House structures

Bahay Kubo

Houses were built in a more or less similar manner, in the same way that the settlements were built
beside rivers and streams. The houses were built near rice fields and coconut groves and orchards.
The houses sit on posts raised above the ground. The rooms were small, and generally,with a single
multipurpose room, having only the cooking space differentiated among the areas in the houses.
There is a particular architectural piece called ‘batalan’ that is often situated in the rear part of the
house, and is utilized for domestic work like washing, bathing, water storage, etc. The houses were
made of raw material like wood and bamboo. Tree houses or houses built on trunk of trees rooted to
the grounds were seen as an advantageous position.
The doors of the houses were usually oriented to the direction where the sun rises and never faced
towards the west, an architectural tradition which can be explained by the values and belief systems
that early inhabitants of the land have.
 Bahay na bato

The arrival of the Spaniards in 1571 brought in European colonial architecture to the Philippines.
Though not specifically suited for the hot tropics, European architecture was transposed
via Acapulco, Mexico into a uniquely Filipino style.

In this era, the nipa hut or bahay kubo gave way to the Bahay na bato (stone house) and became
the typical house of noble Filipinos. The Bahay na bato, the colonial Filipino house, followed the nipa
hut's arrangements such as open ventilation and elevated apartments. The most obvious difference
between the two houses would be the materials that was used to build them.
The bahay na bato was constructed out of brick and stone rather than the traditional bamboo, timbre
and other wooden materials that elevates the house. It is a mixture of native Filipino, Spanish and
Chinese influences. During the 19th century, wealthy Filipinos built some fine houses, usually with
solid stone foundations or brick lower walls, and overhanging, wooden upper story with balustrades
and capiz shell sliding windows, and a tiled roof.[3] Excellent preserved examples of these houses of
the illustrious Filipinos can be admired in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.[4] Preserved examples of "bahay na bato"
are also found in Taal, Batangas and Boac, Marinduque in southern Luzon, Iloilo, Iloilo and Carcar,
Cebu in the Visayas, and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.
Religious structures
Churches

The order of the Augustinians, Augustinian Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the
Philippines, built many churches all over the Philippines. These magnificent structures can still be
found throughout the Philippine Islands.The Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte is one of the most
prominent types of these churches. This unique specimen of Filipino architecture called Filipino
Baroque from the Spanish era has been included in the World Heritage Sites List of the UNESCO.
The church was built by the Augustinian friars from 1694 until 1710. It shows the earthquake-proof
baroque style architecture. The bell tower served as an observation post in 1896 for the Katipuneros
during the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards, and again by the Filipino guerillas during the
Japanese occupation in World War II.[5]
The present structure is the third to stand on the site and has survived seven major earthquakes,
and the wars in Manila. The church remains under the care of the Augustinians who founded it. The
church also houses the legacies of the Spanish conquistadors, Miguel López de Legazpi, Juan de
Salcedo and Martín de Goiti who are buried and laid to rest in a tomb, underneath the church.
The church has 14 side chapels and a trompe-l'oeil ceiling. Up in the choir loft are the hand-carved
17th-century seats of molave, a beautiful tropical hardwood. Adjacent to the church is a small
museum run by the Augustinian order, featuring antique vestments, colonial furniture, and religious
paintings and icons. It was named a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in
1976.[6] Together with three other ancient churches in the country, it was designated as part of
the World Heritage Site "Baroque Churches of the Philippines" in 1993.
Fortifications
Intramuros

The architecture of the early Filipinos reflects the skills that were used at the time of war and on the
battlefield. Due to the creation of various thalassocratic states within the archipelago, trade began to
flourish. Neighboring states would often wage war for territory and trade rights in certain areas,
which ultimately led to the fortification of villages and towns. Another reason for the development of
these fortification skills was the necessity of projecting prestige and intimidation; leaders,
mainly Datus, Rajahs, and Lakans, as they were called, often built forts and fortifications to
intimidate other leaders in their area. During the colonial era, Fortification was used against invading
Chinese and Moro Pirates, as well as Dutch and British Invaders.

Intramuros is the old walled city of Manila along the south bank of the Pasig River.[1] Intramuros was
established from the remains of Kota Seludong which is previously the seat of the power of Kingdom
of Maynila as a satellite city of Bruneian Empire, as a settlement with a fortress of rammed earth with
stockades and in between battlements there are cannons.[13] The historic city was home to centuries-
old churches, schools, convents, government buildings and residences, the best collection of
Spanish colonial architecture before much of it was destroyed by the bombs of World War II. Of all
the buildings within the 67-acre city, only one building, the San Agustin Church, survived the war.
Rice terraces

For years the mountainous province of Ifugao have been carefully cultivated with terraced
fields.[16] These rice terraces illustrate the ability of human culture to adapt to new social and climate
pressures as well as to implement and develop new ideas and technologies. They also epitomize a
harmonic, sustainable relationship between humans and their environment. The structures' original
builders used stone and mud walls to carefully carve and construct terraces that could hold flooded
pond fields for the cultivation of rice. They also established a system to water these plots by
harvesting water from mountaintop forests. These engineering feats were done by hand as was the
farming itself.[16]
Maintenance of the rice terraces reflects a primarily cooperative approach of the whole community
which is based on detailed knowledge of the rich diversity of biological resources existing in the
Ifugao agro-ecosystem, a finely tuned annual system respecting lunar cycles, zoning and planning,
extensive soil conservation, and mastery of a complex pest control regime based on the processing
of a variety of herbs, accompanied by religious rituals and tribal culture.[17]
Although popularly known as and listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site believed to be older
than 2,000 years, there are some conflicting recent studies that report that the terraces may in fact
be less than 1,000 years old.[18][19]
American period

With the arrival of the Americans in 1898 came a new breed of architectural structures in
the Philippines. Foremost of the American contributions to the country was the establishment of civil
government. This led to the erection of government buildings from the city all the way to the
municipal level. Designed in the most respectable manner, these government houses
resembled Greek or Roman architecture.[11]
The revival period, popular at the turn of the century, became the foremost architectural parlance of
the era as seen in such buildings particularly in Manila. Education of the masses also became the
thrust of the American occupation, as such, public education was established, foremost of which is
the University of the Philippines.[citation needed] With American rule firmly established in the Philippines,
the military government at the time invited the well-known architect and urban planner Daniel
Burnham to develop Manila.[21] Burnham's arrival led to the formation of the Burnham Plan which
identifies the city of Manila as a uniquely European city in the tropics and as such opposed to
develop its architecture in line with the existing style. The style of architecture, as suggested, varies
little from existing architecture at the time as typified by the Manila Hotel.[22] New structures continued
the use of conventional motifs but were made of more durable materials such as concrete. This style
of architecture prevailed even after the turn of the century.
Modern period

The Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex is home to the National Theater (Tanghalang
Pambansa). The theater is the centerpiece of the 77 hectare (190 acres) arts and culture complex
located along Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Designed by Leandro V. Locsin, the construction of the
National Theater began in 1966 and was completed in 1969. The theater is a primary example of the
architect's signature style known as the floating volume, a trait can be seen in structures indigenous
to the Philippines such as the nipa hut. It houses three performing arts venues, one theater for film
screenings, galleries, a museum and the center's library and archives.[26]
The façade of the National Theater is an example of Brutalist architecture. It is dominated by a two-
storey travertine block suspended 12 meters (39 ft) high by deep concave cantilevers on three sides.
The building is built on a massive podium, and entry is through a vehicular ramp in front of the raised
lobby and a pedestrian side entry on its northwest side. In front of the National Theater and below
the ramp, there is an octagonal reflecting pool with fountains and underwater lights. Aside from the
National Theater, other structures located inside the CCP Complex is the Tanghalang Nicanor
Abelardo or the Main Theater, Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino or the Little Theater, Folks Art Theater
and the Manila Film Center.