Philippine Architecture 93

BARASOAIN CHURCH QUIAPO CHURCH

SAN SEBASTIAN CATH. STO. DOMINGO CHURCH CHRIST THE KING CHURCH

CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHIL. MALACANANG PALACE

FORT SANTIAGO WALL GATE PAOAY CHURCH

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 Philippine Architecture 94

PHILIPPINE ARCHITECTURE
PHILIPPINE ARCHITECTURE is an admixture of the Muslim, Malayan, Chinese and
Japanese, Eurpean, Spanish and American influences.

Periods of Development
1. EARLY PERIOD or PRE–SPANISH ERA– during this pd. Filipinos established their villages near
bodies of water where mostly food were taken from the sea, also from agricultural environment. In both
environment houses werenot built permanently& therefore light & flexible materials were used.
Earliest type of shelter : LEAN – TO, consisted of a simple, single pitched roof resting on an
inclined series of rafters made- up of tree branches w/ the end resting of the ground & the other
end resting horizontal wooden lintel supported by tree trunks and roofed with grass.
TYPES OF FILIPINO HOUSES :
A.NIPA HUT–Also known as “bahay kubo”supported by stilts or posts,w/walls made- up of nipa & flooring
made- up of sawali & stairs made-up of polished bamboo ladder. Window sliding sashes were made of sawali
. Floorings made of bamboo slats w/ spacesin between. It is built from 2.0 to 4.5 mts. Above the ground.
Located in lowlands all parts of the country.
B. IFUGAO HOUSE – an enclosed structures resting on four tree trunks as columns. Square in plan,
covered by four steeply pitched roof made of thatch.A stair w/c can be drawn & kept from the ground for
protection .The floor ht. is about 1.50 to 2.00 mts can be found in the mountains of Cordillera.
C. MARANAO HOUSE– or “Datu House”, a royal house used for political & social ceremonies by the
Datu, also an ancestral house for the Datu & his family. It is built from .30 to 2.20 mts. Above the
ground. Most impt. feature is the wood carvings & the use of colors red, yellow and blue. Located in
the lakeshore of Mindanao.
D. ANCIENT MALAY TAGALA HOUSE– rectangular in plan, raised on wooden post about 2.0 mts.
Above the ground w/ an open roofless veranda extended from the whole front of the house. With low
partitions, projected window & bamboo slots for floorings .
E. INDONESIAN HOUSE– tree dwelling type of shelter, square in plan supported by four wooden posts &
capped w/ a rounded, pyramidal thatch roof. It sunk 1.0 meter into the ground.
F. BADJAO HOUSE – built on stilts right above the water . Its flooring is made of bamboo. One imp’t item
found in the sala is the mirror not to check the appearance but to indicate the no. of children the family
has & to drive away evil spirits.
TYPICAL PARTS OF A BAHAY KUBO :
1. BULWAGAN – living rm. / receiving area, w/ a low table called dulang.
2. SILID – sleeping area w/ “ tampipi” instead of closets.
3. GILIR or PAGLUTUAN – kitchen area containing the ff ;
a.) DAPOGAN or kalan – cooking apparatus w/ a shoe shape stove.
b.) BANGAHAN or banggera – place where pots are kept.
c. BATALAN–an exposed porch where child- size jars are kept & washing,drinking & bathing took place.
4. SIIONG – where farm & fishing tools, pestles, pigs & cattles are kept.
5. KAMALIG – a storage house detached from the house where unhawled rice is kept.
2. SPANISH PERIOD – two considered impt. Architectural structure as colonial marks
of this Era: the “bahay na bato” & churches.
EXAMPLES :
1. BAHAY NA BATO –a permanent house made of stone for ground flr.& wood for 2nd flr.
It was patterned after the stone- constructed, huge antillan house”. It is an improved version of bahay kubo
in terms of materials & space allocations.
PARTS from GROUND FLOOR ;
a.) ZAGUAN – where wine carriages & saint’s floats are usually kept.
b.) CUADRA – horse table.
c.) BODEGA – a storage room for keeping old furniture & palay bins.
d.) ENTRESUELO – a mezzanine elevated 1.0 mt. Above the ground usually
located on the floor of the masters bedroom right underneath his bed.
e.) PATIO – an enclosed courtyard open to the sky & adjacent to Zaguan
SECOND FLOOR ;
a.) CEREMONIAL STAIRS – 1st 3 steps made of stone concrete then succeeding
steps made of wood.
b.) CAIDA – an antesala, an all purpose rm. For dining, sewing, & dancing.
c.) SALA – a living room.
d.) COMEDOR – dining room.
e.) COCINA– kitchen w/c sometimes built separately but connected to the house
f.) DISPENSA – use as a food storage, adjacent to kitchen.
g.) BANO or paliguan – bathroom separately from the toilet.
h.) CUARTO – sleeping area.
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