Silay Philippine Folk Dance: Alcamfor

 

Alcamfor is a dance that features a girl's handkerchief that is supposedly scented with alkampor or naphtalene balls. The dance is also called Pandanggo han Panyo. Pieces of clothing (dainty handkerchiefs or scarves included) were kept inside wooden boxes in the olden days. Often, two to three balls of alkampor were placed inside these boxes to keep rats away or to prevent the clothings from smelling like tuum, with the pungent-aromatic smell it leaves on the clothing. Wearing clothes with strong alkampor smell is thought to be a "head turner", especially with the "romance inducing" powers of the alkampor, according to superstition. Source: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Alcamfor Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.