Bilao is a woven tray traditionally used for “cleaning” raw rice. It’s also used to serve food such as pancit or puto for convenience and aesthetic.
It was amusing to see the common household item being sold on Etsy for USD38 (about PHP2,021).
“I still don’t know why the bilao is sold here in the US as a decorative item?” said Jacob Walse-Dominguez on a Facebook post now becoming viral.
On the item overview on the on e-commerce website, bilao was described as “a vintage mid-century modern woven tray with elements of wicker, rattan and bamboo.”
It was also called a “vintage item from the 1970s” and described as “boho chic.”
Of course, Filipinos found this silly.
“Hipsters will eat this up,” said a Facebook user in one of the comments.
“Where’s the pancit?” asked another.
A Philippine-based Facebook user pointed out that bilao is also being sold in a high-end department store for a similar price.
So, anyone interested in putting up a bilao business?
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