Topic: The Indigenous Art in the Philippines

Introduction:

Filipinos are probably one of the most creative and colorful people around. You can tell this just by
looking at the types of art that we have. Sadly, some of these art forms are now dying as the younger
generation does not seem to have any interest in learning about them. But the fact remains that not a
lot of young ones know the process and hard work that go with these arts.

The Indigenous arts most sensitively reflect this communal orientation. Being the most lucid and
expressive symbols of a culture’s values, the arts are the most powerful instruments of inquiry into the
essential character of a culture. It is undeniable that the following basic concepts and attributes of art
and the conditions of artistic creation, and expression and experience could only have arisen in
communal or integral Filipino cultural settings.

It is not synonymous with big production costs because what matters is artistic excellence or the
creative idea as well as making art part of everyday life. Thus, the least expensive medium, e.g. paper for
kites, is regarded highly and not considered inferior to the costlier ones. And even the most practical
objects like a coconut grater, container, knife handle, tree stump, mat, or hat can become a medium for
the finest art.

Learning Outcome:

At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:

a. trace and summarize the indigenous art:

b. appreciate better the history and development of Philippine arts.

Learning Content

Indigenous Arts are those native arts that have grown naturally through the years in a certain
locality. Indigenous arts include the Torogan of Muslim Mindanao (previously discussed), bahay-kubo,
bahay bale, bahay na bato, and other indigenous house. Traditional arts and crafts are not indigenous
arts since these arts did not naturally existed in the particular area from time immemorial.

Arts in the Philippines refer to all the various forms of the arts that have developed and
accumulated in the Philippines from the beginning of civilization in the country up to the present era.
They reflect the range of artistic influences on the country's culture, including indigenous forms of the
arts, and how these influences have honed the country's arts. These arts are divided into two distinct
branches, namely, traditional arts and non-traditional arts.

Traditional Art

The traditional arts in the Philippines encompass folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving,
carving, folk performing arts, folk (oral) literature, folk graphic and plastic arts, ornament, textile, or
fiber art, pottery, and other artistic expressions of traditional culture.
Examples of traditional arts are:

Ethnomedicine – including, but not limited to, the arts of the albularyo, the babaylan, and the
manghihilot.

Folk architecture – including, but not limited to, stilt houses, land houses, and aerial houses.

Maritime transport – boat houses, boat-making, and maritime traditions.

Weaving – including, but not limited to, back-strap loom weaving, and other forms of related weaving.

Carving – including, but not limited to, woodcarving and folk non-clay sculpture.

Folk performing arts – including, but not limited to, dances, plays, and dramas.

Folk (oral) literature – including, but not limited to, epics, songs, and myths.

Folk graphic and plastic arts – including, but not limited to, calligraphy, tattooing, folk writing, folk
drawing, and folk painting.

Ornament – including, but not limited to, mask-making, accessory-making, ornamental metal crafts.

Textile, or fiber art – including, but not limited to, headgear weaving, basketry, fish-gear arts, and other
forms of textile or fiber art.

Pottery – including, but not limited to, ceramic making, clay pot-making, and folk clay sculpture

Other artistic expressions of traditional culture – including, but not limited to, non-ornamental metal
crafts, martial arts, supernatural healing arts, medicinal arts, and constellation traditions.

Non-Traditional Art

The non-traditional arts in the Philippines encompass dance, music, theater, visual arts, literature,
film and broadcast arts, architecture and allied arts, and design.

Example of Non-traditional arts

Dance – including, but not limited to, dance choreography, dance direction, and dance performance

Music – including, but not limited to, musical composition, musical direction, and musical performance

Theater – including, but not limited to, theatrical direction, theatrical performance, theatrical
production design, theatrical light and sound design, and theatrical playwriting

Visual arts – including, but not limited to painting, non-folk sculpture, printmaking, photography,
installation art, mixed media works, illustration, graphic arts, performance art, and imaging

Literature – including, but not limited to, poetry, fiction, essay, and literary/art criticism

Film and broadcast arts – including, but not limited to, film and broadcast direction, film and broadcast
writing, film and broadcast production design, film and broadcast cinematography, film and broadcast
editing, film and broadcast animation, film and broadcast performance, and film and broadcast new
media

Architecture and allied arts – including, but not limited to, non-folk architecture, interior design,
landscape architecture, and urban design

Design – including, but not limited to, industrial design, and fashion design.

Importance of Indigenous Arts

Why is indigenous art in the Philippines important?

> Indigenous visual arts provide a means of cultural expression and are a vehicle for the maintenance
and transmission of culture. They improve the lives of Indigenous women and provide self esteem to
young Indigenous people.

>Philippine folk (indigenous) art reflects nature and the life of the common folk through various media
techniques and processes based on the factors of time, climate, resources, ideas and historical and
cultural context.

Activity #1.

One of the most precious living traditions that are still kept until today is weaving. For your activity, I
want you to look for one thing within your house that is a product of weaving and take picture in it as
prove that you have such thing. Explain in 2 paragraphs, what is the use of it and why you see it as an
important indigenous art form.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________

Introduction
Bahay kubo is the native house of the Philippines and considered as the national shelter, a cultural
heritage and one of the most illustrative and recognized icons. Its name is actually based on Spanish
word “Cubo” meaning cube because of its rectangular and cubic shape and “Bahay” a Filipino word for
house. This pre-hispanic architecture was constructed to perfectly adapt on the Tropical climate and
made of indigenous and organic materials.

PARTS OF THE BAHAY KUBO

Balangkas (framework)— the skeletal element of a roof or wall, assembled or fitted together to handle
the exterior elements or finishes.

Batalan (washing area)— a small space adjacent to the cooking area with a service door leading outside.
It is used for washing hands and feet, bathing kids and washing pots and dishes.

Bulwagan (main house)— the main section of the house used as living, dining and sleeping area.

Silong (underneath the house)— an enclosed/open space under the house where the harvests are
stored, tools or implement are kept and livestock are tended.

Pasibi (lean-to-roof)— a single slope extension of a gable or hip type roof.

Sagang (railing)— a waist-level railing made using bamboo used as an enclosed and protected porch
area.

Hagdan (stairs)— the main access to the house with the entire framework made from bamboo or
combined with wood.

Banguerahan— an elevated counter made of bamboo strips usually projecting beyond the kitchen wall
which is used to store food and kitchen utensils.

Yawi (main beam)— a whole bamboo, horizontally laid to define perimeter of the house and tied firmly
on each post with rattan.

Sahig (flooring)— bamboo strips laid perpendicular to the floor joists, either closely laid or with ample
spaces allowing natural air to enter through the floor.

Patukuran (secondary beam)— a bamboo laid over the main beam to carry the floor joists.

Soleras (floor joist)— a whole bamboo laid parallel with each other of about 12-15 inches over the
secondary beam.

Bubong (roof)— the steep thatch roof made from either bamboo cogon grass, Anahaw leaves or Nipa
shingles as a protection and shade from the sun.

DingDing (wall)— finished walls assembled on the ground and tightly secured using rattan strips on the
bamboo wall studs.

Haligi (post)— a whole bamboo vertically set up to support the floor and roof members.
BAHAY NA BATO

The Bahay na bato is a type of building originating during the Philippines’ Spanish Colonial Period. It is an
updated version of the traditional bahay kubo. Its design has evolved throughout the ages, but still
maintains the bahay kubo’s architectural basis which corresponds to the tropical climate, stormy season,
and earthquake-prone environment of the whole archipeybrid of Austronesian, Spanish, and Chinese
architecture. Its most common appearance that is organized.

PARTS OF BAHAY NA BATO

• Komedor
• Sala
• Kuwarto
• Kusina
• Kubeta
• Bodega

Activity #2.

I. Identification

Directions: Identify the correct answer of the following.

1. It is the main section of the house used as living room, dining and sleeping area.
2. The main access to the house with the entire framework made from bamboo or combined with
wood.
3. What is known as the native house of the Philippines and considered as the national shelter, a
cultural heritage and one of the most illustrative and recognized icons?
4. A whole bamboo vertically set up to support the floor and roof members.
5. What describes a single slope extension of a gable or hip type roof?
6. The steep thatch roof made from either bamboo cogon grass, Anahaw leaves or Nipa shingles
as a protection and shade from the sun.
7. It is an elevated counter made of bamboo strips usually projecting beyond the kitchen wall
which is used to store food and kitchen utensils.
8. A whole bamboo laid parallel with each other of about 12-15 inches over the secondary beam.
9. A whole bamboo laid over the main beam to carry the floor joists.
10. It is a type of building originating during the Philippines’ Spanish Colonial Period and an
updated version of the traditional bahay kubo.

II. Enumeration

Directions: Enumerate only 5 of the parts of Bahay na bato.

1.

2.
 3.

5.

Ifugao Bale

Introduction

The Ifugao "Bale" or Native House is said to be the "first pre-fabricated house in the world,"
according to renowned anthropologist Otley Beyer. It has been subject of many scholarly articles as
it is considered to be one of the most ingenious and nearly perfect architectural constructs made
by man.

This type of dwelling does not make use of nails thus it is also called the "No-Nail" House. The
house can be dismantled and transferred to another place of choice without destroying any part of
it. The Ifugao "no-nail" house evolved from a more primitive dwelling called the "abong" which is
less permanent and is not raised.

Banaue Ethnic Village features actual Ifugao native houses that have been relocated and preserved,
which show visitors how the Ifugao native house evolved throughout time.

BALE: IFUGAO HOUSE

Ifugao house building is one of the most admiredethnic architectural designs for having employed
anindigenous system of construction that is more complexthan its seeming simplicity.

LOCATION

It is harmoniously located with the contourof the rice terraces.The one-room house ofthe Ifugao
commonly known to them as fale.

VIEWS OF THE IFUGAO HOUSE

EXTERIOR VIEW

The exterior of the house seems to bealmost nothing but a pyramid resting onfour posts.

INTERIOR VIEW

The interior space is enclosed by slantingwalls and ceiling that appears to bespherical that are
formed by theloft. Inside the house was embellishedrows of skulls of animals offered to godsduring
their annual rituals and also as asource of pride to the homeowner.
FLOOR LEVELS OF THE IFUGAO HOUSE

The concept within the house can beconceptualized as

Three-Leveled Dwelling

GROUND LEVEL

It has four post supporting the house. The posts have wooden discs which was called oliang to
prevent rats from enteringthe house.

SECOND LEVEL

It is the living area that was accessiblethrough a removable ladder.

The social affairs, eating, cooking andsleeping are all done in this area.

THIRD LEVEL

There was the patie, it is a shelf that extendsfrom the wallboards outwards to theunderside of the
roof.

It serves as the storage area and as astructural support to the roof.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Structural Frame

The Ifugao house is sturdily crafted of timberfrom

amugawan trees raised on four posts,which was buried 50 centimetres below theground and
locked in with stones. It reveals acomplex technology that renders it a tensilestrength capable of
withstanding devastatingtyphoons, torrential rain, and violentearthquakes.

The four wooden posts that rest upon thepavement and support two wooden girders,which also
supports three wooden transverse joists.

The floor joists, floor silts, vertical studs andhorizontal beams rests on the post andgirders at about
head level from a cage.The floor boards were fitted between the joists.The wooden sides of the
house slant outwardand rise up to the waist, this forms the lowerhalf of the wall.

In its entirety, no nails and bolts are used forall connections.The upper half of the wall is formed by
theinner side of the roof. This creates a dark,windowless chamber which suggests a womb.The roof
system rests on the “house cage”.

The steeply pitched pyramidal roof is coveredwith thick layers of thatch or

cogon, thisinsulate the house from the heat of the sunand from the torrential rail.

Size and Floor Plan

The Ifugao house has a square floor plan.Although the size of the house is determinedby the socio-
economic status of the people,an average Ifugao house is approximately 12-14 feet wide and 12-14
feet long.

Parts of the House

1. Posts (tukud ).

The house is erected on fourstrong posts which are usually made of largeround logs having an
approximate size of 8-12 inches wide by 6-10 feet in length. Theseare buried about 2-3 feet below
the groundand locked in with stones as foundation.Some posts have intact roots. These aresimply
set on the ground with the truncatedroots acting as footing.

2.Wooden Discs (lidi ).

Around the four postsare wooden discs to prevent rats fromentering the house. The discs are
about 2 to14 inches thick and 36 to 40 inches indiameter. Either a square opening or a bore

3. Transverse Girders (kuling).

Two transversegirders are attached at the front and rearposts. They support the two floor beams
andcenter floor joist. Girders may be 12-14inches thick with 14-16 inches depth and 12-14 feet
long. The top surface of each girder isflat while the base is rounded.

4. Side Floor Beams (mundilig).

These are the outer two floor beams through which thetenons of the secondary posts and
wallboards are mortised. They have rightangled grooves to receive the floorboards.

5.Center Floor Beam (gawaan).

It is the centerfloor beam upon which the floorboards arefastened. Both sides of the center floor
beamhave right angled grooves for attaching thefloorboards.

6.Front and Rear Floor joist (hakpo).

These arethe first two floor boards upon which theother boards are affixed.

7. Secondary Posts (bagat ).

These are the posts at the house’s main level. Each post is mortised at the base with the outer
floorbeam. Likewise, each upper tenon of thesecondary post is mortised with the purlin.

8. Floor ( dotal ).

The wooden planks of the floorare about 2 inches thick and 7 feet 7 incheslong. The width varies
from 12 or 16 to 30inches wide that covers the whole floor area.

9. Purlin ( wanan).

The wanan is a horizontaltimber supporting the rafters of the roof. Italso carries the central cross-
beam .
10. Intermediate Post ( pamadingan)

Thesesupport the ceiling beam and the lintel beamor purlin.

11. Wall Header (huklub)

This chest leveltransverse beam is where the wall boards arerabbeted.

12.Wall boards (gaob)

These measure about1½ inches thick, with varying width andheight. Each board has a v-shaped
bottomand top to fit the grooved floor beams, joists,and wall header.

13.Shelves ( patye).

These are built at the sidesof the walls. From the wall header to theroof, boards are fitted
horizontally to form ashelf. The space is wide enough toaccommodate many clothes, mats,
blanketsand other household belongings. The shelfabove the wall header serves as a cupboard.

14. Attic Central Beam (pumpitolan)

It is uponthis attic central beam where one or two kingposts are positioned.

15.King Post (taknang).

The king post holds theroof from collapsing. It stands at the atticcentral beam and its tip as
attached at thecenter of the apex frame.

16. Apex Frame (ambubullan)

The ambubullan supports the upper ends ofthe rafters, the roof a pyramidal shape. Italso serves as
the smoke exhaust of thehouse.

17. Attic ( palah/palan)

A stick mat (atag) isfitted between the crossbeam and purlin toserve as a platform for the attic.

18. Rafters (kaho)

These are long, round treetrunks or chopped flat boards held by thesquare roof apex frame. Small
tree branchesare chiseled and pegged into the apex frameto hold the top rafters in place. The
lowerends of the rafters are also pegged to thepurlins. They are equally spaced andcantilevered to
the level of the floor area.

19.Cross rafters (ibat).

Split bamboos and stickof ronos are laid out across the longitudinalrafters and are tied by rattan
vines.

20. Roofing (atop)

Bundled cogon grass roofingare laid begining from the base to thetop. These are tied over woven
slit bamboos.The eaves of the roof may descend to thelevel the floor. The door is constructed
facingsouth so as not to face directly the rising ofthe sun from the east. Doing otherwise willexpose
the occupants to accidents and death.Sliding panels of wood are used to closedoorways. Entrance
to the house is gained bymeans of a ladder that is removed at night.

21. Fireplace (pamalakngan)

It is composed of a hearth (pundapulan), fire wood shelf (huguhug),

and rice stacking shelf (pala-an).

Except for houses used as rice granaries,the Ifugao house is equipped with an earthenfireplace
about 3 to 5 square feet. Above itare layers of open shelves. The lower shelf isused for drying
firewood. A shelf above it isused to dry stacks of rice and other foodstaples to be dried and
preserved.

22. Door (panto)

Movable door shutters are hanged to a rattan vine tied to the end ofthe wallboards of to the
intermediate postsand door jambs. It is locked in place by awooden bar to a hook-shaped wood.

23. Ladder (tete).

It is a wooden or bambooladder with wooden rungs. It providesaccess to the house. For the safety
of theoccupants, the ladder is pulled inside at night.

Other Indigenous Houses

The FIRST one is called the Nipa Hut(Nipa is a palm native to the coastlines of the Philippines).
The Nipa Hut, Bahay Kubo, Balay, is a type of stilt house indigenous to most of the lowland cultures
of the Philippines. Bamboo is used for the framing and support, while the roof is constructed using
the palm leaves.

The SECOND one is called the Ivatan House.The Ivatan House is a unique vernacular
architecture developed in the province of Batanes. Its compact structure is divided into four areas:
the main house, the cooking house, toilet, and bathhouse. During the cold seasons, the cooking
house also serves as sleeping quarters. The houses of Ivatan are constructed and repaired through
a cooperative system called kayvayvanaan or kamanyiduan. Through this system, houses are fixed
with immediate action.

Most of the Ivatan houses are built with limestone walls, reed and cogon roofs, strong enough
to withstand the numerous typhoons and earthquakes that visit the island on an average of eight
times a year. Some houses have roof nets which allow the roofs to last from 25 to 30 years. These
nets serve as the roofs' protection against strong winds during typhoons. Only three walls of the
house have windows; the fourth wall faces the direction of the strongest typhoon winds. The inside
is relatively cool during summer and warm during the rainy season.

There are 3 different types of Ivatan houses.

 Sinadumparan

The sinadumparan or maytuab is the most common type. It is a one-storey structure with a
partially submerged basement that functions as a storage area. It has thick stone and lime masonry
with walls topped by either a dos aguas or a cuatro aguas roof which is made of an elaborately
crafted wood truss system with bamboo, reed rattan, and thatch cover. It has a distinct roof system
built with a meter thick cogon bundles done by by no less than twelve persons at the same time.
The roof nets, called panpe, are made of strong ropes thrown over the roof and fastened to the
ground.

Rakuh

Compared to the sinadumparan, rakuh has bigger floor area with a lower level which functions
as the storage area. The walls are made of lime mortar that binds the stones of different sizes. It
has two doors and three windows.

Jin-Jin

Instead of thick stone and lime mortar walls, the jin-jin house has walls made of woven cogon
thatch with bamboo or wood framework. The roof is made with the distinctive Ivatan multi-layered
cogon system.

The THIRD is the Ifugao House.

The Ifugao houses were usually similar in architectural designs but they differ in decorative
details depending on the tribes. Their houses were harmoniously located with the contour of the
rice terraces. The one-room house of the Ifugao commonly know to them as fale. The exterior of
the house seems to be nothing but a pyramid resting on four posts, while the interior space is
enclosed by slanting walls and ceiling that appears to be spherical that are formed by the loft.

The Ifugao House have three functional levels: the ground floor, the second level for the living
quarters and the third level which was used as the granary. The ground level the posts have
wooden discs which was called oliang to prevent rats from entering the house. The second level or
the living area was accessible through a removable ladder. The social affairs, eating, cooking and
sleeping are all done in this area. At the third level there was the patie, it is a shelf that extends
from the wallboards outwards to the underside of the roof. It serves as the storage area and as a
structural support to the roof. Inside the house was embellished rows of skulls of animals offered to
gods during their annual rituals and also as a source of pride to the homeowner.

The Ifugao house is sturdily crafted of timber from amugawan trees raised on four posts,
which was buried 50 centimeters below the ground and locked in with stones. The four wooden
posts that rest upon the pavement and support two wooden girders, which also supports three
wooden transverse joists. The floor joists, floor silts, vertical studs and horizontal beams rests on
the post and girders at about head level from a cage. The floor boards were fitted between the
joists. The wooden sides of the house slant outward and rise up to the waist, this forms the lower
half of the wall. The upper half of the wall is formed by the inner side of the roof. This creates a
dark, windowless chamber which suggests a womb. The roof system rests on the “house cage”. The
 steeply pitched pyramidal roof is covered with thick layers of thatch or cogon, this insulate the
house from the heat of the sun and from the torrential rail.

The FOURTH one is a Higaonon House.

The term higaonon means "people of the wilderness." The Higaonons occupy not only parts of
Bukidnon Province but also the hinterlands of Agusan del Sur and the boundaries of Misamis
Oriental and Bukidnon Province.

Activity #3.

Modified TRUE or FALSE.

Write TRUE if the statement is correct and write the correct answer if the given statement is FALSE.
Write your answer on the space provided.

___________ 1. The term higaonon means "people of the wilderness."

___________ 2. The jin-jin house has walls made of woven cogon thatch with bamboo or wood
framework.

___________ 3. Fireplace is a wooden or bambooladder with wooden rungs.

___________ 4. The interior of the house seems to bealmost nothing but a pyramid resting onfour
posts.

___________ 5. The Ivatan House have three functional levels: the ground floor, the second level
for the living quarters and the third level which was used as the granary.

___________ 6. Banaue Ethnic Village features actual Ifugao native houses that have been
relocated and preserved, which show visitors how the Ifugao native house evolved throughout
time.

___________ 7. According to renowned anthropologist Randolph Vegan, the Ifugao "Bale" or

Native House is said to be the "first pre-fabricated house in the world."

___________ 8. A cross rafters is fitted between the crossbeam and purlin toserve as a platform for
the attic.

____________ 9. The nawan is a horizontal timber supporting the rafters of the roof.

____________ 10. Compared to the sinadumparan, jin-jin has bigger floor area with a lower level
which functions as the storage area.

References:

https://www.sidmartinbio.org/why-is-indigenous-art-in-the-philippines-important/

https://www.coursehero.com/file/78347202/GEC-5-MODULE-9docx/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arts_in_the_Philippines it

https://www.scribd.com/doc/296391837/Bahay-Kubo

https://www.academia.edu/32532305/BAHAY_NA_BATO

Sources:Ifugao House, http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/Ifugao_HouseIfugao House,

http://www.nikeprogramme.org/index.php/ik-database/researches/82-knowledge-we-wrote/109-
ifugao-house.htmlIfugao, House, Rosario S. Encarnacion, et. al.,

http://hundredmilehouse.blogspot.com/2014/07/indigenous-houses-of-philippines.html?m=1