CentroArkitektura Lecture Series #1: Filipino-Hispanic Houses

The Story of Our Filipino-Hispanic Ancestral Houses

The term "ancestral" refers to a home that has been occupied by the same family for
four generations (beginning with the grandparent's parents, who would be the family's
ancestors) and is still in the family's ownership. And in order for a home to be considered a
"heritage" home, it must be older than 50 years, have historical or cultural significance, or be
situated in a town that has been designated as a history town. This is a distinction conferred by
a National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
In the Philippines, ancestral homes have been on the decline, particularly during World
War 2, when some cities were completely destroyed. These homes were also subjected to
demolition because of their location in the city's center, close to the government offices and
churches, which is a prime or ideal lot for multi-story commercial structures. These are what we
typically refer to as "bahay na bato," the first building that springs to mind when asked what the
Philippines' ancestral homes are. However, this is a misunderstanding that has to be dispelled.
Filipinos have had their own distinctive architectural style for a very long time. Thatch,
palm leaf, and fig are the typical building materials utilized in this architecture. Contrary to
popular belief, stone masonry was not introduced to the Philippines by the Spaniards during this
time period because Filipinos at this time were already familiar with and skilled at using it in
construction. They use "dry stone masonry" in a variety of constructions, including communal or
community buildings like the "Olag" or "Olog," men's gathering places called "Pinabafunan," and
"Ijan" defensive walls to shield the residents from frequent invasions and kidnappings by pirates
and foreign invaders.
When the Spaniards arrived, Manila, formerly known as "Intramuros," became the hub
for construction of ancestral homes. The dwellings were built of wood, thatch, and palm leaves
since the Spaniards hired indigenous Filipinos to do dry stone masonry because they couldn't
find experienced craftsmen to do it for them. However, the Spaniards introduced "dressed
masonry," which makes use of "dimension stones" and lime to make the buildings less
flammable, in response to a significant fire catastrophe that was made worse by the wooden
dwellings. The true "Bahay na Bato," as described by Father Sedeno, is a stone-masonry
building with no "sobrados/volada" that extends from the ground floor to the second storey.
With a 7.5 Ms tremor, the earthquake that devastated Luzon in 1645 was among the
most destructive to ever strike the Philippines. On the verge of saying that it didn't leave a stone
unturned from Manila to Cagayan and Ilocos Norte. The destruction was horrifying in the capital,
which had seen the construction of numerous magnificent churches, palaces, and public
structures over the previous fifty years, in addition to countless individual homes and villas.
They introduced "mestizas" (also known as "mestiza architecture") as a result of this disastrous
earthquake. When indigenous and non-native components are blended, the term "mestiza" is
used. Hence, when the architectural form of the traditional Chinese, Spanish houses, and
“Bahay Kubo” are combined together, it resulted to the architectural form of the Filipino
architectural house.
 “The architectural form of ancestral house is not Antillian, Mexican, or purely Spanish or
Chinese… It’s uniquely Filipino.” As Filipinos, we have the right and the honor to claim these
ancestral dwellings as our own, notwithstanding the presence of Chinese and Spanish
influences as well as Bahay Kubo. Due to their utilization of locally sourced materials and
environmental adaptation, these homes exhibit the characteristics of an ecological construction.