With the death of Nicanor Abelardo and Francisco Santiago, the two greatest Filipino composers, Filipino music has been struggling. However, the efforts of such musicians as Antonio J. Molina, Felipe P. Padilla de Leon, Lucio San Pedro, and others, using folk literature and folk songs, have contributed to the revival of Filipino music.
The Philippines is rich in sound-producing instruments, such as percussions, flutes and stringed instruments. Here are some examples:
Gongs – There are two types used in the Philippines. One is the flat gong which is a narrow-rimmed gong without central protrusion and found exclusively in the north. The other has a boss or central protrusion with narrow or very wide rim, widely used only in southern Philippines.
Kutyapi – This is a two-stringed plucked lute, commonly found in Maganoy, Maguindanao. It is one of the most technically demanding and difficult to master among Filipino traditional instruments. However, the kutyapi music is rich in melodic and rhythmic sound and is deeply poetic in inspiration.
Source: National Commission for Culture & the Arts
http://www.philserv.com/ncca