Bahay Kubo Kahit Munti: Understanding the Architectural Value of Mangyan

Heritage Houses

Balansag, Carl Joseph, N.

Batol, Maxine Andrea, S.
Bautista, Aldee Jodelle, B.
Diwa, Timothy, T.
Estubio, Maryam Gwyn, A.
Ferrer, David Gabriel, C.
Musni, Shandrei Kate, A.
Obedoza, Michaella A.
Rejano, Khyla Denise A.

11 STEM-ENGINEERING 01
Research Paper in Practical Research 1
Senior High School Department
Adamson University, Ermita, Manila, Philippines

Mr. June Ray O. Filler, LPT

Practical Research 1 Adviser

it is a part of the culture of the Mangyan community.

I. INTRODUCTON
Background of the Study
Mangyan houses are one of the traditional heritage
houses and their intrinsic or architectural value is that
they represent the different housing typologies that
showcase the indigenous architecture of the
Philippines before the Spanish Colonization.
However, with the continuous modernization of the
heritage houses as a strategy to cope with the
vulnerability of Mangyans toward Climate Change,
there is currently a threat to the possible loss of this
ethnicity and tradition. If this continues, it might
cause a domino effect resulting in loss of
architectural understanding and value to Mangyans
houses and loss of their identity. Without the
appreciation of architectural value, it will be a grave
threat to the cultural identity of the Mangyans. In
addition to that, if the architectural value will not be
retained, that part of the cultural property of
Mangyans will be neglected and will be forgotten.
Mangyan Heritage Houses should be preserved since
Presently, the Mangyan heritage houses' architectural
value is slowly diminishing and the Mangyan Heritage
houses are disappearing. In the UNESCO 1972 World
Heritage Convention, it was recalled that the
organization will maintain, increase, and diffuse
knowledge, by assuring the protection and
conservation of the world‘s heritage. But, according to
the result of the study of Valera and Visco (2015),
wherein they conducted a study regarding the
adaptation of the Mangyan towards Climate Change,
the majority of the Mangyan population that they
interviewed in their study preferred to build concrete
houses made from cement materials to withstand the
extreme weather brought upon by Climate Change.
Furthermore, the sustainability of the heritage houses
of the Mangyan tribe is shown by how the materials
used for building them are available in the
surroundings of the tribe. The architectural practices
inside the tribes are mainly to look for the site for the
settlement with a nearby water source and most of the
houses have four to ten posts which are typically
elevated several feet from the ground (Sebastian et al.,
2013). Mangyans have also devised a solution wherein
they enforce Nipa houses with nails instead of the
traditional rattan ropes in order to withstand the
extreme weather caused by Climate Change (Valera
& Visco, 2015). However, this is just a temporary
solution and now; the rich culture of the architecture
of these Heritage Houses is now under a state of
vulnerability because of the need for the tribe to
conform to how Lowlanders live, evidently, with how
hollow blocks are replacing the traditional houses
made from bamboo and reeds (de Vera et al., 2020).
This study is qualitative in nature as the research
method that will be used is to interview the architects
to examine their understanding of the architectural
value of Mangyan heritage houses. In preserving the
heritage of the Mangyan architecture, the national
government of the Philippines must cooperate with
the Mangyan community to make efforts towards the
preservation of the Mangyan Heritage houses;
therefore, in order to call their attention, the
architectural value of the Mangyan Heritage Houses
must be known and researched. However, in the
current field of research, there is little to no
information and available literature known regarding
the architectural value of the Mangyan Heritage
houses, thus, this becomes a challenge for the
researchers. This study will primarily focus on the
understanding of the architectural value of Mangyan
Heritage Houses in order to address the gap and find
a feasible solution; hence, the informants will be
limited to architects whose specialization is in the
field of indigenous architecture or architectural
heritage.
Statement of the Problem
The aim of the study is to understand the architectural
value of Mangyan's heritage houses.
The study specifically answers the following
questions:
1. Why are Mangyan heritage houses being
preserved?
2. What is the architectural importance of Mangyan
heritage houses?
3. How can these ideas help the local community give
importance to the Mangyan heritage houses?
Review of Related Literature and Studies
Theme 1: Preservation of Mangyan Heritage
Houses.
Kosanovic et al. (2019) stated in their study that
traditional or heritage house preservation is usually
not a priority in developing regions, even though it
is thought to be valuable to the cultural heritage and
shows diverse cultures and practices of people,
architectural styles, and building methods. The
study notes that Sirinicka Zupa‘s traditional
residential architecture has a valuable material
legacy, and the significance of the traditional Sirinic
house regeneration encloses several parts, from its
contribution to rural socio-cultural and economic
sustainability to the preservation of heritage as a
universal, collective, and good to the development of
the ecological quality of housing units and their
adaptation to the standards of the present (Kosanovic
et al., 2019). A study was also conducted by Al-
Jubouri et al. (2022) on the "Importance of
Sustainability and Preserving Cultural Heritage in
the City of Samarra, Iraq (Heritage Houses as a
Model)", wherein the study addresses the importance
of preserving these heritage buildings as part of the
city‘s cultural heritage and the means of preserving
and sustaining it. Furthermore, according to a study
by Mendoza et al. (2022), traditional houses made of
wood are essential in establishing the identity of the
Ifugao rice terrace landscape, which is valued as an
architectural heritage of one of the ethnic groups set
up in the Philippines and is also being preserved
because of the wide variety of functions that it offers
such as family residence, storage, and special
housing for the community; thus, these studies that
are being mentioned can be linked to Mangyan
heritage houses and show the importance of the
heritage houses and why they should be preserved.
Theme 2: Architectural Importance of Mangyan
Heritage Houses.
Mangyan‘s heritage houses serve as the city‘s image,
representing the history and identity of the Mangyan
community. According to the study by Rahil et al.,
(2019), architectural heritage conveys the quality of
richness and variations in urban design and plays a
significant role in enhancing the historical value and
image of a city since it is acknowledged as a
distinctive character that represents history. The
Mangyan‘s heritage houses play a crucial role in
boosting historical value by preserving the local
materials such as wood, bamboo, and thatch that are
accessible from the forest. This makes their
traditional houses resilient to natural disasters and
climate-appropriate, and it conserves the ways of life
of the Mangyan people. According to the study of
Mendoza et al., (2022), the Ifugao traditional houses
are a living testament to the sustainable culture of
Indigenous Ifugao, these traditional houses function
as an integral part of the identity of Indigenous
groups.
Theme 3: Importance of Mangyan Heritage
House to Local Community.
Knowing how valuable a heritage is, in whatever
aspect, local communities take an interest in it, just
as stated in a study by Naima (2021), "Community-
led initiatives for the rehabilitation and management
of vernacular settlements in Oman: a phenomenon in
the making," where a vernacular heritage regained
the interest of the locals in the place as the heritage
is highly likely to develop as a center for tourism,
there followed community-led initiatives for the
rehabilitation of it. Additionally, a study by Lee et
al. (2020), "The Hub of Hope: Realising an
Evacuation Hub at Pula Village, Philippines‖,
promotes the adoption of certain construction
techniques that use local materials through a model,
The Hub, in the construction of Mangyan houses;
this puts the focus of the Mangyan on their houses,
promoting to give value to it. As stated in a study
by Triunfante (2021), the community should be
aware of the value of the cultural properties in a
place in Albay as it can build their social identity,
as the place have cultural assets; thus, the value of
the Mangyan heritage houses can be used for the
local community to also build their identity that has
its foundation on the heritage. By acquiring
knowledge about Mangyan heritage houses and
their architectural value, the local community will
realize how valuable they are to them, which can
result in them taking an interest in it and valuing the
heritage itself.
Grand Synthesis
The preservation of Mangyan heritage houses is
significant for cultural reasons, such as their
contribution to rural socio-cultural and economic
sustainability, and for architectural reasons;
however, it is not promoted by some regions. The
value of the architectural designs of heritage houses
has its roots in their representation of history and
the identity of one‘s culture. In addition, awareness
by the local community of its value will lead to
appreciation and preservation of the heritage.
Locals play a big part in the preservation of the
Mangyan heritage houses, so it is important for
them to understand the value of its architecture and
the cultural identity it provides.
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1: Understanding the Architectural Value of
Mangyan Heritage Houses
The study revolves on the three dimensions: cultural
ties, heritage architecture, and significance of
architectural design. The "Theory of Facilitating
Cultural Transformation'' will be applied in
facilitating and gathering semi-structure data which
will undergo thematic analysis to interpret results
upon which the Architectural Value of Mangyan
Heritages is supported.
Theoretical Framework
The "Facilitating Cultural Transformation" Theory is
a brilliant and satisfactory theory that emerged from
the study of Marina Lommerse about how a particular
architectural design was transformed through various
cultural inspirations. It explains a model of
partnership and connections between two or more
nations with cultural similarities and through time, it
shapes the value of engineering structures from
architectures with preserved cultures. The theory will
be applied in the study as it helps in justifying the
importance of understanding the architectural value
of Mangyan's houses with their cultural mark and
relevance. Since this theory revolves on how a
culture can transform one's architectural design, it
emphasizes the study's aim in facilitating the
Mangyans own culture and how their houses were
brought up from inspirations of related cultures. The
theory will be used to connect the necessity of
understanding Mangyan's culture, to the architectural
value of their houses.
Scope and Limitations
The study primarily revolves on understanding the
architectural value of heritage houses of the Mangyan
Ethnic Group of Northern part of Occidental,
Mindoro. The study informants are the Architects
who are specialized in the fields of Indigenous
Architecture and Architectural Heritage. However; if
the architect informants are not available, the Cultural
Affairs or Tourism Department of the Local
Government Unit will be the informants. This will be
conducted in the Second Semester of Academic Year
2022-2023.
The information doesn‘t cover the parameters of the
following: the structural value, other indigenous
ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines; commercial
and residential architects. The informants are only
Architects, regardless of age and sex, whose
specialization are in the fields of Conservation and
Preservation of Heritage Houses of Indigenous
People. The study only focuses on the island of
Mindoro. Hence, the study is limited to the Mangyan
 ethnic group of Northern part of Occidental, Mindoro.
This will not include tribes from the central and
southern part of Occidental Mindoro and the neighbor
province of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro.
Significance of the Study
This research study can be used as a guide in
obtaining knowledge and a deeper understanding of
the architectural value of Mangyan Heritage Houses.
This will help people to appreciate and preserve the
Indigenous Houses as a part of our culture which
remains today amidst the continuous changes in the
world. People can also use this study in exploring
new ideas because of the limited studies and articles
that talk about the heritage and cultural houses of the
Mangyan People. This study is specifically
significant to the following groups of people:
SENG Students. SENG students will be able to gain
knowledge on the importance of architectural value
and how these heritage houses such as Mangyan
Heritage Houses should be preserved and developed
to maintain their value and apply it to their current
subjects and future careers.
Mangyan Residents. This study will help them in
broadening their knowledge and understanding of
how the value of their heritage houses is an important
part of our culture and how it should be preserved.
Architects. This research will be able to help
formulate new ideas for architects to apply the
architectural value of Mangyan Heritage Houses in
building sustainable structures.
Mangyan Heritage Center. The understanding that
the Mangyan Heritage Center can get from this study
will help them in strategizing such as making
documentaries and books to further promote the
houses and the community.
LGU - Cultural Unit. The cultural unit of the LGU
that the Mangyan community is part of will have the
information that they will consider in planning for
preservation to still keep the architectural value and
also for the development to withstand challenges in
the modern day.
NGO. This research study will help NGOs to create
programs and advocacies to help promote and
preserve heritage houses and the Mangyan
community.
Heritage Conservation Society. They will be
informed about the things that they can do to create
the best strategies and programs that will help the
Mangyan people in their community.
Faculty. This research will help school faculty in
making plans and programs such as mini museums and
cultural exhibits to show the significance of heritage
houses to their students
Local and Foreign Tourists. This study will help
tourists to know the background and nature of the
heritage houses and familiarize them with the
community when planning to tour or visit.
Future Researchers. With the lack of studies and
articles about heritage houses of indigenous people
like the Mangyan community, this study will be
beneficial for students in the same field of study as
they can encounter the same topic and this can serve as
an additional resource or instrument in acquiring
information for future studies.
II. METHODOLOGY
Research Design
According to the University of Texas Arlington
Libraries (2023), qualitative research is in depth in
understanding the deeper meaning of a social
phenomenon and involves subjective opinions and
ideas from the informants; thus, the researchers have
conducted a qualitative study. The researchers used
narrative inquiry as a research design because, as
stated by Deakin University Library (2023), narrative
inquiry focuses on the particular experiences or
perspectives of an individual or small group through
an interview. The researchers used narrative inquiry as
a research design since they conducted an engaging,
in-person, semi-structured interview to understand the
architectural values of Mangyan heritage houses. The
researchers conducted a simultaneous exchange of
discussions with architects who specialize in
indigenous and heritage architecture; the architects
provided knowledge on how heritage architects
understand and appreciate the architectural values of
Mangyan heritage houses.
The Sample and Sampling Technique
The informants of this study were ten architects who
are in the field or have specialized in indigenous
architecture and architectural heritage. The reason for
this was that architects are responsible for the
architectural designs of structures; thus, they have
knowledge in regards to how valuable an architecture
is; specifically, architects who focus on Indigenous
Architecture and Architectural Heritage because
Mangyan heritage houses, on which the study is
centered, fall under these fields.
Purposive sampling was used in selecting the
informants because the researchers had defined the
characteristics of the people they needed for the study.
This sampling technique is utilized in selecting
informants that are highly likely to provide relevant
information for the study (Kelly, 2010, as cited in,
Campbell et al., 2020). From the information that the
researchers have about the study, they came up with
the criteria to define who would give them the data
for the study. The informants had to be architects that
specialize in indigenous architecture and architectural
heritage, regardless of sexual orientation, have at
least 4 years of experience in this field, and are based
in Manila. Those who met the criteria were selected
as informants for this study.
Instrument and Materials
The interview was the data tool used to gather the
needed information for the research that was
conducted. Specifically, in-person interviews refer to
the face-to-face meeting of the interviewee with the
interviewer (Reddy, 2020). The researchers
conducted a semi-structured interview in which the
interviewer asked a set of predetermined questions
and the rest were not planned in advance (Pollock,
2019). The study used this interview because semi-
structured interviews introduced more details and
richness because of their more open-ended nature.
Semi-structured interviews also provided the
advantages of being comparable, having reliable data,
and having the flexibility of follow-up questions
(George, 2022). The interview was also more flexible
since the informants and the researchers had a
simultaneous exchange of information. In addition, it
helped both researchers and informants gain
qualitative information that was usable and applicable
for modifications. Also, the follow up consultations
were practiced through face-to-face interviews.
Data Collection Procedure
First, the researchers sought permission from the
office of the principal to conduct an interview. The
informants of this study were selected based on who
are the architects in the line or who specialize in
indigenous architecture and architectural heritage.
Second, prior informed consent was requested from
each informant. Participation in this study was
voluntary, and the informants were allowed to reject
or accept getting involved in the study. Third, the
informants were informed and assured of the
confidentiality and anonymity of the data. Fourth,
consent to record the interview was also sent to the
informants. Fifth, the interviewer conducted a one-
on-one or individual interview with the informants.
Individual interviews establish trust between the
interviewee and interviewer, thus creating an
atmosphere of confidentiality (Holbrook et al., 2003,
as cited in, Löhr et al., 2020). In the interview,
questions were explained clearly in the vernacular to
the informants to ensure that they understood the
questions, thus allowing the researchers to gather
reliable and valid data. Lastly, the interviews were
checked, interpreted, analyzed, and also categorized
into themes.
Plan for Data Analysis
To attain a deeper understanding of the Mangyan
Heritage Houses, the researchers utilized thematic
analysis. According to Caulfield (2019), thematic
analysis is commonly used to analyze data and search
for patterns to gain insights from the data. The
researchers used thematic analysis to treat the data by
analyzing and evaluating the information gathered
from the interviewed architects. By categorizing the
codes created from the transcripts of the informants,
the researchers generated a theme that was used to
address the research problem. This enabled the
researchers to think of ideas about feasible actions that
should be taken in accordance with the study. This
analysis is suitable since the goal of the study is to
understand insights and potential realizations coming
from the point of view of architects regarding the
architectural value of Mangyan Heritage Houses and
how they can be utilized in the present time.
Ethical Considerations
In conducting the interview, a secure permit was
requested from the principal to consider the steps to
exercise responsible precautions to ensure the privacy
of the informants. It was crucial to observe
compliance with the laws and regulations where the
right to data privacy is enshrined. The Data Privacy
Act ensures that the information of an individual is
under the control of the public and private sectors
(Juntilla-Catacutan, 2022). The informants were
given the terms and conditions that were agreed upon
for the collection and use of the data. All information
given remains private unless the informants allow the
researchers to share it. A consent form was handed to
the informants to ask for permission to ensure that
they would take part in what had been agreed upon.
The researchers kept to the bare minimum possibility
of inflicting harm—physical, psychological, mental,
or any other form of harm that might be involved
during the commencement of the study. With the
transcribed response, informants reviewed and
validated the results, avoiding any misleading
information or biased depiction of the main data
findings. Finally, the entire communication in this
study was done with honesty and integrity; there was
no intention to fabricate or falsify, and the data is
transparent.
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