Gold in Precolonial Philippines
Gold or Bulawan was abundant in the pre-colonial Philippines. The archipelago’s early inhabitants wore gold lavishly.
Iloilo is linked to the “gold routes” in the Philippines, from the mines of Northern Luzon through gold-rich Paracale in Bicol, going southward to the Visayas where Cebu and Panay dominate the trade.
During the Age of Trade and contact with other Asian countries, gold was the main trade item, valued as objects of adornment and protection against disorders, and used in slave trading, hostage negotiations, and payment for military services.
Necklaces and collars, earplugs with decorative lacings, bracelets, rings, earrings, cuffs, anklets, finger and toe rings, ting sheets with relief markings attached to clothing, sequins, hair ornaments, and chains reveal the extensive use of golds and the excellent craftsmanship early Filipinos.
Reference: National Museum Western Visayas
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