Jar burials are prevalent in the Philippine archaeological record, with the practice found throughout coastal dunes and caves, as well as the mountain highlands. Renewed interest alongside fresh data confirms a convergence of varied mortuary practices throughout the archipelago as early as the Neolithic, and into the Metal Age. Following previous studies focusing on jar burial traditions, this paper zooms into the classification of forms and designs, and the suggested interment practice using earthenware jars. It provides a review of extensive reports regarding variations in jar body forms and covers and suggests that these were deliberately chosen to indicate social identity and practice. This agrees with previous studies that indicate at least four classifications of possible mortuary traditions within the archipelago. Nevertheless, the vessel forms and cover types highlight variation in mortuary practices during this period. Techniques in jar-making and distinctions on the landscape of jar burial interment will also be discussed. Finally, it suggests that that belief and cultural systems manifesting in burial traditions were shared yet distinctive among the various regions of jar burial traditions in the Philippines. This is argued, based on types and distributions of jar burials, that boundaries throughout Island Southeast Asia and the Malay Archipelago were fluid.