PHILIPPINE HATS. 
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those who have lived elsewhere than in Manila, takes with him one or 
more mats, largely as curiosities. Apart from this, there is little export 
trade, but there are distinct possibilities, although competition will be 
severe. 
CIGAR-CASES AND CIGARETTE-CASES. 
These differ chiefly in size. The Philippines have a long-standing 
reputation for these articles, locally known as petacas or petaquillas. 
Baliuag received a special award for them at the London Exhibition of 
1851. They are made in nearly all the towns that do fine hat-work, 
and the materials used are the same as those for hats, namely rattan, 
bamboo, buri (midrib and buntal), horsehair, and nito. They differ in 
fineness, but less so than hats, as they can not be very coarse, and more 
often are very fine. 
BAGS AND BASKETS. 
These also are made in considerable quantity, nearly always of buri-leaf 
or pandan, and are used for all kinds of purposes, rather special types 
being the sugar bags and still larger sacks, to both of which the name 
bayones is applied. They are very cheap, even the largest selling down 
to 10 centavos, prices varying with the locality and the size of the bag. 
More fancy baskets, of smaller size, and other similar objects, are often 
woven from bamboo, bamboo and nito, nito, coconut midribs, and other 
materials. 
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 
It is evident that many different materials are used for the purposes 
given, and that the products are of every degree of excellence. In passing 
comparative judgments, a sharp distinction should be made between the 
hats intended for local consumption, for export to tropical countries, or 
export to temperate climates. Practically, the second of these is confined 
at present to a fluctuating export of very cheap grades to Hongkong and 
China, most other tropical countries having more or less similar industries 
of their own. 
For ordinary local use, it is improbable that anything can replace buri- 
leaf and pandan, as such hats are very cheap, and well adapted to climatic 
conditions. For those who wish better articles, there are many to choose 
from, and there is much difference of opinion. Thus, there can be no 
objection to- the statement that rattan furnishes the finest materials and 
that the hats made from it are very beautiful, but its scarcity and their 
high price cause them to be rarely seen. Buntal, medium and better 
grades of bamboo, Calasiao, and sabotan, are all in fairly common use, 
and all these are suited to the requirements of the climate except Lucban 
buntal, and that also is good for evening wear by Europeans, or all times 
of the day by women or Filipinos, who require less protection. Many 
Americans and Europeans retain their preference for straw hats, and 
