Construction Practices in the

Philippines
Histarc 4
 Months, Days and Seasons to be
Observed Before Building a House
House building also entails various days, months
and seasons desirable for starting construction.

From the book Understanding the Filipino by

Tomas D. Andres and Pilar B. Ilada-Andres, the
following are the unlucky days of the year to
start business ventures, weddings or
constructions;
January – 1, 3, 4, 5, 28, 29
February – 2, 4, 5, 17, 28, 29
March – 2, 3, 8, 9, 10
April – 2, 6, 25, 27
May – 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 18, 20
June – 3, 5, 16, 19, 24, 30
July – 4, 12, 15, 19, 26
August – 6, 9, 14, 19, 26, 31
September – 3, 12, 20, 21, 29
October – 7, 12, 17, 24, 29, 30
November – 1, 2, 11, 18, 23, 28
December – 5, 8, 16, 20, 24, 25
There following were also observed in house
building;
a. Houses built during the warm/ hot season
will not bring harmony between husband &
wife;
b. Easter Sunday is considered a lucky day;
c. New houses should not be built in months
containing the letter “R”
In addition to these unlucky days are the
unlucky 18th of the months of March, August,
September.

Particularly, Monday of the following months

were also known to be unlucky for any
undertakings;
April – when God condemned the towns of
Beram, Lipandas, Madama, Sodom & Gomorrah;

August – when Eve gave birth to Cain

September – when Judas Iscariot was born

January – when Cain killed Abel

It should be observed that no particular week of
the months was mentioned. One may there
therefore conclude that any Monday of these
months is not good.
Rituals before starting the
construction
 Bukidnons
Must not have the following trees around the
site; balete, kanaway, bago (because these
threes are known to be inhabited by the
taglogar or engkanto);
 Manobos
In selecting the site for the house, certain
omens, dreams and oracles are considered.
These ominous signs also dictate upon the start
of the construction of the house.
 Manobos
If one of the men involved in the construction
work sneezes on his way to the site, the work
has to be postponed lest some misfortunes
befall from anyone involved in the construction
as well as the owner of the house.
 Tausugs
The house site must be as strong as the strength
of the human body; this is usually a flat, dry,
level-land called datag or a sadlupan, a flat
piece of land sloping toward the west facing
Mecca.

In choosing the site, the imam or the panday

(carpenter) is consulted.
 Yakan
In designing the house, the Yakans observe the
following;
1. Houses are made to face East so that the
husband who sleeps along the east side with his
wife in bed may outlive his wife;
2. Number of rooms and stair steps are usually in
odd number which symbolizes life,
3. Two doors are made to face the rising sun which
is the source of life,
4. Windows are few and small so that entry of evil
spirits into the house will be impossible,
 Batangueños
A stick, measuring in arms’ length found in the
prospective site, is thrown some lengths away.

Then the one who throws the stick invokes some prayers.

After the prayers, he picks up the stick and measures it

again.

If the stick has lengthened it is an indication that the site

where he picked up the stick is a good site for the house
to be constructed.
 Ilocanos
In llokos, the father, at the fading of the daylight,
kneels in prayer at the site where the house is to
be built.

At the end of his prayer he plants an improvised

cross whose arms are not permanently fastened.

He leaves the cross planted overnight.

 Ilokanos
The next day, when he finds the cross’s arms
either tilting or bent, it would mean bad luck, or
worse when the cross is uprooted and lying on
the ground, it is interpreted as a sign of death.

Children are not allowed to go near the building

site either. If this happens especially before the
floorings are finished, the house has to be
reconstructed.
 Hiligaynons (Ilo-ilo)
The Hiligaynons consult an almanac which
contains dates, months, lunar cycles, high and
low water tides and other events. The almanac
is based on the position of the bakunawa – a
huge snake with supernatural powers living
elsewhere.
Bakunawa = Leviathan
 Beliefs to obtain prosperity, good
health and family life and protection
from evil spirits
• Umbilical cord of a child is inserted in the
staircase so that the stringer would strongly
connect itself to the girder,

• Silver coins, win, cash money and medals are

placed underneath the principal posts for a
prosperous life of the house dwellers,
• The main door is placed to face the east or the
rising sun for good luck.

• Chickens and other animals are killed and

their blood splattered on all foundations and
wall corners to ward off evil spirits that may
be lurking in the area,

• Door swings of the main door must be

towards the interior to bring in the good luck
• The number of steps in the stair must end
either in oro or plata never in mata. Gold,
silver and death are representatives of the
steps. Thus stairs must not be divisible by
three.

• Posts should be placed one after the other in a

clockwise direction for a stronger house
against typhoon.
Precursors of misfortune
• The death of anyone of the workers during
construction.

• Stairs facing the sun bring bad luck to the

family.

• Houses built when the wife is pregnant or is

about to give birth during that month bring
bad luck to the family
• Main doors facing the setting sun or the west
cause bad luck

• Main doors situated opposite the exit doors

effect the flowing of wealth or money out of
the household

• The balete tree is the abode of evil spirits;

hence, houses should not be built near it.
10 mins break
Vernacular terms
in construction in
the Philippines
 Vaciada
Rabbeted door jamb.
 “Lason”
• The vernacular of
applying concrete
neutralizer.
 Madre de Escalera
• The structural member in a stairway that
supports the treads & risers,
 Kostura
• It is done when you fill cement mortar to CHB
joints to prevent insect gap,
 Kankanay
• Traditional house that was called binangiyan.
 “Eskwalado”
• Which of the following doesn’t belong with
the term eskwalado?
a. Dome
b. Cube
c. 90 degrees
d. square
 “Eskwalado”
• Which of the following doesn’t belong with
the term eskwalado?
a. Dome
b. Cube
c. 90 degrees
d. square
 “Asintada”
• The vernacular term for laying of CHB.
 Escombro (Fill)
In construction site, if someone posts “escombro
for sale” outside it is also known as “panambak”.
 Match the correct vernacular terms
Bolada Stucco
Kanal Varnish
Palitada Projection
Batidora Door Fillet
Monyeka Gutter
 Bolada
• Projection, “boladas”
 Palitada
• stucco
 “Hulog”
• Vertical alignment
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