Experience

EXPERIENCE

Explore the pages of the past and experience the beauty of pre-colonial Visayan garments through our partners.

MIX AND MATCH

Mix, match, and visualize your own pre-colonial Visayan avatar. Select textiles, garments, and accessories, then combine them in a way that represents you!

Which pieces did you mix and match? Share your favorite combos and cultural discoveries below!

Dress, Discover, Discuss!

3 responses to “Dress, Discover, Discuss!”

Tourist 1 says:

December 2, 2025 at 4:01 PM

Amazing, I love the Philippines!

Reply
Debbie says:

December 2, 2025 at 4:11 PM

I want more!

Reply
Amanda says:

December 11, 2025 at 8:40 AM

Just planned my trip. Looking forward to seeing Visayas for the first time!

Reply

MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITS

Find the fibers of pre-colonial Visayan clothing.

View traces of what remains and paintings depicting what once was at different museums and exhibits in Luzon and Visayas.

NEGROS MUSEUM

Gatuslao St, Bacolod, 6100 Negros Occidental

Photo from Negros Museum

Pre-Spanish Negros

A series of paintings depicting pre-colonial natives of the then Buglas Island, focusing on traditions and livelihoods.

Talamdan

This exhibit on the sugarcane industry of Negros starts with a painting called “River Mouth Trading”, which features traders exchanging goods and gold.

AYALA MUSEUM

Makati Avenue, corner Dela Rosa Street, Ayala Center, Makati City, 1229 Metro Manila

Photo From Ayala Museum

Gold of Ancestors: Pre-colonial Treasures in the Philippines

A large collection of gold objects and accessories—necklaces, earrings, waistbands, and ceremonial items like the death mask. All of these detail the significance of gold during the period.

Skeins of Knowledge, Threads of Wisdom

The exhibit highlights the symbolic, spiritual, and communal roles of weaving in local textile traditions, noting the shared aesthetics, materials, and tools found across regions.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES - ILOILO

ABonifacio Dr, Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City, Iloilo

Photo from National Museum of the Philippines Iloilo

Dumáan nga Pagpangabúhì sa Panay: Subsistence, Trade, and Funerary Practices

A showcase of tools used in the daily life of pre-colonial Visayans. These artifacts were made from the natural materials—in the clay and shell accessories, and the gold in the death mask.

Habol Panay: The Woven Artistry of Western Visayas

An exhibit tracing back the Habol and textile industry of Panay island, from the natural fibers used to the first recorded Visayan garments. It focuses on how the industry evolved, fell, and rose again.

PARTNERS

DIYANDI NI WAWA

Dasigan Street, Poblacion 6531 Kananga, Leyte, Philippines

A costume rental service specializing in pre-colonial Visayan clothing, offering a full service from hair to garments to accessories. They also create pre-colonial jewelry, replicated and inspired by artifacts, for sale and custom orders.

Photo by Diyandi Ni Wawa

Photo by Karakoa Productions

KARAKOA PRODUCTIONS

Cebu City, Philippines

A collective dedicated to educating Filipinos on the richness of pre-colonial Philippines through performance, research, and cultural storytelling. They host workshops in events and pop-ups around Cebu, in addition to online lectures on their specialties.

TEXTILE RETAILERS

A Negros-based social enterprise supporting handloom weaving communities through the sales of their textiles, yarns, scarves, and homegoods. They continue to search and introduce new materials and production techniques in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology.

The Alternative Nest and Trading/Training Hub for Indigenous or Ingenious Little Livelihood seekers (ANTHILL) works closely with weaving community across the Philippines, offering textiles by the yard classified into Luzon, Visayas, and Minadano weaves, in addition to other adjacent products.

A design and sustainability studio retailing ready-to-wear collections in collaboration with indigenous weavers, garment workers, and NGOs. They also partner with these sectors in offering wholesale textile and garment production.