Discovering the Handicraft Treasures of Philippines

A great day to everyone! My name is Abigail Albino, a multimedia studies student from the University of the Philippines Open University and I would like to ask for your help in the fulfillment of a particular project.

This project is a travel research on the handicraft treasures of the different islands in the Philippines. I will be studying artisans and local craftspeople, their methods and techniques, and the beautiful products they have made through their own hands. The objective of this study is to bring into light the significance of these low to middle income craftspeople into preserving cultural heritage and improving the local economy. I will be researching ways on how to promote their livelihood and products so that they can gain better income and support their children’s education.

I came up with this project because I realized that local craftspeople and their handicrafts are given less importance in the society. Their craft and techniques have been passed on from generation to generation, and this is a significant study on cultural heritage and preservation. From this study, I hope to promote through multimedia presentations and social media the greatness of these simple people who have incredible talent in producing handicrafts. I also aim to promote local culture and products so that more people will appreciate and patronize them.

This will be a month-long project wherein I will be traveling to different parts of the country. The Philippines is composed of three major islands namely Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao:

Northern Luzon

Place to Visit: The Cultural Heritage City of Vigan

Subjects to study: The Pottery Craftsmen of Paburnayan and the Loomweavers of Camangaan

Place to Visit: Baguio

Subjects to study: The Ifugao Blacksmiths, the Loomweavers of the Easter Weaving School, and Wood Carvers

Place to Visit: Sagada

Subjects to study: The Arts and Crafts of Igorot and the Loomweavers of Sagada Weaving

 

Central Visayas

Place to Visit: Cebu

Subjects to study: The Furniture Craftsmen of Mandaue, the Guitar Craftsmen of Mactan, and the Bamboo Craftsmen of Liloan

Place to Visit: Bohol

Subjects to study: The Loomweavers of Tubigon and the Arts and Crafts of Tagbilaran

 

Southern Mindanao

Place to Visit: Davao

Subject to study: The Arts and Crafts of Ten Ethnic Tribes

Place to Visit: Cotabato

Subject to study: The Tinalak Loomweavers of the T’boli Tribe (Dreamweavers)

 

The Philippines has a very rich culture and it can be seen through the diversity and quality of its handicrafts. In this project, I aim to produce the following:

1. Photos of the craftspeople in their work and living
2. Videos of craftspeople at work and interviews of their experiences
3. Blog posts of my everyday experiences at http://creativitydistrict.blogspot.com
4. An eBook of my entire experience with essays of my encounters and travel tips for future travelers
5. A paper on my proposals on how to promote their livelihoods

For those who will sponsor me on this project, if you want me to give you copies of my research (photos, videos, eBook and paper), please tell me and I would gladly offer them to you.

I thank you beforehand for supporting me on this passion project, which will immensely help me in my studies and future endeavors in coming up with sustainability projects. Every penny means the world to me, and I pray that whatever you give gets back to you ten or hundred fold.

 

Thank you again and my best wishes to you all!