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- The Philippines -

The Philippines is an archipelagic country. It was under the rule of the Spanish empire for over three centuries, and became the U.S. colony after the 1898 Spanish-American War. The Philippines was also shortly occupied by Japan during the Second World War, and finally gained its independence after the War. Unlike other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines’s land is not directly connected to the continent of Asia; as a result, the influence of Chinese and Indian culture is not prominent in the Philippines. Instead, since it was under Spanish rule for a long time, Filipino culture reflects the influence of Spanish culture and Roman Catholicism. They integrate with local features of the island, and contribute to a diversified Filipino culture.

The earliest puppet tradition in the Philippines can be traced back to the nineteenth century which was a paper shadow puppetry called carillo (or titire). It was often brought in small carts and toured to different regions. The carrillo often presented Spanish comedia tales where Christian heroes usually defeat Muslim foes, called moro-moro. José Rizal was a pioneer of the independent movement of the Philippines who had talents in languages, medicine, painting, sculpting, philosophy, history and more. There is a belief that he was also the inventor of carillo. Therefore, this form of performance is common in his hometown, Calamba, Laguna, a province in Southern Luzon. Some said Rizal made puppets with cartons and wooden rods, and used a white cloth as the backdrop and candlelight as the light source. Besides carillo, there is also a trace of puppetry in Angono, a neighboring town of Calamba. The most famous style of puppets is made of paper sculptures and bamboo sticks. There are usually shows on the last Sunday of November.

Since the 1970s, contemporary puppetry has flourished in the Philippines. Distinguished from traditional puppetry, its form and content are more diverse which incorporate various local and world cultures. In addition, it often appears in children’s TV shows.