THE PHILIPPINES HAS A RICH HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURAL FEATS, INFLUENCED BY THE CULTURE OF OUR

INDIGENOUS ANCESTORS AND THE COLONIZERS THAT BROUGHT NEW IDEAS TO OUR SHORES.

ASKING WHAT IS FILIPINO ARCHITECTURE SEEMS TO BE A LONG STANDING DEBATE. IN THE CASE OF
FILIPINOS, THE SEARCH FOR TRUE FILIPINO ARCHITECTURE SEEMS VERY HARD. BEING A COLONY OF
DIFFERENT COUNTIRES, THE LOCAL CULTURE GOT ENTWINED WITH MOSTLY WESTERN INFLUENCES.

ACCORDING TO UAP, ARCHITECTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES TODAY IS THE RESULT OF A NATURAL GROWTH
ENRICHED WITH THE ABSORPTION OF VARIED INFLUENCES. IT DEVELOPED FROM PRE-COLONIAL
INFLUENCES OF OUR NEIGBORING MALAY BROTHERS CONTINUING ON TO THE SPANISH COLONIAL
PERIOD, THE AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH PERIOD, AND THE MODERN CONTEMPORARY TIMES.

WHILE ACCORDIGNG TO NATIONAL HERO FOR ARCHITECTURE LEANDRO LOCSIN “PHILIPPINE

ARCHITECTURE IS AN ELUSIVE THING, BECAUSE WHILE IT MAKES FULL USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY,
IT IS A RESIDUE OF THE DIFFERENT OVERLAYS OF FOREIGN INFLUENCES LEFT IN THE PHILIPPINES OVE
RTHE CENTURIES: THE EARLY MALAY CULTURE AND VESTIGES OF EARLIER HINDU INFLUENCES, THE
MORE THAN 300 YEARS OF SPANISH DOMINATION, THE ALMOST 50 YEARS OF AMERICAN RULE, THE
ARAB AND CHINESE INFLUENECES THROUGH COMMERCE AND TRADE OVER THE CENTURIES. WHAT
RESULTED MAY HAVE BEEN A HYBRID, A TOTALLY NEW CONFIGURATION WHICH MAY INCLUDE A
REMEMBRANCE OF THE PAST, BUT TRANSFORMED OR FRAMED IN TERMS OF ITS SIGNIICANCE TODAY”.

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND FILIPINO ARCHITECTURE, WE MUST ALSO LEARN HOW IT DEVELOPS

THROUGH TIME, SINCE PRE-HISTORIC TO POST-MODERN ERA.

PRE-HISTORIC IS FINDING SHELTER IN NATURE, IT HAS THREE TYPES WHICH IS THE CAVE, LEAN-TO-
SHELTERS AND ARBOREAL SHELTERS, THESE ARE PROTECTION FOR TYPHOONS, EARTHQUAKES, RAGING
SUN, AND TRIBAL ENEMIES. THEY USE CAVES AS PROTECTION FOR RAIN, SUN AND WILD ANIMALS
WHILE LEAN-TO-SHELTERS IS A PRODUCT OF PRIMITIVE TEMPORARY SHELTERS. IT IS ALSO A
PROTECTION FROM WIND, SUN, RAIN, ANCHORED BY A POLE OR STICK AN ANGLE ON THE GROUND,
PRACTICED BY NOMAD, MOSTLY USE TEMPORARY BEFORE THEY HUNT OR FIND FOOD.ITS IS MOSTLY
MADE OF WOOD AND GRASSES/LEAVES. ARBOREAL HOUSES LIKE TREE HOUSES AN ARCHITECTURAL
INSTITUTION FASHIONED BY NATURE, IT IS 20, 30 TO 60 FT ABOVE THE GROUND, PROTECTION AGAINST
WILD ANIMALS AND TRIBAL ENEMIES.

IN PRE-COLONIAL, THERE IS BALAI OR BAHAY, FOUND IN NON-HISPANIZED, NON-ANGLO-SAXON

COMMUNITIES, IT HAS RAISED PILE FOUNDATION MADE OF WOOD, ELEVATED LIVING FLOOR, MOSTLY
RECTANGULAR SHAPED PLAN AND VOLUMINOUS THATCHED ROOF. IN THIS ERA ALSO IS THE RISE OF
BAHAY KUBO, A 3 LAYERED STRUCTURE AND IT IS THE STRUCTURE THE CARRY TO ONE PLACE TO
ANOTHER OR WHAT THEY CALLED “BAYANIHAN”. ITS FEATURES ARE STEEP ROOF PTCH THAT PREVENTS
RAIN FROM ENTERING, MOSTLY MADE OF GRASSES AMD PALM LEAVES. ELEVATD ON STILTS AS A
DEFENSE AGAINST FLOODING. IT HAS FLEXIBLE FRAMING SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE STRUCTURE TO
SWAY ALONG WITH EARTHQUAKES, A DETACHED KITCHEN WHICH MINIMIZE THE RISK OF FIRE AND
LASTLY IS HAS BREATHABLE MATERIALS AND LARGE OPENINGS. IN THIS ERA, MATERIALS USE IN EVERY
PLACES IN THE PHILIPPINES ARE MOST LIKELY THE SAME, ALL FOUND IN NATURE.
ISLAMIC ARCHITETURE IN THE PHILIPPINES, ADAPTATION OF THE STYLES OF THE BYZANTINES, SASSIANS,
ETC. DEVELOPMENT OF MOSQUE AS A DISTINCT BUILDING TYPE, MASONRY DOMES AND TUNNEL
VAULTS, ROUND AND HORSESHOE ARCHES.

ONE OF ITS BUILDING TYPES IS FORTS, A FORTIFIED SETTLEMENT BORDERED BY A PALASADE, WHICH
SERIES OF LONG STRONG TIMBER STAKES POINTED AT THE TOP AND SET CLOSE TO EACH OTHER TO
FORM A DEFENSE WALL. THERE IS ALSO AUSTRONESIAN HOUSES IN MINDANAO AND SULU
ARCHIPELAGO. STRUCTURAL ANCHORED INTO THE REEF FLOOR. THE SILONG SERVES BOTH AS SHED
FOR THE BOAT AND AS AREA FOR BATHING. THERE IS ALSO A CRETAIN HOUSE FOR SUKTAN AND DATUS
WHICH IS THE MARANAO TOROGAN. IN TAUSUG THERE IS BAY SINUG, WHICH HA SWALL STILTS AS
WINDOWS TO CONCEAL THEIR UNMARRIED WOMAN. LUMAH IN YAKAN THAT HAS NO CEILINGS AND
FEW OR NO WINDOWS BECAUSE OF BELIEF THAT THE BAD SPIRITS COULD EASILY GO THROUGH.

IN SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD IS THE RISE OF CHURCES, CAMPANARIO, CONVENTO, ESCUELA, BAHAY
NA BATO, FARILA, PUENTE, PLAZA, CALLE, AND FUERZA OR FORTALEZA.

MOST CHURCHES HAS LINEAR, LATIN CROSS, AND GREEK CROSS PLANS. TYPES OF CHURCHES ARE
CATHEDRAL, FORTRESS, FUNERARY, MONASTIC, PARISH, AND PILGRIM.

AND IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, A LOT OF NEW MATERIALS ARE USED, LIKE TEHA OR ROOF TILE,
BALUSTRE, VERTICAL WOODS OR CLAY. IT IS MOSTLY TWO STOREY, IN THE FIRST FLOOR IS MADE OF
CLAy, BRICK OR CEMENT, WHILE THE SECOND FLOOR IS MADE OF WOOD. IT HAS ALSO LOTS OF DESIGNS
IN EXTERIOR.

IN THE AMERICAN AND COMMONWEALTH PERIOD IS THE RISE OF HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS AND OTHER
INFRASTRUCTURES; PUBLIC HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND COMMERCE. AMERICAN PERIOD STYLES ARE
ITALIANATE, VISTORIAN, MISSION REVIVAL, NEOCLASSICAL, NEO-GOTHIC, NEO-REINASSANCE, AND ART
DECO. ITALIANNATE IS A STYLE WHICH ORIGINATED IN WESTERN EUROPE, ITS ELEMETS ARE; SQUARE
CUPOLAS OR TOWERS, ELABORATE CLASSICAL DETAILINGS, MOST ARE L-SHAPED PLAN AND HAS FLAT
ROOF. VICTORIAN IS A STYLE IN EUROPE DURING 1837-1901, IT IS A COMBINATION OF GOTHIC AND
ITALIANATE STYLES SUCH AS STEEP GABLE ROOF, CONED SHAPE TURRETS, INTRICATE ORNAMENTED
PANELING, TRUSSES AND BRACES AND HAS WIDE OVERHANGING EAVES WITH EXPOSED RAFTER ENDS.
WHILE MISSION REVIVAL IS AN ARCHITECTURE MOVEMENT WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE US, ITS
EMPLOYING THE ELEMENTS OF SPANISH COLONIAL REVIVAL STYLE. ITS CHARACTERISTICS ARE THE USE
OF LOW-PTCHED ROOF, STUCCO FINISH EXTERIOR WALLS, WIDE EAVES WITH CLOSELY SPACED EXPOSED
RAFTER ENDS, FRONTISPIECE WITH EXPOSED GABLE WALL AND IMPOSING SQUARE TOWERS WITH
PYRAMIDAL ROOF. NEO-CLASSICAL IN THE OTHER HAND ALSO KNOWN AS CLASSICAL REVIVAL, THIS
STYLE INCORPORATE GRANDIOSE SYMMETRICAL COMPOSITIONS AND FAÇADE, COLONADED PORTICO
WITH GRAND STAIR AND IMPOSING COLUMNS, BALUSTRADED BALCONIES AND TRIANGULAR
PEDIMENT.