In the 1930s--our peacetime era--tourism in the Philippines boomed. many bazaars and curio shops mushroomed in the Malate area, selling Philippine-made souvenirs to domestic and international tourist. Capiz shells, abaca products, woodcarvings, buri hats, banig (mats) and woven jusi and pina fiber were top sellers. For kids,there were a few options--yoyos and pull toys (calesas) for the boys, and for the girls--  Philippine-made dolls of composition with cloth bodies attired in baro't saya, like this example, in very good condition.
These were most likely outsourced from contractors who made these at home, products of Philippine cottage industry. They are very fragile, as the composition tend to crack over time, but this charming doll has retained its color, its dress and even its label. She is dressed in a stiffened abaca skirt and top, with a panuelo to complete her 'dalagang bukid' look.
These vintage Philippine dolls occasionally are seen on ebay--like this small 11 inch creation. Thank heavens, they are not that expensive and demand is not too high, so they are very much affordable. Much rarer are bigger dolls of over  a foot in length, made in the same fashion, but with heads of painted clay and more elaborate costumes. Dolls using raw Philippine materials are not just nostalgic souvenirs of childhood but wonderful examples of Philippine folk art.

This cute, little composition Mexican chap I scored recently in Cubao--at Grand Thrift Shop, where else? That funky nook in Cubao Expo that has everything that mother threw away. I thought I'd found a Cisco Kid doll, a 50s TV series about a Mexican cowboy hero. I have that doll which looks exactly like this one--same height, same material, with the same drawn-on mustache--but the Cisco Kid doll was dressed in all-black, including his hat. A quick ebay search revealed that what I have is a generic Mexican souvenir doll depicting a Mexican cowboy. There is a Mexican girl version of this, and they were meant to be sold as a pair. Wish I have that too, but for now, this little hombre will do.

For an 8 inch tall doll, this Mejicano is quite detailed and well-made--right down to his holster with metal bullets! His gun is missing though, and his face shows a bit of crazing I have since cleaned it, washed its clothes and straw hat, plus repaired the chopped-off left foot with epoxy clay. When I first saw this, it was kept inside a large glass jar--which I also kept. These dolls were made for a long time--from the 1930s thru the 60s, and this example probably dates from the mid century. There are other variations of this doll depicting mariachis, vaqueros, dark-skinned bandidos--but all made from a similar mold. They are priced from $9.99 to $60 for a pair--less than what I paid for this doll, but at least I didn't have to go to Mexico to get this souvenir!