National Museum Bohol kicks off ‘Bukag’ series for Heritage Month
By Elvira C. Bongosia
The special program titled “BUKAG: Exploring the Craft, Heritage and Sustainability of Boholano Basketry” aims to elevate indigenous craftsmanship, stimulate creative livelihoods, and protect intellectual and cultural property rooted in Filipino heritage in response to Republic Act 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.
NMP Bohol is highlighting Antequera’s basket weaving industry in this year’s NHM celebration which carries the theme, “Preserving Legacies, Building Futures: Empowering Communities Through Heritage.”
The event brought together participants from the academe, namely: Bohol Island State University, Tagbilaran City College, University of Bohol, and Christ the King Academy of Antequera.
Also present were stakeholders from the tourism sector, such as the Bohol Island Tour Guides Association, Kahugpungan sa mga Bol-anong Guides, and the Tour Guides Alliance for Sustainable Bohol.
The morning sessions tackled the intricate weaving tradition, identity, and meaning behind Philippine basketry.
Keynote speaker Jane Maren Dasal of NMP’s Ethnology Division discussed the ethno-anthropological relevance of basketry—highlighting its role as container, conveyor, and costume, deeply embedded in the daily and ceremonial lives of Filipino communities across the country.
“More than a utilitarian object, the basket is a symbol of artistry, labor, and reverence—its materials gifted by nature and crafted through care,” Dasal said.
Rev. Fr. Agerio Paña, native of Antequera town and heritage advocate, shared a moving testimony as both a cultural bearer and a witness to how weaving sustained lives, shaped values, and built communities.
“The once sleepy and century-old pueblo of Antequera has carved a niche in the weaving industry and has been dubbed as the ‘Cottage Industry Capital of Bohol’,” Fr. Paña shared.
As one of the participants of the Bukag series, full time artist and chairperson of the Committee on Visual Arts of the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, Lucell Larawan, was grateful for the rare opportunity to know more about basket weaving.
“It really adds to my learning because topics like this are no longer discussed elsewhere,” Larawan said.
“For me as an artist, I want to be inspired by basket in making my next sculpture because my intention is to convert that basic idea into something that is sculptural and artistic, not just for functionality,” Larawan added.
Joanne Pinat, project manager of the Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark, closed the afternoon session with a powerful reminder that traditions are not merely crafts, but living narratives of who people are.
She emphasized the need to cherish and pass these on from generation to generation, as part of Bohol’s identity and strength as a global cultural destination.
The Bukag series is scheduled on May 15, 22 and 29, 2025 at NMP Bohol. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)
In celebration of National Heritage Month, the National Museum of the Philippines Bohol is promoting this endangered tradition through a special public program titled “BUKAG: Exploring the Craft, Heritage and Sustainability of Boholano Basketry” on May 8, 15, 22 and 29, 2025 at NMP-Bohol. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)
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