Philippine Indigenous Aesthetics

Author(s): David B. Baradas

Source: Philippine Studies, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Third Quarter 1994), pp. 363-375
Published by: Ateneo de Manila University
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42633452
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 Philippine Indigenous Aesthetics
David B. Baradas

The most memorable instance where the realm of aesthetics struck

me as a very complex matter was when I did field research among
the Maranao Muslims of Mindanao. On my first arrival in the area,
I was struck by a major visual assault - the utter garrishness (my
aesthetic value judgment showing!) of the colors used in the malong -
the tubular sarong generally worn by both sexes. My sense of dismay
was further heightened when I realized that the malongs were pains-
takingly handwoven and embellished with the most intricate woven
strips of tapestry. I felt a sense of loss for what I knew as a superb
textile totally degraded by what I perceived as a gross use of colors.
My negative reaction later turned out to be an excellent lesson in
humility that I was never to forget even up to today, twenty years
later. The initial negative aesthetic reaction was resolved while at-
tending for the first time the nocturnal ritual of the death wake. Sit-
ting in the midst of a crowd in a cavernous ancestral house lit by
flickering oil lamps and watching a slow procession of incoming
guests all dressed in their most festive malong - I realized that the
colors of the malong take on the most incredible hues, and I was left
dumbstruck and totally mesmerized by what is the most stunningly
coordinated mix of colors I will ever see. Suddenly I realized that the
malong, to the Maranao, is meant to be viewed at a particular space-
time and ritual context to capture its wholeness, and that outside this
domain its appearance is not as important. My aesthetic presumptu-
ousness abruptly ended that night.
This incident made me realize the highly perceptual differences
elicited by objects or situations from the viewpoint of a user/actor
and that of an intruder/observer. It is in instances like this that a
culture reveals its "ways of seeing."

This article was originally presented as a lecture at the Ateneo de Manila Univer-
sity, sponsored by the National Commission on Culture and Art. It has been edited
for publication in Philippine Studies.

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

This brief note on Philippine aesthetics is based on three ba

assumptions. Firstly, the Philippine experience has to be viewed in
particular light. The colonial experience the Philippines has und
gone makes for a hybrid culture or a syncretic aesthetic tradit
Secondly, the aesthetic clarity of the still existing ethnic minoriti
which we refer to here as the "Other Philippines," conveys an unf
miliar richness which could be utilized as an excellent source of in-
spiration for the visual arts, if one is aiming for a culturally unique
result. Thirdly, when cultures are threatened, and the Philippines is,
they respond, or should respond, with reyitalization movements along
nativistic or indigenous directions. A revitalized culture will have a
correspondingly revitalized aesthetic direction. I will focus on these
three aspects to illustrate a peculiar direction of aesthetic develop-
ment as conditioned by strong external pressures.

Syncretic Aesthetics

The history of the Philippines reveals a series of exposures to out-

side influences with western influences beginning to filter in in the
middle of the 1500s. Located on the edge of the Great Traditions of
Asia, its politically decentralized system was no match for the en-
croaching outsider. Composed of small warring petty sultanates un-
dergoing incipient Islamization at the time of Western contacts, the
Philippines presented very little resistance to the skeletal force of
conquistadores. Political subservience also spelled cultural domina-
tion, and by the middle of the 1800s the Philippines' urbanized centers
displayed almost all the external trappings of a hispanized colony.
The almost total colonial period obliteration of traditional lowland
patterns was to shape what contemporary society experiences in cul-
ture and art, and by extension, in aesthetics. Any discussion of an
indigenous aesthetic has to begin from a very recent period in the
early 1800s when a private school of painting headed by a half-caste
named Damian Domingo was authorized to operate in Manila.
By the late 1800s two of its known painters named Juan Luna and
Felix Resurreccion-Hidalgo were winning top honors in the art sa-
lons in Spain and France. Trained in Europe, these two Filipino paint-
ers excelled in their art and this led to their being proclaimed locally
as master painters. The adulation given to Luna and Hidalgo influ-
enced very strongly the outlook towards western art that was
fostered in the generations that followed.

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 PHILIPPINE AESTHETICS

But the Spanish influence, which is actually a Mexican version of

Spanish culture since the Philippines was colonially governed v
Mexico for 250 years, did not fall on very resistant cultural ground
Left on its own, it remolded and transformed whatever it came int
contact with and produced an entirely new form in the process. Th
dynamism of the system recurred time and again and manifested its
in many aspects of Philippine society and culture.
If one were to search for a local tradition of the visual arts as
understood in their contemporary connotation, the Philippines would
have little to show by way of a continuing tradition that could be
reckoned, even within the written historical period. The paucity of
data on indigenous aesthetics in most basic art references in the Philip-
pines has as little to do with the lack of documentation as with an
absence of a local synthesized tradition that has attained a level of
style. A possible exception to this is the tradition of painted portraits
of the upper class, but only a handful had survived the ravages of
war and time. It seems that the indigenous tradition is diluted in the
process of its emergence and if it does attain a stylized level it
always conveys strong hints of its other nature as well.
The Philippine carved folk saint is the best example of this syncretic
phenomenon, where the coming together of two distinct traditions
best manifests itself. This ritual object - the folk saint - occupied a
significant place on the family altar of the ordinary Filipino during
the colonial period. Unlike the bigger santo found in the stone colo-
nial churches and chapels that litter the Philippine countryside which
was carved following the local priest's instructions to copy as closely
as possible the European iconographie format, the family altar folk
saint did not come under the priest's jurisdiction. In these folk saints
the local sculptor lavished his work with feeling, and the pieces that
came down to us today not only exude the undeniable charm of folk
art, but radiate as well the power of good sculpture. Using a Euro-
pean saint as a model, the local carver proceeded to inject his sensi-
tivity to the world around him in his work. The resultant product is
distinctly a hybrid - partly derivative, partly imitative, partly adap-
tive, but highly original.
A tinge of derogatoriness is implied when one refers to a work as
either derivative, imitative, or adaptive. In Third World contexts where
the colonial experience generally leaves an indelible mark, being de-
rivative, imitative, or adaptive is a given. Within such a society
accommodations and adjustments are continually being made so
that highly disruptive elements are transmuted. Viewed from one

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

perspective such a society often conveys a sense of harmony a

coherence. It is only when it is pitted against or confronted
another society that those accommodated elements sometimes
on a negative light - and accusations of being "copycat" or "sec
rate" are often heard.
To insist on the pristineness or undiluted quality of an aesthetic
tradition is to deny the inherent capacity of social systems to change
and alter through time. Social systems or aesthetic systems are not
static nor consistently uniform all throughout. The things and condi-
tions that elicit or evoke aesthetic experiences vary from culture to
culture and even vary from individual to individual within the same
culture. To insist that a particular aesthetic orientation should take a
highly specific form is to constrict or restrain in highly confining ways
the creative impulses of any one system. It is this dynamism that
often serves as a mechanism to constantly refine its own essence,
leading to different or new levels of aesthetic realms.
The common assumption in the field of aesthetics is that there is a
universal basis for perceptually gauging products of an aesthetic
nature. How consistent are these criteria? Are they applicable across
cultures? Does any one tradition or system have a right to pass judg-
ment on an emergent new form that is a product of two diverse sys-
tems? How far back in time can we go in considering such a cross-
breeding of aesthetics valid enough for it to attain its own integrity?
What are its limits, if any? To all these questions I have only partial
answers. In contemporary times, when the existence of videos are so
commonplace, the influences that such devices bring to alter various
perceptual and aesthetic orientations of people all over the world is
very significant. Our awareness of their potential impact on the psy-
che is our best weapon for coping with them.

The Other Philippines

A compartmentalized aesthetic can be delineated when one speaks

of Philippine culture. On one hand we have the lowlanders who
constitute roughly 90 percent of the entire population and who suc-
cumbed to colonization efforts and whose general lifestyle opened
itself to varied and unlimited influences. On the other hand, we have
the remaining 10 percent who eluded colonization efforts and pro-
tected their political and cultural integrity by retreating to the high-

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 PHILIPPINE AESTHETICS

lands and to inaccessible terrain and consequently succeeded in main-

taining a way of life that is at best only minimally linked to the
national mainstream.
Due to long periods of isolation, whether forced or self-imposed,
this "Other Philippines" presents a sharp contrast to the compara-
tively colorless and drab lowlanders. This is the world the outsider
does not often hear about. It is a world of pristine patterns, of com-
munion with nature, and of unvanquished spirit. This world has re-
tained its richness and traditions. It is also this Other Philippines that
the larger culture turns to when it wishes to convey a sense of unique
traditions and an uninfluenced distinct image for the country as a
whole. It is this world that the artist of today should constantly dig
deep into for his inspiration, insight, and connectedness.
The tradition from which the visual artists can draw their inspira-
tion has a wide range - weaving, carving, metal work, personal adorn-
ment - to mention only a few. These objects cannot be classed as
"visual arts" since this term is an outsider's category. As in all tradi-
tional cultures, the interlinkages of the different aspects of the cul-
ture are such that we have to view these objects in their totality and
not as specialized fragments of a whole. It is in the wholistic per-
spective that we get an inkling of the reason for the continuities and
persistence of certain aesthetic forms over a long span of time.
Most of the ethno-linguistic groups in the Other Philippines ex-
ploit psychic and sensory experiences to get to the heart of the mat-
ter. The practice of divination, meditation, ritual purification, ritual
dancing, chanting, fasting, etc. are channels to enhance one's ability
to establish interdimensional links and to attune one's self to cosmic
forces. These are viewed as vehicles for coping with major problems
or with life crisis events. Manifestations of artistic and aesthetic per-
ception represent special elements of these experiences or are pro-
duced as a result of these practices. That is why some of the most
aesthetically powerful pieces are related to the most complex or sa-
cred rituals. To provide an idea of what these objects are, let us briefly
describe them as they occur within the context of a tradition in the
"Other Philippines." For purposes of clarity and simplification, I have
grouped the numerous ethnic minorities into four major culture ar-
eas, as follows: The Cordilleras of Northern Luzon, The Muslim
groups of Mindanao and Sulu, The Ethnic highland groups of
Mindanao, and The Palawan-Mindoro Group.
The population encompassed by these groups accounts for most
of the people of the "Other Philippines." Instead of just describing

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

the objects, I have subsumed them under four main underlying ae

thetic principles which are pan-Philippine ethnic in their manifes
tion. These overriding qualities that characterize these objects from
different ethnic groups are resultant products of the creative proce

1. Heavy emphasis on form and motifs.

Recurring and highly repetitive patterns of motifs and consiste
use of certain forms are notable in all the traditions of the "Other
Philippines." Decorative elements found in varying forms appear in
the surface decoration of household objects, weaponry, ritual para-
phernalia, jewelry, and costumes. In the Cordilleras, motifs that in-
clude the human figure, snakes, lizards, and pigs are consistently used
in the embellishment of objects, both for everyday use as well as for
ritual. The most dominant of these figures is a carving of either seated,
standing, or dancing human paired-figures called bulul. Beyond their
ritual intent, these figures are carved with consummate skill and an
aesthetic sense that makes them the favorite collectible pieces from
this area. Ironically, it is the foreigner-resident who would initially
take interest in these pieces, eluding detection by Filipino art aficio-
nados until it was too late to do any formal study of them.
Among the Muslims of Mindanao representational art, particularly
of human and animal figures, does not recur. The influence of ortho-
dox Islamic practices is very obvious here. In lieu of these, there is
extensive use of the okir, a vine-leaf-tendril motif. Among the
Marañaos, the okir is generally colored, while among the Sulu archi-
pelago Muslims, it is left in natural finish. The okir motif is embel-
lished in practically all objects especially among the Maranao. It is
evident as well in the weaving, although less and less of it is being
done at the moment. More in evidence is the use of geometries which
are arranged in patterns and specific symmetry and differentiated with
the extensive use of colors. This is executed in the langkit the tapestry
woven strips in the malong.
Among the highland ethnics of Mindanao (Bagobo, Bilaan, Kalagan,
Manobo, Mandaya, Tagakaolo, Tboli and Ubo) the most interesting
achievement is the ikat process in the abaca woven cloth which they
embellish with animal and human figures. For a long time this par-
ticular tradition was not too well known, and it is only in the more
recent period that the very sophisticated use of ikat among them was
discovered. The Tboli of Cotabato continue to produce the abaca ikat
in large quantities, a result of earlier revitalization efforts of some
private agencies.

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 PHILIPPINE AESTHETICS

Animal forms again recur with considerable regularity among the

Tagbanua of Palawan Island. Various animal forms, particularly birds
are extensively carved for ritual. Among the Mangyans of Mindoro,
the existence of ritual representational symbols in their cloth is very
reminiscent of the "yantras" in India.

2. Concept of space does not allow the use of empty spaces

in composition.
This particular orientation is characteristic of practically all the
groups with the exception of the Cordillera where quite often a sin-
gular motif or figure adorns an object. But the over-all patterning of
motifs in a given space is much in evidence, particularly in the archi-
tectural detailing of the traditional houses.
The same concept of the use of space holds true for the Muslims
of Mindanao. Every available space is filled with various permuta-
tions of the vine-leaf-tendril motif. The ancestral houses of the
Maranao and the gravemarkers of the Samals of Tawi-tawi are excel-
lent examples of this. Even the hard metal work does not escape this
principle. The brass casting technique is a highly elaborate procedure
that completely encases the body of any piece with elaborate designs,
either geometries or okir designs. The Maranao, particularly, excel in
the silver inlaying on brass, unequalled in any other Philippine
ethnic group.
The idea is not to leave any space to set off whatever design might
have been created in any given space. This particular aesthetic pref-
erence is so widespread in the different indigenous areas of the Phil-
ippines that one could not help wondering whether this principle is
in the unconscious substratum of all contemporary Philippine crea-
tive processes in the visual arts or in the general area of design as in
fashion, interior decoration or architecture, as well.

3. Utilization of highly impermanent materials.

This principle is most evident in the recurrent rituals held for as
many reasons as there are deities, human problems, illnesses, misfor-
tunes, and natural forces. It is during these occasions that enormous
expenditures in resources and energy are made in creating pieces that
quite often are either burned, eaten, destroyed, or discarded after use.
The use of highly impermanent materials is not only seen among the
ethnic minorities but among the Philippine lowlanders as well.
What is evident in this practice is experiencing the essence of the
moment or the ritual. Importance is given more to the group interac-

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

tion that results in such gatherings than in the external trappings

only enhance the coming together of such groups in the first plac
The interactional validation of a village-wide network is the centra
focus, and the physical visual accoutrement plays a secondary role
a higher scale of value.
This particular aesthetic value is almost the opposite of the west
ern penchant for preservation, notable in the use of highly perma
nent materials in the creative process and its subsequent care. H
many times have we watched a westerner gaze in awe as someth
that had taken considerable energy and skill is bumed or destro
after use or in the process of using. This is not to say that there
no permanent materials used in these cultures. Various kinds of me
are worked over to produce various objects for everyday use and f
personal adornment, weapons, musical instruments, or rituals.
the fact remains that a range of objects, wherein considerable ene
is spent or where creative processes are in great evidence, are m
of highly perishable materials and that there is no attempt to p
serve these materials or that no great value is attached to them. T
is quite a marked departure from what we know of modern conser
vation, documentation, and preservation - which is a very hig
developed field in the west.
In museums great efforts are expended to preserve these hig
perishable materials. I am always reminded of the shocked face
my western colleagues who upon gazing at objects which they
had not been properly taken care of, not because we are careles
uncaring, but because in terms of priority they occupy a lower ra
of value than the actual ritual or social nexus in which such obj
are embedded. There is an obvious need here to know the difference
between what we are admonished to preserve and what we intui-
tively sense as intrisically important enough to preserve.

4. Sophisticated use of geometries and color.

Another principle that is discernible particularly in the Muslim area

of the Philippines is the use of geometries and color. This particular
orientation is not duplicated anywhere else in the Philippines and is
unique to the Muslim area. Colored geometries are achieved in one
medium - weaving on backstrap looms - among the Tausug, Samal,
Yakan, and Maranao. Pure silk threads are used in the process of
creating these works of pure geometry and color. This particular tra-
dition which was prevalent when a brisk trade was carried on
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 PHILIPPINE AESTHETICS

between Muslim Mindanao and the middlemen of the mainland

Chinese silk traders. The tradition abruptly came to an end with the
introduction of cheap cotton earlier and intensified with the onset o
World War II.
One of the more unique features of this tradition of colored
geometries is found in a piece of woven cloth woven by the Yakan of
Basilan Island. They were able to achieve an optical illusion in the
woven cloth - a phenomena that is quite uncommon. This squarish-
shaped cloth called seputangan is generally used as a male headdress.
The Tausug male headdress called piz rivals the Yakan seputangan
both in color, geometry, and intricacy. Although executed in a differ-
ent technique and using different materials, both groups have achieved
parallel levels of excellence. Although both groups continue to weave
up to the present, the lack of the raw silk materials has affected their
productivity as well as their artistry.
The Maranao who had achieved a high degree of sophistication in
their tapestry strips for the malong have continued with their tradi-
tion of silk thread weaving, not only of malong but other items of
wear as well. Their Samal counterparts in the far flung Tawi-tawi
islands, because of their geographic location, have less access to silk
threads. As a result, their tradition of silk belts and headdresses has
almost totally disappeared.
The use of geometries and color is echoed in the strip weaving of
sleeping mats among the Samals of Tawi-tawi islands. The colored
geometries in the cloth among the Tausug and Yakan were achieved
in symmetrical fashion, while the colored geometries on the sleeping
mats of the Samai are totally asymmetrical, but nonetheless still very
coherent. Considering that the weavers have no sketch or plans ex-
cept what is in their heads while weaving, their skill it appears is far
more complex than the most sophisticated computer. The need to pass
on these skills or protect their integrity is of utmost importance - a
fact that has not been so far officially recognized in the Philippines.
Geometries also figured in the weaving process in the Cordilleras
among the Tingguian of Abra. Their woven blankets of highly sym-
metrical optically-deceiving patterns have remained unknown until
very recently. We have yet to discern whether the creation of
geometries is conditioned by the production limits of the backstrap
loom and whatever limitations it has. Or are the weavers tapping the
collective unconscious and bringing down the form that is part of a
repertoire of forms that are universal. The answer is still elusive. All
we know is that the weaver's art in some of the groups in the Philip-

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

pines has produced some of the most interesting patterns and

mutations we have known.

Aesthetic Revitallzation

When a culture is threatened, it usually takes steps to protect itself

in order to maintain its balance and sense of self. In most cultures
this takes the form of conscious revitalization by going deeper into
its creative well for inspiration. The Philippines as a culture, at some
levels is a very threatened culture and it behaves so. One only has to
note the works of contemporary artists to sense this highly inten-
tional direction to ground itself in an identifiable culture rather than
to play the game of culture hybrids. A realization has come that there
is a rich treasure trove of themes, motifs, forms, images, color, ritual,
and other materials to draw from for inspiration. But how does one
use the past as well as the living present to make a statement about
the human condition and to sensitize other people to what one per-
ceives? The cardinal rule when faced with this challenge is to recog-
nize that there is a problem.
We have spoken of the Philippines as a model of a cultural hybrid
and that it has a treasure trove of pockets of cultures whose lifeways
have been hardly altered which could serve as a fountainhead for
inspiration. Being a cultural hybrid is both an asset and a liability.
An asset in the sense that the barriers and boundaries that are often
imposed by the culture do not exist for a hybrid, thereby creating a
freer context to develop and function. It is a liability in the sense that
the hybrid culture does not provide the focused nurturing elements
so necessary in the socialization process to painlessly and effortlessly
imbibe a crystalized aesthetic orientation that could serve as a foun-
dation for later creative growth.
Several directions may be offered to serve as a catalyst for aes-
thetic revitalization.
The initial step is the documentation of the materials that are
viewed as the possible source of data for subsequent instructional
purposes, to synthesize already existing or scattered materials and
summarize them in a coherent format of ideas, from the simple to
the complex. By this effort the gaps in the data would become obvi-
ous. These gaps would then be noted as points for further research.
The summary of this effort could be made available to as large a

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 PHILIPPINE AESTHETICS

number of people as possible in the art and culture fields for initial
reaction, feedback, and corrective comments.
Interestingly enough for the Philippines, efforts along these line
were initiated and implemented up to a point a number of years ago
A project in the early 1970s called "Philippine Heritage" was started
It initially meant to publish a magazine, on a weekly basis, that wou
carry articles on Philippine culture, art, geography, archaeology, bi
ology, and folklore, to be sold at affordable prices for students. Th
conceptualization of this project takes into account all the gaps in th
historical and cultural accounts in the school textbooks. A flaw in the
present textbooks is the failure to make any reference to our vital
ethnic minorities, conveying to the young reader that these groups
and their culture are not significant or important. Included in the
project are all the latest findings in our prehistory, gleaned from the
latest archaeological sources. The project was a positive step towards
redefining our basic concepts of history. It is quite a departure from
how it is presently taught. The ten-volume work came out but the
present cost of acquiring this body of work is beyond most students'
or teachers' budgets.
The synthesized materials have to be recast for use at different
levels of instructions: elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels. In-
structional manuals for teachers and students have to accompany the
basic reading materials. The main thrust at this point is to provide
the basic information about the country's culture, and an awareness
of its historic and cultural past.
These basic instructional materials disseminated through the school
system could be supported by outside reading materials published
by private agencies under the guidance of the project. These type of
publications could take the form of the following:
A Comic Books series featuring three types of content such as sto-
ries from legends and myths, pictorial dramatizations of historical
events, and cultural features such as the depiction of certain ritual or
practice; a popular scientific-geographic format (taking cues from the
National Geographic magazine) could come out in a monthly basis; a
cultural travel magazine focused on domestic tourism.
Any visitor to Japan cannot help but notice the incredible sensitiv-
ity of the ordinary Japanese to a lot of things that are aesthetic in
nature. One has only to visit the most ordinary residence of a
provincial Japanese to marvel at the level on which aesthetics are
built-in into all levels of the life of the Japanese. Inspite of a high

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PHILIPPINE STUDIES

technology orientation, the smallest detail is looked into. One w

ders whether this is one of the secrets of why the Japanese are
efficient and the most economically successful country in the worl
I discovered on a visit I made to Japan a number of years ago tha
the Japanese have one subject taught up to the high school level th
is quite unlike other courses I have known in other countries. T
subject is ikebana - the traditional flower arrangement. The subject
required for both men and women. If one takes a closer look
ikebana, one discovers that in this course one learns all the rudime
of aesthetics: form, balance, contrast, texture, color, symmetry - bo
in terms of dynamics and within the context of nature. It is a ver
high disciplinary practice whose results are obvious in Japanese lif
There should be a course in the school curriculum that teaches
basic aesthetics to children even at the early stages of formal
training. Practitioners in the art education fields have always known
how art functions as a very meaningful segment of the curriculum
content of schools.
Indonesia has gone even further to validate and support this prin-
ciple by instituting a system of traditional art schools, distinct from
the regular school system, as part of emphasizing Indonesia's artistic
and cultural heritage. Each acts according to one's needs, and in the
Philippines we need this particular infusion of aesthetic content in a
very urgent way.
The impact of the printed page and the visual image is very pow-
erful. In this age of paperbacks and videos, the significant influence
that these channels of information make cannot be underestimated.
Movies from other lands and ideas which have roots in another cul-
ture are readily available for consumption. Such materials if viewed
by young impressionable minds can have a very significant effect
which may not be positive at all. This, of course, is a well known
fact, and measures to restrict the use or distribution of these materi-
als should be implemented.
The role that media performs for the general population as well as
the power it exercises in not only in disseminating, but sometimes
also in unconsciously undermining, distorting, or corrupting the qual-
ity of the information it presents. If utilized properly, the media could
be one of the most powerful attitude-changing devices known pres-
ently. With this obvious power to transform and effect significant
changes in the viewer or reader, what has media done?
The media can create the most significant impact in programs of
cultural revitaližation. A required viewing time for cultural fare could

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 PHILIPPINE AESTHETICS

be instituted in prime time television programs to insure the larges

exposure possible. It could create educational format programs th
could serve as an adjunct to the school curriculum. It could featu
role models drawn from highly successful professionals whose fields
are in the arts and culture. In the third world at present, the ide
role models are movie stars and pop singers. Newspapers and mag
zines might be required to devote a regular section to art an
culture - just as they do for sports.
A national program for the arts that reaches out to the grassroot
level is imperative as a support system in coordination with the pre
viously mentioned suggestions. In the Philippines since the end
the Marcos regime, a new direction in terms of outreach has be
instituted and implemented and has resulted in decentralizing th
activity from Manila, and allowing local systems to initiate program
for support. Various art councils have been formed in at least 18 cit
ies, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines implements programs
related to theatre, dance, literature, film, visual arts, ethnic conserva
tion, and research.
A bill has now been passed in Congress which outlines the cre
tion of the Manlilikha ng Bayan - a model patterned after Japan
system of protection and support for leading craftsmen in differen
fields. A subsidy that will allow such skilled and vanishing craft
men to pass on their skills and knowledge is provided. The identifi-
cation of these artists is being conducted by the National Comm
sion on Culture and Art (NCCA) and it will pave the way fo
honoring nationally the talented craftsmen who have toiled to pro-
duce handcrafted treasures of sublime quality. It would be t
culmination of a search for identity, an identification of what
aesthetic, and a return to the basics.
The search for a nation's soul is a collective journey for all. It can
only be done in concert with others and it has to be pursued wit
sincerity and zeal. But most of all it should strive for the highe
level of excellence and aesthetics.

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