Manzano, Gene Ezekiel R.

September 28, 2016

HHS Sec 14 / Assignment

Cultural Beliefs in Housing: Regional Characteristics

Many of these beliefs are based on sound planning practices that do not have to be overly
emphasized for example :

In Bontoc, the front door of the house must face against the flow of a nearby river according to
ancient folk beliefs. In Romblon, the roof of the house must slope following the direction of the
incline of the nearby mountains. In the Cordilleras, it is different. The ridge of the roof is always
positioned at right angles to the ridge of the mountain on which the house stands.

Among the Ibalois, a Benguet ethnic group in the Cordilleras, it is customary to give ample space
underneath their houses by elevating their floors to accommodate the future tomb of the owner
to ensure perpetual guidance over the house the dead leaves behind.

Beliefs In Post/Columns
In Southern Tagalog
• In Southern Tagalog, posts are erected following this procedure: posts are laid with their bottom
ends at the footing on the ground and the top ends pointing towards the east. The post nearest
the east is the first to be raised.
In Romblon
• The same procedure is followed for the other posts, one after the other in a clockwise direction
as one reads the plan. This same clockwise manner of raising the posts is practiced on the island
of Romblon and the belief is that it will make the house windproof.
In Tausugs
• The Tausugs equate the building of a house to the development of a fetus. They believe that the
first to appear in a woman's womb is the navel. Hence, the first post to be erected should be the
main post within the interior of the house.

Beliefs In Stairs
In Ilocanos
• An orientation towards the east is also required for stairs. Ilocanos position their stairs so that
they rise with the morning sun. To them, if it were the other way around, meant turning one's
back on fate.

Some Builders in Bulacan

• But builders in Pandi, Bulacan, just like many typical Filipinos, believe that a stairway facing east
is considered bad luck because, they say, anything facing the early sun dries up ahead of all
others, and in the same token, wealth taken into the house will dry up much faster.

Other Beliefs

• When planning a structure with two or more storeys, the stairway should not be positioned at
the center of the structure so as not to divide the building into two equal parts.
Manzano, Gene Ezekiel R. September 28, 2016
HHS Sec 14 / Assignment

Beliefs In Oro Plata Mata

• There are guidelines, too, governing the number of steps in one's stairs. Starting with
the first landing, count the steps using the words oro (gold), plata (silver),
and mata (death).

Housing Typology
1.A building comprising two units either side-by-side is typically considered as semi-
detached or twin homes on separate properties, sharing a wall.
2. By contrast, a duplex house is a dwelling comprising two units on two different floors.
3. Duplex house are two single dwelling units separated over two floors, connected by
an indoor staircase.
4. Similarly, a triplex house refers to three apartments spread out over three floors.
5. The term "duplex" can also be extended to four-plex or quadr-plex.
6. Because of the flexibility of the term, the is almost no line between an apartment
building and a duplex.
7. Apartment buildings tending to be bigger, while duplexes are usually the size of a
normal house.

Theories and Trends on Housing

1. Home prices will continue to rise…moderately.
2. Interest rates will inch up.
3. First-time buyers will continue to struggle.
4. Credit will get—a little—looser.
5. It will still be cheaper to buy than rent.
6. The suburbs will make a comeback.
7. Buyers will want green and smart homes.
8. Videos will be the new photos.
9. All-cash sales will continue to decrease.
Manzano, Gene Ezekiel R. September 28, 2016
HHS Sec 14 / Assignment