Panay Souvenirs

We are often asked, what to bring back home from our beautiful islands.

First you should know, that it is strictly forbidden to export shells and animals. It is even strictly forbidden to export white sand from Boracay.

On Panay Island live skilled men and women who produce baskets of all forms and styles and natural jewellery.

These very decorative and tough baskets are mad from plants growing nearly anywhere on Panay Island. There is a shop in Kalibo that has a large choice and exhibition. You can buy the baskets at a very fair price at:.

Dela Cruz
House of Piña
# 12 New Buswang
Kalibo, Aklan
Phone:
+63 (0)36 262-2367

Bebe Caligdong is such a skilled woman. She makes exclusive chains from Ipil-ipil fruitseeds. These chains are exclusively sold by the Silent Garden Resort and by our friend George, who can be found on Boracay's White Beach.

The fruit of the Ipil-Ipil tree are cooked until they are a "mousse". The seeds are picked out and dried. Then a soup of bark is cooked. This juice gives the seeds their colour. The seeds are now newly dried and then assembled in different shapes. Each shape has its own cultural and historical background and a different name.

This traditional work comes originally from northern Luzon. But Bebe Caligdong brought her family's tradition to Panay.

Ipil-ipil is found throughout the Philippines in the settled areas at low and medium altitudes. It s locally gregarious an abundant.

Basket from Panay.

Set of 3 trays.

Full concentration.

The Ipil-ipil fruitseeds.

Basket with bamboo handles.

Close-up of the basket texture.

Skillful hands.

Different shapes, each one has its own name and tradition.