The Filipino wrap-around skirt called tapis or
patadyong may have emerged from environmental conditions
and technical repertoires similar to those that produced
the sarong and the sari.
As the female counterpart to the loincloth, the
tapis covered the genital area. Again, fertility may have
been a associated value - but in what precise ways? One
can only guess.
The tapis was wrapped around the lower half of
the woman's body and tied at the waist or below the breasts.
It was secured in place by the knotted ends or by a length
of braided material. In some societies, belt-like pieces
Short bark cloth wrap-around skirts would almost
completely disappear with the advent of woven materials.
These were at first plain-woven, then patterned and ornamented
as design techniques developed. To this day, the tapis is worn
by older women in barrios all over the Philippines. With the
bahag, it is the oldest surviving genre of native costuming.