THE TOROGAN

 The Maranao Royal Houses

of Lanao
THE TOROGAN
Royal Houses of
Lanao
The Torogan was the traditional house of Maranao royalties.
The sultan, along with his wives, children & servants lived on
it. However, it was more than just a residence, it was also a
communal house where affairs of the community were held.

The Torogan: The House of Power

There are three types of traditional Maranao dwellings. First,
the torogan, the homes reserved for nobilities. Second is the
“mala-a-walay” or the big house. Finally, the “lawig” or the
small house.

Parts of a Torogan
Torogans were elevated from the ground using “tukod” or hard
tree trunks of huge girths. At the center is the “tapuwilih” post
surrounded by twenty-five others at the base.
THE TOROGAN
Royal Houses of
Lanao
Dorung is the multi-purpose ground space created under
the wooden beams. The main house on the second floor is
called the “poro”. It is an open space partitioned only with
cloths & chests.

Barimbingan planks make up the “lantay” (flooring) held

together by wooden floor joists called “dolog”. The
wooden staircase or “towak” as well as its stringer board
screams of the folk motif okir carvings.

The walls made of “gisuk” & wall studs called “tartek”

hold the walling planks or the “dingending”. The carved
center beam inside the house called the “tinai-a-walay”
supports the king post of the roof.

More okir carvings fill the door (paitaw) & sliding

windows (rowasan).
Traditional Maranao houses from ancient times used
cogon for roofing or “atup” supported by the “rampatan”
beams & adorned by a “diongal” on top. However, during
the American times, GI sheets replaced the cogon.
THE TOROGAN
Royal Houses of
Lanao
Uniquely, the panolong is the most distinct part of the
torogan. These are carved end-beams. The serpent design
(niyaga) fill the front while the sides use the pako okir or
the fern patterns.

THE LANIM
THE TOROGAN
Royal Houses of
Lanao
While Torogans were pre-colonial architectures, some of it crossed
through the eras of foreign conquests. And those that have lived
through time are between 100 to nearly 300 years old today.

Why are Torogans Gone?

There are many reasons why torogans disappeared in time. Among
them is the abolition of nobility titles given to any Filipino in the
First Philippine Constitution in 1934.

Another reason is that many of it were converted into fortresses

during the failed Spanish-Moro Wars & during the conquests of the
Americans.

Then, there’s the rise of the middle class at the time when the
sultanates became non-entities. They started to build big houses that
rivaled the royal torogan.