Bulul figures are available in various sizes from the Banaue market and from carvers in Banaue, Batad, and surrounding villages. Prices range from PHP 500 for small tourist pieces to PHP 5,000+ for larger, more finely carved examples. The most significant pieces -- those actually used in ceremonies and anointed over generations -- are considered heritage objects and should not be removed from the communities that own them. What you'll find in the market are pieces carved for sale, which are still produced with genuine skill and represent an authentic continuation of the tradition.
Smaller Ifugao carvings include figures of animals, human forms in traditional dress, and decorative items. At Banaue's market and in the streets of Sagada (Mountain Province), carvings are also available from the Kankana-ey people with slightly different stylistic traditions. Budget PHP 500-3,000 for quality pieces.
Handwoven Cordillera Textiles
The Cordillera weaving tradition produces textiles in bold geometric patterns using natural fibres (primarily cotton, sometimes abaca) in colours historically derived from plant dyes. Banaue and surrounding villages have active weaving communities, and the textiles produced -- blankets, table runners, wall hangings, bags -- are genuine handcrafted items produced on backstrap looms by women continuing a tradition passed from mother to daughter.
Prices: PHP 300-800 for smaller items (table runners, bags), PHP 800-2,000 for blankets or larger wall hangings. Buying directly from weavers in Banaue or at the Banaue market ensures the money goes to the artisan. Look for even weave (uniform thread spacing), consistent pattern execution, and natural rather than synthetic thread for the best quality.
Pampanga: Woodcarvings and Capiz
Betis Church Furniture and Woodworking
Pampanga province in central Luzon has a centuries-old tradition of fine woodworking rooted in the furniture and church art produced for the Spanish colonial period. The town of Betis (now Guagua municipality) produced woodcarvers who created altarpieces, religious images, and furniture for churches across the archipelago. That tradition continues in family workshops that produce furniture, decorative items, and reproduction religious art of high quality.
Pampanga furniture is not practical for most travelers to bring home, but smaller items -- carved religious santos (saint figures), decorative wood panels, small furniture pieces -- can be found at Pampanga's craft shops and at specialty stores in Manila that source from Pampanga artisans. Prices for quality carved santos: PHP 1,500-8,000 depending on size and complexity.
Capiz Shell Products
Capiz (the windowpane oyster shell, Placuna placenta) has been used in Philippine decorative arts since at least the Spanish colonial period, when it replaced glass in window panes of traditional bahay-na-bato houses. Today, Capiz province in Panay Island is the centre of capiz shell processing, producing lampshades, wall art, decorative panels, wind chimes, and jewellery.
Capiz shell items range from genuine artisan pieces to mass-produced tourist goods -- quality varies enormously. Look for consistent translucency, clean edges, and refined craftsmanship. Good capiz lampshades (PHP 800-3,000) make excellent travel souvenirs if you can pack them carefully. Smaller items (wind chimes, jewellery, small panels) travel more easily. Available at Manila department stores, Cebu craft shops, and directly from Capiz province shops.
Palawan: Woven Mats and Raffia
The Batak and Tagbanua indigenous communities of Palawan produce woven mats (banig), baskets, and raffia items using forest materials and traditional techniques. Puerto Princesa's public market has a craft section where these items are sold -- look for the vendors with genuinely handwoven pieces rather than machine-made imports. Palawan weaving uses the pandan leaf as the primary material for mats, producing geometric patterns in natural earth tones.
Raffia bags from Palawan -- the large, loosely woven beach bags that are genuinely useful -- are among the most practical souvenirs in the Philippines: functional, lightweight, locally made, and reasonably durable. PHP 200-600 at Puerto Princesa market depending on size and quality. Shell jewellery from Palawan deserves a note of caution (see below on export restrictions).
Mindanao: Brass, Beads, and Weaving
Maranao Brass Work
The Maranao people of Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur have one of the most sophisticated metalworking traditions in Southeast Asia. Maranao brass -- produced through lost-wax casting and hand-finishing -- includes okir-decorated ceremonial objects, jewellery, decorative bowls, and the legendary kulintang musical instruments (sets of tuned gongs). Maranao okir design -- the flowing, flame-like geometric ornamentation -- is one of the most distinctive and beautiful decorative traditions in the Philippines.
Accessing Maranao crafts as a traveler requires going to Marawi City or buying from certified craft markets. Iligan City (accessible Mindanao) has some Maranao craft sellers. In Manila, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Ayala Museum gift shop carry authenticated Mindanao crafts. Small okir-decorated brass items (boxes, decorative pieces) run PHP 800-4,000. Larger kulintang instruments are extraordinary objects but impractical to travel with.
T'boli Beaded Accessories
The T'boli people of South Cotabato are famous for their intricate beadwork -- necklaces, bracelets, hair ornaments, and the signature T'boli dress decorated with beads, brass bells, and woven fabric. T'boli beadwork uses glass seed beads in dense, geometric patterns with colour combinations that are immediately distinctive and recognizable as T'boli work.
Available at the Lake Sebu cultural village in South Cotabato (the authentic source), at NCCA-certified craft markets in Manila, and occasionally at specialty stores in Davao. Prices: PHP 500-3,000 for accessories, more for full dress items. The Lake Sebu Weaving Center also produces the T'boli dreamweave (t'nalak) cloth -- woven abaca fabric in natural dye patterns that takes days to produce a single meter. T'nalak is extremely rare, genuinely significant as cultural heritage, and priced accordingly (PHP 3,000-10,000+ per meter).
Tausug Weaving
The Tausug people of the Sulu archipelago produce the pis siyabit -- a woven plaid textile in bold geometric patterns using natural silk or cotton -- and the malong (tube skirt) that is central to Muslim Filipino dress. Available at Zamboanga City markets and specialty stores, the pis siyabit is one of the most visually striking Philippine textiles and highly collectible. PHP 1,000-4,000 for quality pieces.
Vigan and Ilocos: Burnay, Abel, and Wine
Burnay Pottery
Vigan City, the UNESCO-listed Spanish colonial town in Ilocos Sur, produces burnay -- a distinctive dark-brown earthenware pottery that has been made in the same style for 400+ years. Burnay uses local Ilocos clay and is fired in wood-burning kilns, producing pieces with a distinctive rough, organic surface different from fine porcelain. Traditional burnay items include water jars (banga), vinegar vessels, and cooking pots. Contemporary potters have expanded the range to include decorative items, mugs, and plates.
Burnay workshops are concentrated in Vigan's Pagburnayan area -- you can watch the making process and buy directly from the kilns. Prices: PHP 200-800 for utilitarian pieces, more for decorative items. Heavy and fragile, so plan packing carefully. Worth it for the quality and the direct-from-maker experience.
Abel Ilocos Cloth
Abel is hand-woven Ilocos fabric -- produced on traditional wooden looms from cotton thread (historically also using silk) in geometric patterns using a supplementary weft technique. Ilocano weavers produce table runners, shawls, placemats, bags, and yardage for clothing in the characteristic Abel striped and checked patterns. Vigan's heritage district has multiple abel shops; the Crisologo Street area is the best area to browse.
Quality abel is genuinely handwoven -- you can feel the slight irregularity of hand-made fabric versus machine production. Prices: PHP 300-600 for table runners, PHP 800-1,500 for shawls, PHP 200-400 per meter for yardage. An excellent and practical Philippine textile souvenir.
Cebu: Guitars and Rattan
Mactan Guitars
The island of Mactan (connected to Cebu by bridge) hosts a cluster of guitar workshops that together produce an enormous volume of instruments for domestic and export markets. Philippine guitar-making, particularly in Mactan, has a history going back at least to the Spanish period. The instruments produced range from basic student guitars (PHP 500-1,500) to well-made intermediate instruments that punch well above their price point by global standards (PHP 2,000-5,000 for solid-top acoustic guitars that would cost twice as much in Europe or the US).
For travelers who play guitar, a Mactan guitar is one of the best-value buys in the Philippines. Ukuleles are also produced in significant numbers -- a quality Mactan ukulele runs PHP 800-2,000 and travels more easily than a full guitar. Visit the workshops directly in Mactan (near the Lapu-Lapu City area) for the best selection and prices; some workshops offer basic customization or will allow you to watch the crafting process.
Rattan and Bamboo Furniture
Cebu is a major production centre for rattan and bamboo furniture, with a strong export industry supplying European and American buyers. For travelers, smaller rattan items -- trays, baskets, placemats, small stools -- are practical to bring home. Ayala Center Cebu and various craft shops carry tourist-scale rattan products.
What to Avoid
- Products from endangered species: Coral jewellery, turtle shell products (pawikan), products made from Philippine eagle feathers or protected wildlife are all illegal to buy, sell, or export. CITES regulations apply. Airport customs in the Philippines and in destination countries will confiscate these items; buyers can face fines or prosecution.
- Restricted shells: Giant clam (taklobo) products are restricted. Some large shells require documentation. Small, common shells are generally fine. When in doubt, ask the seller for documentation.
- Plant material: Wood carvings over a certain size or from restricted tree species may need fumigation certificates for export. Declared at customs; sellers in tourist areas often know the process.
- Mass-produced "handicrafts": Much of what's sold in airport gift shops and tourist market stalls is imported from China and decorated with Philippine branding. The test: genuine handmade work has slight irregularities, unique character, and the seller can usually describe where and how it was made. Factory products are perfectly uniform and the seller knows nothing about the maker.
Where to Shop
NCCA-certified craft sellers: The National Commission for Culture and the Arts maintains a network of authenticated Philippine craft sellers and markets. Products carry NCCA certification indicating authentic origin and fair trade practices.
SM Department Store craft sections: SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia in Manila have dedicated Filipino crafts sections with a reasonable range of authenticated regional products at predictable prices.
Regional public markets: The best source for authentic crafts at fair prices is the public market of the region producing the craft -- Banaue market for Ifugao work, Vigan's Crisologo Street for abel and burnay, Davao's Aldevinco for Mindanao crafts and Mt. Apo coffee, Puerto Princesa market for Palawan weaving.
Salcedo Weekend Market (Makati): Saturday mornings, Salcedo Park in Makati hosts artisan food and craft vendors including regional craft producers who travel to Manila to sell directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best souvenir to buy in the Philippines?
Depends on your priorities. For cultural significance: an Ifugao bulul carving from Banaue or an authenticated Maranao brass piece. For practical everyday use: Abel Ilocos cloth as a table runner or shawl, or a Mactan guitar if you play. For edible souvenirs: Kapeng Barako (Liberica coffee from Batangas), tablea cacao from Cebu or Davao, or Vigan longganisa (dried, shelf-stable version). For lightweight and easy packing: T'boli beaded jewellery, capiz shell wind chimes, or a raffia bag from Palawan. Avoid the refrigerator magnets.
Can I bring shells home from the Philippines?
It depends on the shell and the destination country. Common sea shells (not from protected species) are generally fine in modest quantities. Giant clam products, coral, and shells from endangered species are restricted under CITES and Philippine law. Products made from protected marine species will be confiscated at customs. When buying shell products, ask the seller about export compliance and look for documentation if the piece is large or valuable. For small decorative shells and shell jewellery using common species, declare them at customs and you'll typically have no issues.
Where is the best place to buy handicrafts in Manila?
The Salcedo Weekend Market in Makati (Saturdays) is the most artisan-concentrated market in Manila. SM Megamall's Filipino craft section is the most convenient for one-stop shopping. Silahis Arts and Crafts on General Luna Street in Intramuros carries an extensive range of authenticated Philippine crafts from multiple regions. For Mindanao crafts specifically, the Ayala Museum gift shop sources directly from indigenous craft communities.
Are Philippine handicrafts expensive?
Relative to the labour involved, they are extremely affordable. A handwoven Abel Ilocos table runner that takes a weaver 2-3 days to complete sells for PHP 300-600. An Ifugao bulul carving representing days of skilled work costs PHP 1,000-3,000. Compared to equivalent handmade craft items in Europe, Japan, or the US, Philippine handicrafts are extraordinary value. The premium items -- T'nalak t'boli dreamweave, quality bulul, large Maranao brass pieces -- cost PHP 3,000-15,000 but represent genuine fine craft objects that would command multiples of that price in international galleries.
Is it ethical to buy indigenous Philippine crafts?
Yes, when done through appropriate channels. Buying directly from indigenous artisans or through NCCA-certified sellers, indigenous cooperative shops, and community market programs ensures that income flows to the community. Buying mass-produced replicas from tourist shops does not support the communities whose cultural traditions inspire the designs. The NCCA's Indigenous Peoples' crafts certification and various fair-trade Philippine craft organizations provide guidance on ethical sourcing. When in doubt, ask the seller directly about the maker and whether the purchase benefits the originating community.
The Bottom Line
Philippine handicrafts are a window into a country with extraordinary cultural diversity -- 7,641 islands, 182 ethnolinguistic groups, and craft traditions that predate Spanish colonisation by centuries. The Ifugao carver in Banaue, the Maranao brasssmith in Lanao, the abel weaver in Vigan, the guitar maker in Mactan: these are not folk art curiosities. They are master craftspeople working in traditions that have survived colonisation, modernisation, and the relentless pressure of industrial alternatives.
Buy their work. Pay fairly. Ask about the tradition behind the object. Bring home something that has a story, not just a sticker that says Philippine origin. The airports have plenty of magnets. The real Philippines is somewhere else.
