Caves

Early Filipinos lived in caves, the earliest records of pre-colonial architecture in the Philippines are
rock shelters and caves in Palawan. Early Filipinos are nomadic since they are constantly in search for
food through hunting or fishing, so they mainly rely on nature when creating shelter and do not
need to build permanent structures. With the development of tools, tent-like shelters and tree
houses were also created to serve as their abode. As farming became a stable source of food, the
locals were accustomed to creating permanent structures to serve as their home.

The Tabon Caves, dubbed as the Philippines' Cradle of Civilization, are a group of caves located on
Lipuun Point, north of Quezon municipality, in the south western part of the province of Palawan on
Palawan Island, in the Philippines. They are part of the Lipuun Point Reservation, which has been
protected by the government of the Philippines as a museum reservation to protect the caves and
immediate vicinity from deforestation and to preserve the cultural artifacts present there.

https://www.hoppler.com.ph/magazine/lifestyle/history-of-philippine-architecture

Mendoza, Victoria Asuncion (August 7, 2012). "Tabon Cave in Palawan declared Nat'l Cultural Treasure". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved September
2, 2014.

"Tabon Cave Complex". National Museum. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

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.
Later on the invention of various tools allowed for the fabrication of tent-like shelters and tree
houses. Early Classical houses were characterized by rectangular structures elevated on stilt
foundations and covered by voluminous thatched roofs ornamented with gable-finials and its
structure could be lifted as a whole and carried to a new site. Examples include the Ifugao House and
the Royal Nobilities' Torogan.
The architecture of the classical period of the Philippines is based on vernacular architecture for
most of its centuries and Islamic architecture in some coastal areas at the south, plus the interior of
Lanao, after the 13th century.
The bahay kubo is the term for huts built out of nipa. These types of edifices were characteristic of
the way that indigenous people of the Philippines built homes prior to the arrival of the Spanish
colonizers. They are still in use today, especially in rural areas. Different architectural designs are
present among the different ethnolinguistic groups in the country, although most homes built along
the shorelines conform to being stilt houses, similar to those found in neighboring countries such as
Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries of Southeast Asia.
Cruz, Rachelle (2013-08-23). "THE BAYANIHAN: Art Installation at Daniel Spectrum". The Philippine Reporter. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved 2013-10-16.

Lee, Jonathan H. X., Encyclopedia of Asian American folklore and folklife, Vol. 1. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2011. 369. ISBN 0313350663

Caruncho, Eric S. (2012-05-15). "Green by Design: Sustainable Living through Filipino Architecture". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Makati, Philippines: Philippine
Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
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.

During World War II, many heritage districts and towns outside Metro Manila were heavily
destroyed and damaged by American and Japanese bombs. Reports of deliberate burning of colonial
structures by Japanese soldiers were also rampant. Most destroyed or damaged heritage structures
have never been restored and now lay in ruins or have been replaced with shanty houses or
concrete structures with no significant architectural aesthetics. Many scholars have championed for
Japan and America's accountability for the destruction of many Filipino architectural landscapes and
towns, but to no avail.
https://www.scribd.com/document/252360021/Bahay-Na-Bato Bahay na bato.

Kim, Young Hoon (2013). "A Study on the Spatial Composition influenced by climatic conditions in 19C Bahay na Bato around Cebu city in Philippines". KIEAE
Journal: 29–37 – via Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information.
 Barnes, Zyron Ysrael D.
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