Traditional Buntal Hats of the Philippines

The buntal hat is a traditional lightweight straw hat from the Philippines made from very finely-woven fibers extracted from the petioles of buri palm leaves. It is traditionally worn by farmers working in the fields and was a major export of the Philippines in the first half of the 20th century. It can also be paired with semi-formal barong tagalog as well as informal attire.

Production and Fiber Extraction

Buntal hats are manufactured from buntal fiber extracted from buri palms (Corypha spp.). Most buntal fibers are sourced from the buri plantations of Quezon Province. Traditionally, it is extracted from seven to ten-year old buri palms. Three to six leaf stems are cut from a tree twice each year. The base of the stem is skinned and the exposed fiber beaten with a bolo blade until they are separated into bundles. The name of the fiber comes from this process, as buntal is Tagalog for "to strike" or "to beat".

The entire stem is then tied to a post for support. Bundles of exposed fiber are selected from the beaten part and then manually pulled out of the stem. Each pulling can yield 1 to 5 fibers, and each stem can yield four to six bundles of fibers, known as meresa, depending on the condition of the stem and the dexterity of the worker. Modern buntal fibers however, can also be extracted via the easier method of retting.

History and Main Centers of Production

Its main centers of production are Baliwag, Bulacan, and (historically) Sariaya and Tayabas in Quezon Province. Buntal hats produced in Baliwag are also sometimes known as balibuntal hats (a portmanteau of "Baliwag" and "buntal"), and are regarded as superior in quality to other types of buntal hats. Originally, buntal hats were primarily produced in the towns of Sariaya and Tayabas, due to the buri palm plantations in Quezon Province.

The industry expanded into Baliuag, Bulacan, between 1907 and 1909, originally introduced by Mariano Deveza. Buntal hat production in Baliuag was further enhanced by Dolores Maniquis who softened the fibers through the use of a wooden roller known as an iluhan. This process was meticulous as using the roller too many times can result in the fibers becoming too brittle. This resulted in buntal fibers that could be woven into hats with a finer weave and texture. By 1910, buntal hat production was a cottage industry in Baliuag where the weavers were exclusively women, usually housewives. The industry was so large that there was at least one weaver for every household.

Evolution and Export

Buntal hats were traditionally woven into wide-brimmed farmer's hats for the domestic market. Later versions of the hat using softened fibers and a finer weave are woven into a form resembling the fedora, and it is often mistaken for and sold as the very similar Panama hat or under the misleading name Bangkok hat. These versions are characterized by being durable, yet light, and with a silkier texture than Panama hats. By 1920s, the hats were being exported by the Philippines, often passed off as the very similar Panama hat.

Nomenclature and Variants

The following table summarizes the various names and forms associated with the buntal hat:

Buntal hats are also sometimes known as the balihat or Italian straw hat. The term "balibuntal" has also come to refer to the fine straw used in other woven products aside from millinery.