Early Philippine Shelters (Architecture in the Philippines)

Part I

Tabon Cave Complex, Palawan

Renowned as the “cradle of civilization” within the country.

Tabon Man

Notable found in the Tabon Cave Complex.

Tau’t Batu, Singnapan Basin, Palawan

“People of the rock”

idjang

Stands as both fortress and a settlement built by the early Ivatans.

Pinanahang

Lean-to house built by the Aeta tribe.

Kalinga Tree House

A single-room house of light materials that are either integrally built on high trees or above a tree stump serving as the house’s main support.

Binuron

Known as Isneg House, built slightly above the ground, is also a one-room dwelling like the fale but has lighter and is bigger.

inverted boat

The Binuron’s bamboo layered, gable roof ensembles an _______________, a design unique to the Isneg who are boatbuilders.

Binuron

Pinanahang

Kalinga Tree House

Binayon

A traditional house in an octagonal layout or plan. It is the dwelling of wealthy families or the aristocratic class.

12

The octagonal house, Binayon is made possible by how many short posts?

Binayon

Fay-U

Also known as Bontoc House, a traditional house in Bontoc, Mountain Province comprised of perimeter wooden walls enclosed in an open living space, and central granaries. It is covered by a steep thick roof that is almost covering the perimeter wall.

Fay-U

Inagamang

A traditional Bontoc House, a windowless with a thick and steep roof intended to withstand the cold weather conditions.

Granary

What is the elevated central structure of a traditional Bontoc House (Inagamang) primarily used for?

Bale

Known as the Fale, a traditional Ifugao house is an elevated, square, windowless, one-room structure dominated by a high, heavy, pyramidal roof. It can be disassembled, moved, and reassembled on a new site within a day.

Bale

Inagamang

Binangiyan

Known as Kankanay House, an elevated, square, one-room house of the Kankanay and Ibaloi, with four thick posts supporting a timber upper floor and steep hip type roof of cogon grass. The lower end of the roof flared out similar to the roof of the Bontocs and Kalinga houses.

Binangiyan

Rakuh

A traditional house by the Ivatan of Batanes. The house typically has two levels which are divided by a floor made of wood joined by wooden dowels. The wall system is composed of wooden girders and joist that sits on a corbel stone which protrudes from the walls. The upper level is the main habitable area. The window and doors are both swing-in panels that are identical in dimensions.

Rakuh

2

How many levels does the traditional Rakuh house typically have?

wood joined by wooden dowels

What material forms the floor separating the two levels of a traditional Rakuh?

corbel stones

What supports the wooden girders and joists in the wall system of the traditional Rakuh?

wooden girders and joist

Which components are described as making up the wall system of the traditional Rakuh?

upper level

Which level is the main habitable area of the traditional Rakuh?

Bahay Kubo

A common type of dwelling in lowland and coastal areas during Pre-Hispanic Philippines. It is a one-room house, raised above the ground to protect the dwellers from the dampness and humidity of the earth.

Bahay Kubo

Living room, kitchen, service area

Primary spaces in a Bahay Kubo.

Dining, silong and balkon, bedrooms

Secondary spaces in a Bahay Kubo.

Banguerahan

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

Sagang

A waist-level railing, made using bamboo, used as an enclosed and protected porch areas. (Railings)

Hagdan

The main access to the house with the entire framework made from bamboo or combined with wood. (Stairs)

Pasibi

A single slope extension of a gable to hip type roof. (Lean-to Roof)

Balangkas

The skeletal structural element of a roof or wall assembled or fitted together to handle the exterior elements or finishes. (Framework)

Batalan

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. (Washing Area)

Bulwagan

The main section of the house used as living, dining, and sleeping areas. (Main House)

Silong

An enclosed / open space under the house where harvests are stored, tools on implement are kept, and livestock are fended. (Underneath the House)

Abuhan

An elevated earthen fireplace with a stone stove for cooking and layers of open shelved for drying firewood and smoking fish. (Cooking Area)

Lepa

Indigenous ships of the Sama-Bajau people in the Philippines and Malaysia. They were traditionally used as houseboats by the seagoing Sama Dilau.

Sama Dilau

Which people traditionally used lepa as houseboats?

Philippines and Malaysia

In which countries are lepa associated with the Sama-Bajau people?

Luma

A traditional Badjao landhouse.

Harun

The stairs where women often wash clothes and kitchen utensils in a Luma, a traditional Badjao landhouse.

Luma

Bay Sinug

A traditional house of Tausug, literally translating to “house of the sea.”

Bay Sinug

9 posts

The Bay Sinug’s ________ represents the major part of the human body.

Navel

The core of the Bay Sinug lies the ____________ of the house, symbolizing its vital center.

Tadjuk Pasung

The Bay Sinug roof features horn-shaped finials called _____________, an accent losing prominence in favor of the more modern galvanized roofing.

Torogan, Lanao, Mindanao

Meaning “resting place” or “sleeping place” in the Maranao language. It is traditional ancestral house crafted by the Maranao people of specifically for the nobility. Serving as a potent symbol of elevated social standing, the torogan was traditionally inhabited by a sultan or datu within the Marano community.

Maranao

Which people traditionally crafted the Torogan?

Nobility

For whom was the traditional Torogan specifically intended?

Elevated social standing

What did the Torogan traditionally symbolize within the Maranao community?

Sultan or Datu

Who traditionally inhabited a Torogan within the Maranao community?

Torogan