE

Male Native Costume

The male outfit consists of a colorful long silk shirt adorned with metallic golden threads,
matching long pants with similar decorations, an enormous metal necklace, and a
knotted cap decorated with exquisite gold embroidery.
The prince props include a shield made from wood,
covered with thin brass plates and decorated with
Maranao ornamentation and a traditional Maranao
sword called “kris”. The real kris is a beautiful and lethal
weapon.

Female Native Costume

The female costume is made from silk or cotton. The

garments are ornate, decorated with metallic threads
embroidery, sequins, pearls, and long beads. The dancer
also has intricate jewelry, like bangles and etc. Her
headdress is a work of art. It is made of silk and brass,
decorated with tassels and dangling beads. Wearing
colorful Arab pointed shoes.

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 Example of Dances among the Muslim Groups

MARANAO

Kinakulangan - dance originated from Marawi, Lanao

del Norte and performed by the proud Maranao women
holding ornamental umbrellas while marching the “Royal
Walk” or kini-kini to show their high status. Male
attendants follow the ladies as they gracefully wave their
mosala scarves, displaying their elite social upbringing.

MAGUINDANAO

Asik - a solo slave dance performed by the umbrella-

bearing attendant to win the favor of her sultan master.
The girl wears long metal fingernails and dances and
poses in doll-like motions.

BADJAO

Tauti - an occupational dance from Tawi-tawi which

depicts the work involved in catching catfish (tauti). It
may be performed solo to show the labors of a lone
fisherman trying to catch the catfish. It may also be
performed by a group consisting of a principal dancer as
the fisherman accompanied by dancers who depict the
actions of paddling the canoe and baiting. In both
versions the fishermen are shown wrestling with the
catfish and getting pricked by their poisonous spines,
netting a few fish only after suffering great pain.

YAKAN

Pindulas - a Yakan newlyweds’ dance, originated by

the Muslim group in Basilan, an island south of
Zamboanga province in Mindanao. Young couples
who are pre-arranged for marriage dance with “broken
arm” movements that depict ocean waves and their
colorful sailboats.

TAUSUG

Janggay - a dance of the Badjao people of the

southern island of Sulu. The name of this celebratory
dance refers to the set of extended metal fingernails or
claws worn by the women on special occasions.

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The female dancers perform with elaborate, hyper-articulated form, a quiet elegant
face, and methodical care to finger and hand movements. The finger nails also mimic
the claws of the birds and is considered one of the “bird” dances.

SAMAL

Maglanka - this dance which originated from Jolo, Sulu

is classified under Muslim Dance. Literally meaning “to
dance,” the maglangka is used to mold the adolescent
girls into ladies of good breeding and accomplished
dancing skills. The girls are strictly taught to gracefully
execute movements imitating birds in flight, fish
swimming in the sea, or branches swaying in the air while
remaining in the confines of a square cloth. These
movements require intense concentration and innate
style as the ladies express emotions and entertain guests
are also used.

SPANISH/EUROPEAN/WESTERN IFLUENCED
(MARIA CLARA)

When the Spaniards came to the Philippines in the

16th century, they brought with them the Spanish
religion and European arts and culture. The native
religion and culture slowly gave way to Christianity
and Western civilization. The natives started to lose
most of their ancient traditions in the literary, visual,
and performing arts.

MARIA CLARA DRESS

The Maria Clara gown, sometimes referred to as Filipiniana

dress or traje de mestizo is a traditional dress worn by
women in the Philippines. It is an aristocratic version of the
baro't saya. It takes its name from Maria Clara, the mestiza
protagonist of the novel Noli Me Tángere, penned in 1887
by Filipino nationalist Jose Rizal. It is traditionally made out
of piña, the same material used for the barong tagalog.

A unified gown version of the dress with butterfly sleeves

popularized in the first half of the 20th century by Philippine
National Artist Ramon Valera is known as the terno, which
also has a shorter casual and cocktail dress version known
as the balintawak. The Maria Clara gown traditionally
consists of four parts: a blouse (baro or camisa), a long skirt
(saya), a kerchief worn over the shoulders (pañuelo, fichu, or alampay), and a short
rectangular cloth worn over the skirt (the tapis or patadyong).

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 BARONG TAGALOG

The barong tagalog, more commonly known simply as

barong is an embroidered long-sleeved formal shirt for men
and a national dress of the Philippines. Barong tagalog
combines elements from both the precolonial native Filipino
and colonial Spanish clothing styles. It is traditionally made
with sheer textiles (nipis) woven from piña or abaca,
although in modern times, cheaper materials like silk, ramie,
or polyester are also used.

HABANERA BOTOLENA - a dance that combines

Filipino and Spanish techniques and is commonly
performed at weddings. The participants are usually
the wedding party, consisting of the bride, groom,
groomsmen, and bridesmaids. The dance is
performed in pairs, but the pairs move in unison as a
collective group. The accompanying music has an
upbeat tempo. Female dancers wear long gowns
and males wear long-sleeve shirts and full length trousers.

PANDANGGO RINCONADA - originated from Nabua,

Camarines Sur, it is a favorite dance of the people of
Rinconada district. It is dance by old and young
people during Christmas season. Young boys and
girls usually perform this during veladas (programs).
Girls wear patadyong, camisita and soft pañuelo
while the Boys wear barong tagalog and white
trousers.

CARIÑOSA - meaning the loving or affectionate one) is

a Philippine dance of Hispanic origin from the Maria
Clara suite of Philippine folk dances, where the fan or
handkerchief plays an instrumental role as it places the
couple in romance scenario. The Cariñosa was
danced with Maria Clara dress and Barong Tagalog
for it is a Maria Clara Spanish Dance when it was
introduced. However as the Filipino people saw and imitated this dance, they wore the
patadyong kimona and camisa de chino to reveal their nationalism to their country
and other steps were revised or Filipinized but the music did not change at all and
reveals a Spanish Influence to the Filipinos.

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 COUNTRYSIDE (RURAL)

Dances that typically characterize the nature and kind of work of the people.
Commonly performed by ordinary groups of people depicting daily activities. To the
Filipinos, these dances illustrate the fiesta spirit and demonstrate a love of life. They
express joy in work, a love for music, and pleasure in the simplicities of life. Typical attire
in the Rural Suite includes colorful Balintawak and Patadyong skirts for the women, and
Camisa de Chino and colored trousers for the men.

Female Rural Attire

The Balintawak is a traditional Filipino costume that has a shortened skirt,

with puffy butterfly short sleeves, plaid textile, and low cut bodice and at
times plenty of ornate embroidery. It was worn during picnics and other
jaunts into the countryside.

Male Rural Attire

This Camisa de Chino is a traditional Filipino male garment is a

loose cotton shirt with long sleeves and a round, open neck,
with two or three buttons down the chest. Short-sleeved
camisa de chinos are also sold for use under short-sleeved
barongs.

BINASUAN - this colorful and lively dance from Bayambang,

Pangasinan shows off the balancing skills of the dancers. The
glasses that the dancers gracefully yet carefully maneuver
are half-filled with rice wine. Binasuan, meaning “with the
use of a drinking glass” in Pangasinan, is often performed as
entertainment at weddings, birthdays, and fiestas.

KURATSA - a dance originated in Bohol, Visayas, it is

popular at Ilokano and Visayas festivals. This dance
commands a sense of improvisation which mimics a
young playful couple’s attempt to get each other’s
attention.

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PALU-PALO – a dance originated in Laguna, where the
village Labanderas or washerwomen, spend relatively
calm day by doing their laundry when tsismis or gossip
among them gets out of hand and drama ensues.
Through fighting with their palos (laundry paddles) to
resolve their disputes, their dance come to life.

BAYLUHAN - a dance performed in Malabon and

Navotas by childless women who were unable to
make the annual pilgrimage to neighboring Obando
to do a prayer-dance for a child. The women wait
instead for their friends who went to the fertility festival
to return, then they recreate the fertility dance.

LESS KNOWN GROUPS (TRIBAL)

Lesser-known-groups are ethnic groups living in the different

locations in the country that are untouched and never been
influenced by the Westerners. These tribal groups are the Bukidnons,
Bagobo, Manobo, Tiboli or Tagabili, Tagbanua, Mansaka, Mandaya,
B’laan, Tagakaolo and Tiruray. They believe in “shamans” or spirits
which are primarily reflected in most of their
dances.

Their distinct ceremonial attire made of ikat

textiles is likely to be referred to as either costume or dress. Textiles
continue to profoundly connect to ideas of the self in relation to
the group, especially with regard to shared ideals of spiritual
understanding and belonging.

KADAL TAJO - a traditional dance from the T’boli tribe, from

Lake Cebu in the South Cotabato province. This dramatic
dance is performed during their planting and harvesting
seasons and depicts the movements of an injured bird
among its flock.

BINAYLAN - the Bagobo tribe from the central uplands of

Mindanao originated this dance which imitates the
movement of a hen, her banog, or baby chicks, and a hawk.
The hawk is sacred, and it is believed that the hawk has the
power over the well-being of the tribe. The hawk tries to
capture one of the chicks and is killed by the hunters.

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 DUGSO - a ceremonial dance among the Manobo people
in Bukidnon, Agusan and Misamis Oriental. The Dugso (also
Dugsu) is usually performed during important occasions like
kaliga (feasts) or kaamulan (tribal gatherings).

PAGDIWATA - originated from the Tagbanua tribe, this

dance is a festival of thanksgiving to the Gods for their
blessings and healing powers. This ritual celebrates three
goddesses that heal the sick and give the people a
bountiful harvest and hunting expedition.

Reference

Cruz, J. Q.; Jerusalem, V. L.; Ondevilla, M. K.; Palencia, M. M.; & Solmerano, E. T. (June
2017). Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions (2nd ed.). Fast books Educational
Supply, Inc.

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