Carrillo (puppetry)

The term carrillo refers to the small traveling carts used to transport the puppets. Onwards, the term was used to refer to the whole shadow puppetry performance.^[2]

Carrillo is a shadow puppetry that uses puppets made of cardboard. The first recorded carrillo was in 1879 in Quiapo, Manila. The performance often presented moro-moro, a tale where Christian heroes usually defeat Muslim opponents.^[3]

Jose Rizal, the national hero of the country, had staged a carillo. He used a carton and a stick for the puppet. Then, he placed this at the back of a white cloth and used a candle light at its back.^[4]

Today, carrillo is no longer performed. In 2019, an exhibit was organized for carrillo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex.^[5]