This article discusses Filipino inventions and discoveries and details the indigenous arts and techniques, cultural inventions, scientific discoveries and contributions of the people of Philippine islands — both ancient and modern state of the Philippines. Since ancient times, the people of the Philippine archipelago (Filipino or Pinoy) have accumulated knowledge and developed technology stemming from necessities: from naval navigation knowledge, traditional shipbuilding technology, textile techniques and food processing to Architecture, indigenous arts and techniques, cultural inventions and scientific discoveries.
Fashion
The barong tagalog (occasionally baro) is an embroidered formal garment of the Philippines. The name literally means "a Tagalog dress." It is lightweight and worn untucked over an undershirt, similar to a coat/dress shirt. It is usually worn by men during weddings, banquets, and other such formal events. Women wearing the barong tagalog is uncommon, but not unheard of. The baro was popularized as formal wear by Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay, who wore it to most official and personal affairs, including his inauguration as president. The baro't saya (also known as Filipiniana) is an embroidered dress and is worn by women. The name is a contraction of the Tagalog words barò at saya, meaning "dress (blouse) and skirt". The bahag is a loincloth that was commonly used throughout the Philippines before European colonization, and which is used by some indigenous tribes of the Philippines today—most notably the Cordillerans in Northern Luzon. The Salakot is traditional headgear, usually made of bamboo, rattan, nito ferns, and bottle gourd.
Literature and arts The Hudhud consists of narrative chants, mainly performed by elder Ifugao women during the rice sowing season, at harvesting times, at funeral wakes and rituals. Pabása is a Catholic devotion in the Philippines popular during Holy Week involving the uninterrupted chanting of the Pasyón - an early 16th-century epic poem narrating the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The verses are based on the bible and practiced every Holy Week.
Weapons
Swords and bladed weapons
The panabas is a large, forward-curved sword, used by certain ethnic groups in the southern Philippines. Its name is a shortened version of the word pang-tabas, which means "chopping tool." Its length varies from two to four feet, and can be wielded with one or both hands. It was used as a combat weapon, as an execution tool, and in displays of power. Its use as an agricultural and butchering tool has also been noted.
The balisong (also known as a butterfly knife, fan knife or Batangas knife) is a folding pocket knife with two handles counter-rotating around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. The barong or barung, is a short sword with a leaf-shaped blade, widely used in the island of Mindanao. The kalis is a double-edged sword, often with a "wavy" section, similar to a keris. Like the keris, the kalis' double-edged blade can be used for both cutting and thrusting. The wavy portion of the kalis is meant to facilitate easier slashing in battle—since a straight edge tends to get stuck in the opponent's bones, the wavy portion allows a wielder to more easily pull the weapon out of an opponent's body. The gunong or punyál (also known as puñal de kris or kris knife) is a knife from Mindanao. It is essentially a diminutive form of the kalis or kris. The gunong serves both as a utility knife and as a thrusting weapon used for close quarter fighting. It is most often associated with the ethnic Maranao, among whom the gunong was traditionally carried by both sexes. The weapon is typically tucked into the back of a waist sash.
The kampilan is a type of single-edged long sword, used on the islands of Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon. The kampilan has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip and a bifurcated hilt which is believed to represent a mythical creature's open mouth. Lapulapu (the king of Mactan) and his warriors were notable wielders of the kampilan. The mention of the kampilan in ancient Filipino epics originating from non-Muslim areas such as the Hiligaynon Hinilawod and the Ilocano Biag ni Lam-Ang is possible evidence for the sword's widespread usage throughout the archipelago during pre-Hispanic times.
Firearms/projectile weapons
The lantaka (also known as kanyon in Tagalog) were a type of bronze swivel gun mounted on merchant vessels travelling the waterways of Malay Archipelago. Its use was greatest in precolonial South East Asia especially in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The guns were used to defend against pirates demanding tribute for the local chief, or potentate. Although most lantaka weighed under two hundred pounds, and many only a few pounds, the largest ones exceeded a thousand pounds, and some weighed over a ton. Many of these guns were mounted on swivels and were known as swivel guns. The smaller ones could be mounted almost anywhere including in the rigging. Medium-sized cannon were frequently used in reinforced sockets on the vessel's rails and were sometimes referred to as rail guns. The heaviest swivel guns were mounted on modified gun carriages to make them more portable. High quality metal casting, artillery, and other metal works had been traditions throughout the ancient Philippines. The metal smith, or panday piray of Pampanga was skilled at making weapons, and many individuals with the surnames Viray and Piray are said to be descendants of people who were once members of the guild of smiths who followed the tradition of the panday pira. Ancient peoples used small arquebuses, or portable cannons made up of bronze. Larger cannons, on the other hand, were made of iron and resembling culverins provided heavier firepower. The iron cannon at Rajah Sulaiman III's house was about 17 feet long and was made from clay and wax moulds.
Construction and civil engineering
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