Republic of the Philippines

APAYAO STATE COLLEGE

North Apayao Campus
San Isidro Sur, Luna, Apayao

Worktext
in
GE ELEC 11

INDIGENEOUS CREATIVE
CRAFTS (Week 1-4)

Prepared by:

DON JOHN N. FRONDA

Instructor
 LESSON
INDIGENEOUS CREATIVE CRAFTS

The Peopling of the Philippines

Archaeological finds in Palawan (e.g., Tabon Skull

fragments) suggest that there were already prehistoric
inhabitants in the Philippines as early as the Pleistocene
period.
Through carbon dating, the fossil remains were
believed to be about 22,000 years old. In the Philippine
cultural landscape, the new Stone Age was the impetus
of the development of Filipino modern societies. At
this point, early Filipinos were starting to domesticate
plants and animals, and food production was no longer
limited to family consumption. At that time, people
were dependent on agricultural as well as hunting and
gathering activities.
The work of Gaillard and Mallari (2004)
summarized the different schools of thought to
explain the peopling of the Philippines. The first
hypothesis argues that there is an internal development
happening within the so-called Austronesian region
(citing the work of William Meacham).This means that
there was an internal human evolution that
transpired around that area. Another theory is the
Multiple Homeland Hypothesis proposed by Bayer,
which argues that there are multiple origins of the
peopling of the Philippines. The first wave relates to the
movement of people coming from Indonesia to the
Philippines. The second movement also originated from
Indonesia—when the people reached the country, they
dispersed and proceeded to different islands. The
third wave came from Indochina, while the last wave
came from Mainland China to the Philippines.
The other theory is the Melanesian Homeland
Hypothesis (cited in the work of Dren),
which argues that the movement of people originated
from Melanesia around 3,500 BC. The Unique South
China Sea Homeland Hypothesis proposed by Solheim,
meanwhile, argues that the peopling of the Philippines
was related to the thriving of trade relations happening
around Borneo and the Celebes Sea (Gaillard and
Mallari, 2004). The trade activities brought the
Nusantao to the Philippines and even as far as Taiwan.
 Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines

Although not accurate, the population estimate of

indigenous peoples in the Philippines is 12 million.
Many of them reside in the uplands, while some are in
coastal villages (De Vera, 2007). The indigenous
population is about 14% of the country’s total
population. The report of De Vera (2007) notes that
there are 110 indigenous groups in the Philippines,
many of which reside on the islands of Mindanao (e.g.,
Manobo) and Northern (e.g., Ifugao) and Southern
Luzon (e.g., Mangyan, Tagbanwa). The indigenous
peoples are generally dependent on agriculture,
although some indigenous groups like those in the
island provinces are dependent on fishing.

In Region I and CAR, the northern mountain

ranges of the Cordillera are home to the Tingguian,
Isneg, northern Kalinga, Bontoc, Sagada, Ifugao,
Southern Kalinga, Ibaloi and Kankanaey. These groups
occupy the watershed areas near the Abulag, Tineg and
Chico rivers, or interior of the hills, narrow strips of flat
land along deep valleys, and plateaus.

In Region II, the Cagayan Valley and Carabbalo

range are home to the Ibanag, Itawes, Yogad, Gaddang,
Ilongot, Ikalahan, Isinai, and some Aeta groups.

In Region III, the Sierra Madre range of eastern

Luzon is the home of the Dumagat, Pugot, and other
Aeta groups. The Zambales range and the mountains of
Pampanga and Tarlac are the home of the Aeta and the
Sambal.

In Region IV, the Pacific coast of Quezon

province, and the islands of Polillo and Alabat
are the home of different Agta groups. The island of
Mindoro is the home of seven Mangyan groups: Iraya,
Alangan, Tadyawan, Tao-Buid, Buhid, Hanunoo, and
Gubatnon. The island of Palawan is the home of the
Tagbanua, Batak, Palawanon and Cuyunon.

In Region V, the mountains of Bicol Peninsula are

the home of different Agta groups: Kabihug of
Camarines Norte, Agta Tabangnon, Agta Cimarron, and
Itom (Camarines Sur,
Albay, and Sorsogon).

In Region VI, the interior foothills and remote

coastal areas of Panay and Negros Islands are the home
of the Sulod and the Ati. In Mindanao, the hinterlands
and coastal lowlands of the Zamboanga peninsula, the
plateaus of Bukidnon, the upper headwaters of the
Davao, Tinanan, and Kulaman rivers, the coastal areas
along the Davao Gulf and the interior hinterlands of
southeastern Mindanao are the home of the Lumads.
“Lumad” is the generic term used to refer to the
indigenous peoples of Mindanao. They are considered
to comprise the largest number of indigenous peoples in
the country. The 18 groups that compose the Lumad
include the following: Subanen, B’laan, T’boli,
Mandaya, Mansaka, Tiruray, Higaonon, Manobo,
Bagobo, Bukidnon, Tagakaolo, Ubo, Banwaon,
Kalagan, Dibabawon, Talaandig,
Mamanwa and Manguangan.
Who are the Indigenous People?.
Defining Indigenous People
The word “indigenous” comes from the Latin word
“indigen” which means native or original inhabitant—
an idea that became popular in the 17th century. Thus,
the most common understanding of the concept
suggests that they are people who are the original
inhabitants of the land. According to the United Nations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the term
“indigenous” has been used continuously, whether as a
form of collective names for categorization or as
representation to the legal issues in the corresponding
state that governs them. They are most often mentioned
as tribal people or ethnic groups or communities. Still,
there are different names associated with indigenous
people in different countries such as Canada, where
they are referred to as first/people or nations; in
Australia where they are aboriginals; in India where
they are adivasi; in Nepal as janajati; and in Indonesia
and Malaysia where they are referred to as orang
asli which means tribal people, or bumiputera which
means son of soil.
Scholarly Definitions of Indigenous People
Corntassel (2003) provides a historical
development of the conceptualization
of the term Indigenous People in the academe and its
implication to the
status and condition of these groups. Franke Wilmer is
considered as the first social scientist to examine the
condition of IPs in the world and defines IPs first as
those with tradition-based culture; second as those who
were politically autonomous before colonization; and
third as those who continued to struggle for the
preservation of their cultural integrity, economic
selfreliance and political independence against
colonizers and the modern states. Wilmer and Gerald
Alfred and Franke Wilmer teamed up in 1997 to come
up with three criteria for a group to be considered as IP.

This was intended to correct the ambiguities

provided in Wilmer’s 1993 definition (Corntassel,
2003). These criteria include the fact that they are
descended from the original inhabitants of the
geographic areas they continue to occupy, making them
aboriginal. Second, they intend to live in conformity
with their tradition based cultures, which are evolving.

And last, their political destiny is subjected

to policy from outside forces, which refers primarily to
the State they belong to.

Thus, their political destiny and existence is

beyond their control. In his definition of IPs in 1996,
James Andaya highlighted the issue of ancestral
roots and the continued colonial domination of IPs’
homelands by the modern
state (Corntassel, 2003). To Andaya, Indigenous
Peoples are those who are
living descendants of pre-invasion inhabitants and
whose lands are now dominated by others. Second, they
are indigenous because their ancestral roots are fixed in
the territory they occupy and will continue to occupy or
in areas in close proximity to this land in case of
dislocation. Third, they can be considered as a distinct
community because their ancestors’ way of life is
carried over into the present generation.
Who Are IPs in the Philippines?
In the Philippines, Indigenous People are
commonly referred to as katutubo. In Mindanao they
are collectively called Lumad to separate them from the
Islamized ethnic groups in the region (Arquiza, 2016).
The legal definition is provided by Republic Act No.
8371 otherwise known as “An Act to Recognize,
Protect and Promote the Rights of Indigenous Cultural
Communities/Indigenous Peoples, Creating a National
Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Establishing
Implementing Mechanisms, Appropriating Funds

Therefor, and for other Purpose.” Chapter 2 Section 3

(h) of R.A. 8371 refers to IPs as synonymous with
Indigenous Cultural Communities or ICC, and defines
them as having the following qualifications:
a. A group of people or homogenous societies
identified by self-ascription and ascription by others,
who have continuously lived as an organized
community on communally-bounded and defined
territory;
 b. Those who have, under claims of ownership
since time immemorial, occupied, possessed and
utilized such territories, sharing common bonds of
language, customs, traditions and other distinctive
cultural traits;

c. Those who have, through resistance to political,

social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-
indigenous religions and cultures, become historically
differentiated from the majority of Filipinos;

d. Peoples who are regarded as indigenous on

account of their descent from the populations that
inhabited the country at the time of conquest or
colonization, or of inroads of non-indigenous religions
and cultures, or the establishment of present state
boundaries;

e. People who retain some or all of their own

social, economic, cultural and political institutions; and

f. People who may have been displaced from their

traditional domains or who may have resettled outside
their ancestral domains.

Filipino Indigenous Philosophy and Worldviews

Filipino Philosophy can be divided into three
approaches with 16 different meanings. According to
Gripaldo (2014), the following approaches can be
observed: the traditional/ philosophical approach, the
cultural approach and the
nationality/constitutional approach. The traditional
approach is based on the Greek model, wherein
individual Filipino philosophers’ ideas are discussed.

The nationality/constitutional approach deals with

writings of Filipinos in general, whether it be on a
Western or Eastern topic. The cultural approach, on the
other hand, addresses the people’s philosophical
perspectives and views on socio-linguistic, cultural and
folk concepts. Philippine indigenous philosophy and
worldviews are classified under the cultural approach;
accordingly, they can be divided into the following
categories:

• Filipino grassroots or folk philosophies

• Folk philosophy appropriation
• Interpretation of Filipino identity and worldview
• Local cultural values and ethics research and
• Implications and presuppositions of Filipino
worldviews

Principles of these worldviews:

1. Knowledge is holistic, cyclic, and dependent
upon relationships and
connections to living and non-living beings and entities;
2. There are many truths, and these truths are
dependent upon individual experiences;
3. Everything is alive;
4. All things are equal;
5. The land is sacred;
6. The relationship between people and the spiritual
world is important; and
 7. Human beings are least important in the world.

Indigenous Filipino Spirituality

Filipino Spirituality
Spirituality is related to the search for the sacred
in a person, object, or ritual that is above the self (Hill
et al., 2000). Filipinos are known to be religious and
spiritual people. The Filipino culture is rich in religious
traditions, which include various rituals, devotions and
beliefs. Long before the Spaniards came, Filipinos
already believed in a God and they already had different
religious rituals that demonstrated their spirituality
(Enriquez, 1994). When it comes to Filipino spirituality,
early Filipinos had many animistic practices
across different places in the Philippines. For Salazar
(1993 as cited in Aquino, 2000), Filipinos’ belief in an
“anito” is an important factor in their faith. He
considers the “anito” as a pure soul, pure spirit, or god.

He asserts that this “anito” religion still thrives

today and can be seen in different Catholic folk
practices. Aetas consider Apu Namalyari as their
supreme God and they have other gods that abound in
the environment. Mangyans consider Mahal-Umako as
their god because he is the one who created all things
that can be seen and unseen. The relationship of
Filipinos with “anitos” can be considered as something
deep and can be viewed as a form of
pakikipagkapwa (Hernandez, 2014).
 The deep relationship of Filipinos and “anitos” can
still be seen in their religious traditions. For us to
understand the spirituality of Filipinos, it is important to
look at the different religious practices, especially those
in Folk Catholicism (Yabut, 2013b).

Demetrio (1991) has documented various rituals

and prayers Filipinos have across the Philippines. These
different practices can be seen not only in different
devotions among

Filipinos but also in indigenous practices such as

the ones in Mt. Banahaw. On this sacred mountain,
devotees consider rocks, caves, trees and bodies of
water as sacred. Filipino devotees from different places
in the Philippines go to Mt. Banahaw to worship
and express their spirituality.

Strong Faith and Religious Rituals of Aetas

Carunungan (2005) also highlights the faith and
some religious practices of Aetas that exist to this day.
Most Aetas have a strong faith in God. It is not unusual
for them to explain or attribute their experiences in life
to God. They usually use the phrase “kaloob
ng Dios” or “tadhana ng Maykapal,” meaning “will of
God.” Even at the time that they suffer problems, they
remain faithful to God and say "Kung ano man ang
ipagkaloob ng Diyos" ("Whatever God provides”).
Lastly, Carunungan (2005) identifies various Aeta
religious practices that include certain
rituals like as in the form of prayers and dancing. For
example, she mentions that there
are various ceremonies done in pig hunting. Aeta
women perform some dances and collect shellfish the
night before the hunting. The dance is meant to show
gratitude and is also a form of apology for the killing.
Aeta men also perform bee dances before and
after collecting honey.
Indigenous Languages and Literatures
In contemporary times, there is a growing
advocacy for an increase in awareness and concern to
help IP groups in some nations to conserve their
languages. IP languages’ abandonment or the extinction
of IP languages has been an evident adverse outcome of
the process of language convergence, or they die
naturally (Headland, 2003; Crystal, 2000). This is
primarily influenced by the utilization of national or
official languages in educational institutions; thus, IP
children do not learn to speak or use their own
language. Second, the need to communicate to
non-IP results in frequent borrowing from dominant
languages in the region.

These situations are also evident in the Philippines,

and necessitate the need to help in the efforts of IP
groups, government agencies and NGOs to conserve
and preserve the dying and threatened IP languages.

2. Role of Indigenous Language

An Indigenous Peoples Language can be defined
simply as the language spoken uniquely by a group
people who affiliates with a particular indigenous group
and/or with origins in the particular group (Spolsky,
2002). The Martinez Cobo Study in 1986 provided an
expanded definition of IP language, saying it refers to a
language identified with and unique to a particular
indigenous community. This language can either be
used as the only language, as mother tongue, as the
habitual means of communication at home or in the
family, or as the main, preferred, habitual, general
or considered normal language.

There are two other concepts that posed a constant

threat to the preservation and conservation of IP
languages: national and dominant regional language.
National language is defined as the official language/s
adopted by a particular state or nation (Bamgbose,
1991). This is typically learned when the child of an IP
community engages in school. Dominant regional
language, on the other hand, refers to the language
spoken by dominant ethno-linguistic groups in a
particular geographical location. It is usually adopted by
the IP community to be able
to communicate and establish trade with non-IP.
The role of IP languages has been reduced to a
medium for communications at home and in the
community, which is the result of the need to learn and
adopt to regional and national languages (Headland,
2003).

However, according to the United Nations General

Assembly, IP language must not be regarded as second-
rate or indifferent. It is a significant part of indigenous
people’s ways of life, culture and identity. A particular
language embodies the ideas,
beliefs, values, and abstraction that contain their sense
of history, psychology and mindset, understanding of
the world, spirituality, and the vision of their
community.

Role of Indigenous Literature

IP literature provides different functions in an IP
community. It may simply beintended as a form of
entertainment during ordinary days and special
occasions (Tiu, 2015; Asain, 2006). However, it also
serves as a non-material artifact that contains
the group’s history (Asain, 2006). Moreover, according
to Asain, the stories and legends can be a form of
instructional tool and define the cultural and ethnic
identity of the IP group to future generations. IP
literature is also meant to justify rituals and institutions,
and guides the members of the group to follow its
prescribed norms (Tiu, 2001; Cole, 1915). In
contemporary times, they are narrations of the
struggle of the IP groups to assert their rights for self-
preservation and selfdetermination
(Bañez, 2002).

Thus, IP literatures serve as a vehicle of cultural

transmission to the future generations of IPs of
particular customs, belief and practices (Asain, 2006;
Bañez, 2002; Tiu, 2001; Cole, 1915). The primary role
of these literatures is the preservation and conservation
of the identity of the Indigenous Peoples as a distinct
and unique group.
Indigenous Literature in the Philippines
IP literatures in the Philippines can be categorized
in conventional literary forms (Asain, 2009; Cole, 2000;
Blake, 1911). These include epics, stories, “bugtong” or
riddles, folk tales, mythology, legends and oration.
However, elaborate prayers and ritual chants can also
be considered as forms of IP literature (Scott et al.,
1956).

Existing studies on IP literatures in the Philippines

suggest that these literatures are told, memorized and
retold in oral form (Bañez, 2002; Tiu, 2001; Cole
1915). In some groups, selected individuals are tasked
to be storytellers and they pass on this vital
responsibility through inheritance within the family, as
in the privileged “binukot” of the Tumanduk group of
Panay Island (Bañez, 2002). Keeping a “binukot,” a
cloistered young girl in the family who learns to chant
the epic of the community gives the family prestige,
exempts her from labor, and commands a high bride
price.

In certain , IP groups there is the retelling of the

myths and legends—among the Igorots, the elders and
the priests or “mumbaki” are known to be the
storytellers (Scott et al., 1956). However, in some IP
communities, while most members of the community
can retell the stories to their children, the details vary
from one person to another.
 Among the Hanunuo-Mangyan in Mindoro, the
“ambahan” is not limited to a single individual or
family (Postma, 1981). It can be learned and sung by all
members of the community. The pitch and the words
can differ from one person to another. Several
researches suggest that the storyteller can unconsciously
retell the stories and add their own or the group’s
current experiences, contemporary beliefs of the tribes
and contact with outsiders (Bañez, 2002; Cole, 1915).

Thus, one of the major characteristics of IP

literature is that it is constantly evolving and adapting to
the changes in the way of life and beliefs of the
community.

Philippine Indigenous Arts and Crafts

The earliest art forms in the Philippines that have
not yet been somewhat penetrated by Western
influences are music and dance. The war dance
interwoven in Igorot rituals, the Ifugao funeral dance,
and the Benguet victory dance are examples of the
dances in pure indigenous form. Other dances represent
the daily affairs of the community such as planting,
fishing, pounding rice, etc. (Panizo and Rustia, 2003).
Indigenous peoples decorate their everyday implements
with art. In the Mountain Province, “shields, spoons,
ladles, bowls” and figurines are infused with art through
woodcarving. In Mindanao, on the other hand, original
Muslim art can be recognized through certain motifs,
colors and patterns. These stylized elements are evident
through brasswork, tools, weaponry and musical
instruments. (Ortiz et. al., 1976).
A Filipino person’s characteristic of being
relational or communal is evident in his or her
art. Traditional art reflects this orientation as well, with
the following specifics:

1• Art is not separated from its other values and

functions such as “religious, moral, spiritual, social and
ecological concerns”

2• Sensory modes are cultivated holistically and have

to be developed together

3• Art is assimilated into life

4• The community is involved in the work of art; thus,

one artist is rarely recognized and remains anonymous
most of the time

5• There is no dichotomy of the artist and society

6• No rigid standards dictate materials, forms or

techniques

7• Process of creation is valued over the work of art

8• Conceptualization and realization is simultaneous

(De Leon, 2011)
PRINCIPLE OF INDIGENEOUS CREATIVE
CRAFTS

INDIGENOUS MATERIALS

Each region of the Philippines has its own

indigenous communities. Similarly, each of these
communities has its own unique arts and crafts. In
northern Luzon, for example, the Ilocanos are known
for the craftsmanship of the cotton fabric inabel and the
folk dance binatbatan. Whether it be visual arts, song
and dance, handicrafts, tapestries and clothing or
pottery, each region boasts of exceptional talent, skill
and creativity. Unfortunately, these masterpieces have
been “downgraded” by outsiders to merely crafts or
handicrafts that are only worthy of being sold in tourist
shops (This is also known as the art vs. crafts
controversy) (Racette and Robertson, 2009). Indigenous
artists do not showcase their efforts, and their
accomplishments are rarely valued. The earliest art
forms in the Philippines that have not yet been
somewhat penetrated by Western influences are music
and dance. The war dance interwoven in Igorot rituals,
the Ifugao funeral dance, and the Benguet victory dance
are examples of the dances in pure indigenous form.
Other dances represent the daily affairs of the
community such as planting, fishing, pounding rice, etc.
(Panizo and Rustia, 2003). Indigenous peoples decorate
their everyday implements with art. In the Mountain
Province, “shields, spoons, ladles, bowls” and figurines
are infused with art through woodcarving. In Mindanao,
on the other hand, original Muslim art can be
recognized through certain motifs, colors and patterns.
These stylized elements are evident through brasswork,
tools, weaponry and musical instruments. (Ortiz et. al.,
1976)
The Indigenous Material. Is an adjective meaning
"originating in and characteristic of a particular region
or country". Indigenous materials, therefore, are
materials that are naturally and locally found in a
specific place or area.

Some areas are less endowed than others, so

indigenous materials vary depending on the geographic
features and location and climate condition of a region.
These materials in effect become a large influence on
the lifestyle and culture of a region's people overtime
with the skills and crafts handed down through
generations.
Identifying Indigenous Material. It is something
you do not need to spend or have trouble fetching; in
other words, you do not need to use major and
improved transport systems. Indigenous materials also
do not require costly processing, which consume energy
and other resources, and can be used even in their raw,
untreated forms.

Indigenous Material in our Locality. The

indigenous materials commonly found in our country
largely consist of a variety of timbers, canes, grass, and
palms. We have a large variety of soft and hardwoods
used in the construction and furniture industry, a few of
the most popular we know are narra, kamagong and
mahogany. The ever-famous bamboo is used in both
industries as well as in many handicrafts, where abaca
and rattan are also greatly used and woven into wicker
products. The coconut tree is also a favorite indigenous
material for its flexibility and overall usability from the
root to the leaves.
Other indigenous materials in the country that
are commonly known and used creatively in crafts and
decoration are capiz, pearls, corals, and seashells, being
an archipelago naturally abundant in beaches and
marine resources. Even being in the Pacific Ring of Fire
has its effect on the availability of volcanic refuse as a
resource. Lahar and other igneous rocks are vastly
being incorporated in construction.

How do we Utilize Indigenous Material? Today,

indigenous materials are fairly considered more for
their aesthetic purpose, with little respect for their
potential functionality, than for conventional urban
development. We have grown used to buildings
enclosed by concrete and glass that we get fascinated
when we enter any place enclosed by traditional
bamboo poles or coconut timber.
"Unfortunately, the materials we use naturally
affect the environment. Their production and
transportation deplete resources and consume energy.
More and more building materials are becoming scarce
not only the raw materials but also the energy needed to
produce them and if present trends continue, some of
the most common raw materials and energy sources,
such as oil and natural gas, will be exhausted within
about the next century. And it is on these that we have
become increasingly dependent since World War II as
natural materials have been supplemented with
synthetic chemicals and plastic products.

Traditional materials like clay and stone still

abound, and timber can be replenished by properly
managed reforestation. In addition, if these materials
are easily reused or recycled, they produce little or no
pollution and they are reabsorbed into the natural cycles
of the environment once their use as building materials
is over. Energy from fossil fuels is becoming scarce and
the amount used in the production and transportation of
materials is high. The best materials therefore are those
materials that need little processing and/or are local.

Locally grown and reclaimed timber entails only a

low energy cost expenditure. Clay dug from the site of
the house and used for bricks or adobe is another
example of a material that uses almost no energy except
that required for the building work. In contrast to
natural materials, synthetic and processed products,
such as plastics, aluminum, steel, glass, and oven-fired
bricks and clay tiles, require a high-energy expenditure
on both production and transportation.

The advantages of using indigenous materials?

Hereon we can conclude that the natural indigenous

materials available in our country are ecological;
therefore they are elementally., Renewable and
abundant, coming from diverse natural sources and
whose production has low impact on the environment
Naturally nonpolluting, emitting no harmful vapors,
particles or toxins into the environment

Energy efficient, using low energy in production,

transport, and use, and generally coming from local
regions. Produced and or harvested under good working
conditions and fair means. Low waste and capable of
being reused and recycled (Pearson). The disadvantages
in using indigenous materials. Durability is good but
still not as or failsafe as in processed materials like steel
and plastics. Is vulnerable to weathering and
deterioration due to moisture.

Lower resistance to impact (compared to processed

metals. Craft skills are much slower in processing than
engineering and technology . Those produced with craft
skills in effect are more expensive than factory/machine
made alternatives that are lower in buying cost and are
more advertised and readily available.

IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS MATERIALS

Indigenous materials, therefore, are materials that

are naturally and locally found in a specific place or
area. Indigenous materials also do not require costly
processing, which consume energy and other resources,
and can be used even in their raw, untreated forms.

What are indigenous materials?

Indigenous materials are materials that are
naturally and locally found in a specific place such as
timbers, canes, grass, palms, and rattan.
 Why is it important to develop local materials?
The use of local materials and products is
important to create a sense of belonging, an emotional
relationship between our people and our spaces. This
level of engagement which makes people feel
comfortable at work, having an impact on humans well-
being.
What are the indigenous and local materials?
Indigenous materials are materials that are
naturally and locally found in a specific place such as
timbers, canes,grass , palms, and rattan.
What are the five indigenous and local materials?
Bamboo. Testament to its siting in West Africa’s
forest belt, fast-growing and renewable bamboo is
widely grown and available in Ghana, supporting 25
identified species including native and introduced
kinds.

 Laterite.
 Timber.
 Stone.
 Seashells.

What are the disadvantages of using indigenous

material?

Disadvantages
 Less durable than plastic or metal.
 Vulnerable to weathering via moisture.
 Impact-vulnerable.
 Slower process in terms of producing.
 More expensive than factory/machine made
alternatives.
 References
http://www.makasining.org/
Cutting+Tools++pictures&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjk
i4Da9L_1AhW-w4sBHXdFBlsQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq
What safety procedures should be taken when making
craft items?
https://www.canada.ca › services › home-garden-safe
https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-
culture/weaving-revival-coronavirus-pandemic/
Gaillard, J., and Mallari, J. (2004). The peopling of the
Philippines: A cartographic
synthesis. Hukay: Journal of the University of the
Philippines Archaeological Studies
Program, 6, pp.1-27.