Well, well...I leave the country and all this cool discussion goes on
!!!
Anyways, been looking at all these cool bolos and balisongs here in Batangas. Been to Taal, Balisong, San Jose, Lemery, Lipa, etc. looking for weapons and answers. It seems that the only bolos you find here are ones with wooden scabbards and plain hilts. If you want a fancy bolo, you have to have it custom made for you. That's really not that hard to do here. Most sellers have roadside stalls with ready made working bolos, but will make up a fighting bolo for you if you request. The most popular carved hilt form is the horse head here in Batangas. In fact on of the symbols for Batangas is the horse. The bathead is also very popular here, but I just found out today that the bathead style is more popular in Bicol. I haven't found out if it originated there, but the bathead form is also from there. Bicol's proximity to the Visayas could account for the similarity to Visayan swords.
Anyways, I gotta go to a cockfight (sabong) right now and down a few San Miguel later. I don't know when I'll have internet access again. I'll be in Manila in a couple of days and see whats going on.