Ilocos Sur is a province widely acknowledged for its pristine heritage and rich culture.
 
It is home to the Seven Wonder Cities of the World – Vigan City with the Calle Crisologo, the historic Bantay Bell Tower, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church of Santa Maria, among others.
 
All these are remarkable “must-visit places in Ilocos Sur” that are sure to appear on Instagram's feeds of local and foreign tourists for their aesthetic appeal.
 
But unbeknownst to some —probably even to most Ilocos Surians— is that the province also boasts its `fine jewels, the Filigree Tambourine Jewelry, One Town One Product of Bantay town.
 
This jewelry crossed the borders of social media and made an appearance in arguably the top fashion magazine in the world – Vogue Italia.

Engineer Cynthia Alonzo-Rabang, one of the artisans of the jewelry herself shared this at the Filigree Tambourine Making: Lecture and Demonstration of the National Museum of the Philippines Ilocos Region for Heritage Month.
 
This jewelry dated back to the pre-Spanish colonial period and was passed down from Alonzo-Rabang’s ancestors was spotted on Miss Universe 2015 and former ambassador of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Miss Pia Wurtzbach in her fashion editorial feature on the said magazine in 2021.
 
This was for the popular magazine’s indigenous futurism spread which highlights indigenous art and culture during the pre-colonial period reimagined with the all-Filipino team’s contemporary take.
 
The Tambourine pieces of jewelry seen on various looks of Wurtzbach for the said shoot were from Amami Jewelries.
 
This shop, as Rabang recalls the story, was established after one of the graduating students of the University of the Philippines visited them for research had a brilliant idea, and created a flourishing business with the jewelry.
 
From a few IG posts in the beginning – that got sold out almost immediately, it bloomed, and the shop has now crossed over 10,800 followers as of writing.
 
Little did Rabang and her family expect that accommodating an interview from these students a few years back would open greater heights for the Tambourine Jewelries of Ilocos Sur.

It is shining brighter with not only its glimmer but undeniably with the intricate designs and delicate history it carries with it.
 
Originally, their purpose in continuing the art form when they revived it was to keep the heritage alive and to share it with the next generation.
 
While the industry and the craft gained more significance upon gracing the most famous fashion magazine, Rabang's hopes remain.
 
“I hope we can pass it on to the next generations because these are not just accessories but they have hundred-year-old stories – the heritage and culture of Ilocos Sur,” she said.
 
Her wish might have just been granted at the training seminar when the “agtutubo” or youth of Ilocos Sur, who joined her trip down memory lane, showed enthusiasm and delight in learning the unique and fascinating culture of their people. (JCR/AMB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)