QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
MADDELA CAMPUS
Maddela, 3404 Quirino
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Module 1: CRAFTS : MEANING, IMPORTANCE, HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Competencies
At the end of this module, the learners should be able to:
1. define crafts;
2. trace the history and development of crafts;
3. appreciate the importance of crafts in everyday life..
Discussion
Introduction
The term "craft" denotes a skill, usually employed in branches of the decorative arts, or
in an associated artistic practice. A key feature of crafts is that they involve a high degree of
"hands-on" craftsmanship (hence the colloquial term "handicrafts) rather than just skill with
a machine.
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word craft is synonymous to art, handcraft,
handicraft and trade.
UNESCO Definition
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines
“crafts” as follows:
Those produced by artisans, either completely by hand, or with the help of hand tools or
even mechanical means, as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the
most substantial component of the finished product. These are produced without restriction
in the terms of quantity and using raw materials from sustainable resources. The special
nature of artisanal products derives from their distinctive features, which can be utilitarian,
aesthetic, artistic, creative, culturally attached, decorative, functional, traditional, religiously
and socially symbolic and significant.
Handicraft
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade,
is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made
completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-tech related tools like scissors, carving
implements, or hooks.
It is a traditional main sector of craft making and applies to a wide range of creative and
design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work
with textiles, moldable and rigid materials, paper, plant fibers, etc. Collective terms for
handicrafts include artisanry, crafting, and
handcrafting. The term arts and crafts is also
applied.
VISION MISSION
The leading center for academic and technological Develop competent and morally upright professionals and generate
excellence and prime catalyst for a progressive and appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the needs of Quirino
sustainable Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Province and Southern Cagayan Valley.
Valley.
“Molding Minds, Shaping Future”
Page |1
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
MADDELA CAMPUS
Maddela, 3404 Quirino
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Brief Historical Accounts of Handicrafts in the Philippines
Handicrafted relics discovered in caves and in the burial places of ancient Philippine
tribes serve as evidence of the early Filipinos’ craftsmanship before the Spanish Colonial
Period. Some noteworthy examples include the 29 earthenware secondary burial pots, called
Maitum jars, named after the place where these jars
were found – in Ayub Cave in Maitum, Saranggani
Province. It was reported that the jars are
anthropomorphic (human-shaped) and have head-
shape covers depicting detailed and varied facial
expressions. There are also jars with “arms, female
breasts, male genitalia” and have additional
decorative elements such as earrings, perforations or
paints. Given the estimated age of the jar (about 5
B.C. – 225 A.D.) and the period when it was produced,
the quality of the maitum jars indicates a high level of
craftsmanship in pottery.
A similar cultural treasure, also believed to be a work of master
potter, was found in Tabon Cave, Palawan – the Manunggul jar.
The Structural design of the jar features a lid with boat where
two human figures are seated, thought to represent souls on
a voyage to the afterlife. Aside from the historical meaning of
the symbols used, the detail of the human figures and the
curvilinear scroll designs in the lid show a good
understanding of design requirements. Though there is a
limited literature on handicrafts during the early period,
pottery is not the only handicraft documented. There were
also furniture carvings and ornaments which are believed to
have been facilitated by a regular trade between the Philippines
and the neighboring countries.
During the Spanish Colonial Period, handicraft
flourished especially as religious items. Sculpture,
woodcarving, metal craft, embroidery and weaving
were mentioned as the more prominent types of
handicrafts. Embroidery, such as calado where
Philippines is known for, was developed and applied
to clothes and undergarments. The Banton cloth,
found in Banton, Romblom, is an example of a warp
ikat (tie-resist dyeing) textile that was loom woven
from red, black and white abaca threads. Based on
online articles from the Philippine National Museum,
the cloth is estimated to be 400 years old, around the
time of Spanish occupation, and to date is the oldest
known relic of its kind.
The period of American Occupation saw the growth of handicraft artisans due to the
introduction of handiwork or skills training in the primary curriculum. The teaching of
handicraft was differentiated by gender such as carpentry for boys where the assigned
teachers were the local carpenters and embroidery, such as calado were taught to girls. These
activites may have influenced the observation that during this period, local designs and
indigenous handicrafts flourished. Export of handicraft products was also made possible due
VISION MISSION
The leading center for academic and technological Develop competent and morally upright professionals and generate
excellence and prime catalyst for a progressive and appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the needs of Quirino
sustainable Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Province and Southern Cagayan Valley.
Valley.
“Molding Minds, Shaping Future”
Page |2
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
MADDELA CAMPUS
Maddela, 3404 Quirino
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
to the existing free trade agreement with the United States during that time. Some reported
handicrafts for export were Marikina shoes, Buntal, Baliwag hats, and embroidered products.
Through time, handicrafts from the different regions or provinces in the country have
developed their own ‘specialty’ products and techniques that are known not only in the
Philippines but abroad. With the introduction of technology, enabling mechanized equipment
to facilitate some processes of production, efforts were made to characterize and define
handicraft products to differentiate it with machine-made ones. Several books were also
written then and now to document and preserve the skills for each handicraft, some which
are feared to be ‘dying’ because the ‘art’ or techniques of making the products the way our
ancestors made them were already lost. Interestingly, entrepreneurship may have been a boon
for handicraft since the demand for handicraft which entrepreneurs saw as opportunities
helped sustain and to some cases, revive the handicraft industry.
Handicraft making and use of handcrafted products are indeed a part of the way of life of
many Filipinos. The production of handicraft may have been an answer to some need or a
creative use of abundant materials in our country; whatever is the case, handicraft flourished
and is now facing another promising future with the recognition of handicraft as part of the
creative products that our country may invest into.
Regional Pride: Handicrafts from Selected Regions
Loom Weaving in the Cordillera Region. There are numerous tribes in the Cordillera region
collectively known as Igorots and some of these tribes have their unique weaving techniques.
In Baguio, The aster Weaving Room has
continuously trained and preserved the weaving
techniques particularly after Second World War.
Present-day weavers can be observed while working
on their looms. The colourful woven ikat clothes and
other woven items such as clothes, bags, rugs and
carpet have become so popular that the colors have
been identified already with Baguio.
Aside from weaving, there are numerous other
handicrafts made from the Cordillera Region such as wood craft, Baguio brooms (walis tambo)
and metal craft.
Calado from Lumban, Laguna and Taal, Batangas.
Calado is the type of embroidery using a process of
pulling threads from certain areas of a cloth, then
sewing the drawn threads using various stitches to
form clean holes on the cloth. The final process
entails embroidery to create designs that are smooth,
evenly stitched and has an embossed quality to give
depth and volume. This is a meticulous process done
by bordados (embroiderers); it will usually take a
month or more to finish depending on the size of the
project. The skill of the bordados, particularly from
Lumban and Taal, in doing a calado is truly
renowned even during the early times.
VISION MISSION
The leading center for academic and technological Develop competent and morally upright professionals and generate
excellence and prime catalyst for a progressive and appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the needs of Quirino
sustainable Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Province and Southern Cagayan Valley.
Valley.
“Molding Minds, Shaping Future”
Page |3
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
MADDELA CAMPUS
Maddela, 3404 Quirino
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Whittling (wood shaving) in Pakil, Laguna. Whittling is
the art of shaving soft wood using knives of different
thickness to create animals like peacocks, birds,
butterflies, swans, and other items like fans or
flowers.
Pakil undoubtedly is the only place in the country
where the most skilful whittlers reside. Their skills
are known within and outside the country while their
products are popular gift items, decorations and
framed artwork.
Romblons’s Marble Craft. The earlisest products
carved out of marble were created out of need such as
ubiquitous mortar and pestle used in the kitchen and
even ashtrays, name plates for offices and
tombstones a grave markers. Marble, an inorganic
material for handicraft, is perhaps one of the most
difficult to handle.
T’nalak of the T’boli Tribes in South Cotabato. T’nalak
is a wooven cloth made from abaca using a simple
wooden loom but its uniqueness lies in the
meticulous techniques and design that is believed to
have been guided, inspired or revealed by spirits
through dreams to a selected few. The revealed
designs also carry meanings and requirements. Thus,
the t’nalak cloth in itself is a “sacred heirloom or
maternal bond” passed on during a matrimonial
ceremony and “used as covering for safe delivery
during childbirth.”
Personal and Social Importance
At a personal level, creative handicrafts give deep satisfaction to the craftsman when
performed with skill, confidence, and enthusiasm. It has been said that when the “mind and
the hands are occupied with the creation of something useful and attractive, there is no cause
for the breeding of discontent, boredom, petty worry, fear or jealousy”. In this case, handicraft
has therapeutic value. For this reason alone, handicraft is a good outlet for you at this stage
– adolescence – so that your creative impulses and youthful energy are directed to productive
means.
Arts and Educational Importance
Handicraft is related to arts and is integrated in the Philippine educational system
because “the skill and understanding required by studying art encourage the appreciation in
nature, life, production and art”. This is manifested by the ability to discern and prefer beauty
and having higher standards for workmanship, appearance and usefulness of things not only
in the handicrafted materials but in everyday life. It is also recognized as an “important means
for aesthetic, intellectual and moral education”. It helps students develop self-realization in
the form of enabling confidence, creative self-expression and communication of one’s idea to
others. It also promotes learning to respect and value the artistic expression of others within
the context of values prevailing in the community.
VISION MISSION
The leading center for academic and technological Develop competent and morally upright professionals and generate
excellence and prime catalyst for a progressive and appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the needs of Quirino
sustainable Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Province and Southern Cagayan Valley.
Valley.
“Molding Minds, Shaping Future”
Page |4
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
MADDELA CAMPUS
Maddela, 3404 Quirino
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Cultural Importance
Handicrafts also play a very important role in preserving the culture and traditions of our
country. They are concrete evidences of our rich traditional art, skills and talents as well as
the Filipino way of life and history. Tacloban’s name was said to be derived from bamboo
baskets called ‘taklub’ (cover). Fishermen used “taklub” which were created specifically to
catch fish, crabs or shrimps in shallow areas by hovering over a fish and quickly covering it,
creating a small corral before catching the fish by hand through an opening at the top of the
basket. A similar basket was also used by the Bagobo tribe in Davao. In this case, the basket
as a handicrafted product shows a way of life, of how people used the basket as a resource to
achieve life goals. That is why, in the social sciences, such as in the home economics field,
handcrafted materials are included as culture materials to study how families manage their
resources. Artisans and craftsmen, in a way, pay tribute to the past by showcasing products
that do not only belong to shelves and museums but are also useful in everyday life to families
and consumers.
Economic Importance
Handicrafts are also contributors to the country’s economic development in at least two
ways. The first is through job creation and employment; since a huge number of handicraft
industries around the country support a much larger number of artisans or craftsman as
employees. The second is that even with low capital investments, handicraft products became
a respected medium for earnings from the international market.
Handicraft entrepreneurs, who are usually operating cottage industries as well as small
and medium enterprises, are also given support through the financial programs and trade
fairs coordinated by their respective regions or the Department of Trade and Industry.
Having handicraft skills is handy – you learn skills you can be proud of. Eventually, you
may use it to gain financials reward by doing something useful for the end users of the crafted
product and help spread the Filipino culture as well.
References
Romo, S. B., & Romo, C. G., 2014. Crop Production. LORIMAR PUBLISHING INC.: Manila,Philippines.
Romo, S. B., 2013. Horticulture. LORIMAR PUBLISHING INC.: Manila, Philippines.
[Link]
VISION MISSION
The leading center for academic and technological Develop competent and morally upright professionals and generate
excellence and prime catalyst for a progressive and appropriate knowledge and technologies to meet the needs of Quirino
sustainable Quirino Province and Southern Cagayan Province and Southern Cagayan Valley.
Valley.
“Molding Minds, Shaping Future”
Page |5