Technological Institute of the Philippines Quezon City

Philippine Architecture
Pre- Spanish & Spanish Period

Table of Content
PhilippineArchitecture....3 PRE- SPANISH ERA (8TH-15TH Century.7 SPANISH ERA (16th-19th Century)...9

PHILIPPINE ARCHITECTURE INFLUENCES

Geography and Topography Originally a part of the great Asiatic mainland, the Philippines became an archipelago of 7,110 islands and islets after the post glacial period. Some geologists asserted that the Philippines was of volcanic origin. The eruptions of sea volcanoes in remote times caused the emergence of the islands above the waters, and in this way the Philippines was born. Geographical scientists opined that the Philippines was a remnant of a vast continent in the Pacific which in prehistoric times, sank beneath the water like the fabled Atlantis. This lost Pacific continent was known as Mu or Lemuria, and its remnants included aside from the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, the Malaccas, Java, Sumatra, the Carolines, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti and other islands in the Pacific. The most popularly accepted theory that the Philippines was once a part of Asia. During the post glacial period, the world's ice melted causing the level of the sun to rise; consequently, the lower region of the earth including the land bridges connecting Asia and the Philippines submerged, thus it came to pass that th Philippine was separated from Asia. This theory is supported by the following: (1) There is similarity of flora and fauna in Asia and the Philippines; (2) Similarity in their rock structures; (3) The existence of shallow water between the Philippines and Asia; (4) Presence of fore-deep at the eastern margin of the Philippines indicating that the archipelago was the edge of a continental platform projecting eastwardly from Asia. The Philippine archipelago extends about 1152 miles along the North-South latitude and 688 miles along the West-East longitude. It is 75 miles south of Taiwan and 34 miles from North Borneo.

Geology and Materials The Philippines is rich in latent wealth found in her vast lands of valleys, plains, hills and mountain ranges and the waters along her extensive coastlines. There is a great variety of timber, mineral land areas. Iron, copper, gold, tin, clay, limestones, manganese are mined in many parts of the country. The best timber products used for building and furniture making are narra, molave, yakal, dao, ipil, guijo, tanguile, palosapis and others found in extensive mountain ranges and hills. Palm and rattan are also abound. These are used form minor light construction.

Religion

The first Indonesians and Malays who came to the Philippines were animo-deists and therefore worshipped the sun as the source of life, the moon, the stars, the rainbow, the caves, volcanoes and large trees. They also respected certain animals like the sharks, crows, doves, rooster, lizards and iguanas. They invoked protection from evil from their ancestral spirits and in the concept of anitos and diwatas. these beliefs took form in the decorative symbols that they carved in their houses, sailboats, tools, weapons and costumes. The carcass of the carabao skull was also important symbol placed on top of the roof of the chief's house to signify that the community had a leader. The rooster was the symbol of the sun, force, courage, and fertility and was used on top of the roof finials as well as in the praws of sailboats. The lizard or iguana was used as a symbol of the reincarnation of a deity and they were carved and placed across the doors of th granaries to ward off the entrance of pests and thieves. The second and third waves of Malays brought the concept of Bathala, the supreme god, creator of the universe and lord of all man. Spanish domination which lasted from 1565 to 1989 brought about distinct changes in religious life and practices of the people. Christianity elevated the social position of women and its fundamental concern is the salvation of the soul for eternal life. Mohammedanism had a strong foothold in the southern islands. Other religions have been adapted by some minorities. All of these religions provided men set of ideals which carry them beyond their own immediate sphere. The various religions have developed different social principles. These ideals and principles are reflected in the different religious and sepulchral structures, - the church, the tombs and burial mounds.

Climate and Seismic Condition Climate, topography and seismic conditions dictate a highly functional type of architecture. Torrential rains, typhoon, tidal waves, heat, humidity, earthquake are common occurrences in the Philippines. The main seasons in the Philippines are the dry-hot season from March to June; rainy-wet season from July to November. December to February experience mild climate. Torrential rains cause floods, washing out coastal towns and destroying forest and farmlands.

Social, Political and Economic Conditions Before the coming of the Spaniards, the primitive non-Christian Filipinos lived in small communities called barangay ruled by a datu. They were ruled by local laws. the oldest source of law, it was believed, was the goddess "Lubluban". The laws were announced by village informer who went around the village at night to make announcements. The laws carried many subjects such as marriage, inheritance, loans, contracts, and descents. The Code of Kalantiaw and the Code of Maragtas were the oldest laws. They believed in auguries and superstitions. They had a system of alphabet based on the ancient Malayan alphabet. They
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had a system of writing using the bamboo pulp or the bark of a tree for writing. They practised medicine using herbs, juices and oil. They showed skill in the art of embalming. The tinuro, the dipa and the dankal were used as units of linear measure. the gatang was the unit of measure of capacity. The people mined and smelted their own iron ore and copper. They made beads, armlets and earrings. They established trade relations with China, siam, Cambodia, Annam, India and Japan. The art of the Bagobos were confined to personal adornments of headgear, belts, armlets, sheaths and pouches. The maranaw craftsmanship and dexterity are evident in their brass work, the urns, rays and "gadurs" (vases). Among the Ifugaos, woodcarving in wooden representation of deities and idols was a common art. The Apayaos, Kalingas and Gaddangs practised dry-rice agriculture. The Mangyans subsisted on shifting agriculture, hunting and gathering. They also practised the art of basket weaving. The earliest type of shelter was the lean to fashioned of leaves and propped up by a pole. Trade relations with the neighboring countries influenced the enhancement of the Filipino culture. Our past political village system was of Indian caste. The chinese influenced greatly the economic life of the Filipinos. It appeared that iron, lead, gold and silver were derived by the early Filipinos from the chinese. Aside from the art of mining, the chinese introduced metallurgy and the manufacture of gunpowder, porcelain, pottery, gongs, umbrellas, etc. the Japanese taught the Filipinos how to manufacture agricultural implements, how to breed ducks and fishes for export. Weapons of warfare were manufactured under the direction of the Japanese. Christianity came to the Philippines from Palestine and Rome, by way of Spain. Christianity - as Mohammedanism, Buddhism, and Hinduism have given us a solid basis for our morals and way of life.

Historical According to an old scientific theory, the Philippine architecture was once a part of the Asian continent during the pre-historic times. About 25,000 years ago, the level of the seas rose up and flooded the lower regions on the earth. The landbridges connecting the Philippine and Asia were submerging. Thus it came to pass that the Philippines was separated from the big mass of land that Asia. The Filipinos are virtually a race of races. They are the product of the mixture of various races of the world. There and a half centuries of foreign rule-first by Spain and then by the United States- superimposed a Western-style culture on the Muslim way of life in this outcrop of islands. Spain gave the Philippines its main religion, Roman
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Catholicism. American influences shows in the countrys bustling, skyscrapers cities, such as Manila and Makati and in the use of English as the main language.

PRE- SPANISH ERA (8TH-15TH Century) Architecture in pre- Spanish era was expressed in the bahay kubo style of dwellings, which was cool and cozy and well adapted to tropical climate. Even before the Spanish colonial period, the Filipino lived in permanent homes and wore clothes and ornamental handicrafts. Their house were constructed of woods, bamboo and palms leaves (nipa shingles). In the north, in the Cordillera mountains, the Ifugao built a one-room house on stilts with pyramidal roof. The structural parts of the house were built without nails and were joined together by lapping.

The Nipa Hut

In the lowland areas, the Nipa houses has at least 3 different versions: Ilocas, Central Luzon and Southern Luzon. The characteristic shape for all three is that of the classic Malay Nipa house with the pitched roof with wide overhang wide window, light walls above stilts and front and back porches. In the farm and poorer villages, the nipa hut is literally a grass hut, made of bamboo poles, a thatch roof with woven spilt canes for wall and spilt bamboo slats for flooring.

The Mindanao house in the south, echoes the qualities of its Muslim population. It has a proud, aggressive air with its prow like roof, the polychrome, extravagant wooden carving derived from the Malay Mythical bird, the sari manok, the siken Muslim canopies in the interior.

SPANISH ERA (16th-19th Century) In th 16th century, the scattered island became a colony of Spain. With Spanish power and the Christian faith came Europe culture and new forms of building. On the tropical landscape rose city walls, fortresses, government buildings, churches and convents and grand houses. The builder of the Spanish period included Spanish Friars, Chinese, and native artisan, architects from the peninsula, and the maestro de obras. The native learned to work with bricks and stones, and had contend with the intricacies of the baroque and rococo. Ilocos Province in the north The Vigan house before the colonization of Spain were made from lightweight materials such as bamboo, nipa and cogon. These were called bahaykubo and are airy and easy to clean, but were of no match to the typhoons that visit the land during the wet season, or even the occasional fires. When the Spaniards came together with their Mexican subjects, the locals learned from them how to quarry, prepare the stones and make bricks. They also learned how to make these into fire-resistant building materials by applying lime mortar. Though the structures they constructed using these materials fared better in withstanding typhoons and fires, the structures were still easy casualties of earthquakes. Even though there were some houses whose first and second floors are built in pure masonry that survived the elements, Biguenos still endeavored to find better ways of building. What they did was to mix their indigenous construction methods with that of the Europeans. They retained the bahay-kubos interlocking wooden post and beam system. The mortared bricks and stones were used for the walls of the first floor, while the second floors were made largely of timber. This kind of construction proved to weather earthquakes and storms better and can be seen in the preserved houses of Vigan.

Vigan houses are also noteworthy because they are a bit bigger than the usual Asian houses. This is because they not only serve as residences but as shops and storage as well, like those in other trading centers. These storage and shop areas are in the ground floor together with the carriage area. A big staircase leads to the living areas in the upper floors consisting of living room, dining area and kitchen, bedrooms and a toilet. Light and air flow freely. There is usually an open terrace connected to the dining area or kitchen. Large windows made of wood and capiz shells surround the house with balustered sliding panels in the lower part that allows one to view the streets while sitting on the floor. Roofs and eaves are extended to ward off harsh sunlight and rain.

The Antillan House

An elegant two storey, rectangular town house, the Antilla house is easily recognizable from it massive stone first floor contrasting with the light and airy second floor, mother of pearl windows running around its sides and a picturesque, wide tile roof. Batanes (18th Century) The Batanes group of islands is the northernmost province of the Philippines. It is located between 121 45' to 122 15' east longitudes, and at 2015' north latitudes. Batanes is closer to Taiwan than to the northern tip of Luzon. Of the 10 volcanic islands composing the province, only three are inhabited. They are Batan (where the provincial capital of Vasay (Basco) is located), Sabtang, and Itbayat. A fourth, Ivuhos, lying about a kilometer and a half cast of Sabtang, has a handful of families tending cattle. The other uninhabited islands are Yami,
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North, Mavudis, Siayan, Di-nem and Dequey. The province has a total land area of 230 km, the country's smallest (Alonzo, 1965). Batanes is classified as having Type A climate, a pleasant semi-temperate climate. The Ivatan (people of Batanes) recognize two seasons: rayun (summer), which lasts from March to May, amian (winter) from November to February. Kachachimuyen are the rainy months for the rest of the year, except for a brief spell of warm weather (dekey a rayun) in the two weeks between September and October. Ivatan house Before the coming of the Spaniards, the Ivatan lived in very small and low cogon houses well situated to maximize the protection against strong winds. The Spaniards introduced largescale production of lime for the construction of the now famous "traditional" Ivatan stone-houses, with exceptionally thick cogon roofs, that could withstand the strongest typhoon. Bahay na Bato..up to 1920s

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The Bahay na Bato is a derivation of the traditional Bahay Kubo with more sturdier materials as the main form of construction. Using the same spatial arrangements of the Bahay kubo, the Bahay na Bato continued the principle of open ventilation and elevated apartments as that of its predecessor. The only difference being that the Bahay na Bato, which translates as Stone House, is made in most cases of stone instead of the more traditional bamboo. Other versions of the Bahay na Bato would be constructed of a stone- or brick-supported lower level and a hard wooden upper level covered by tiles or in later cases galvanized iron. The window of the house is unique in architecture for it opens not just from mid-level but from floor to ceiling. This enables tropical wind to circulate freely into the structure enabling the house to be ventilated tropically. The upper level, or the piano noble of the house contains the most luxuriously furnished apartments, this level overhangs the ground level which contains mostly storage and carriage depots.

Banguera Was a carry- over from the bangahan of the nipa house, where pots are kept to drain, slat floors in kitchen. Whether the post are embedded in the wall or exposed.

Media Agua (awning) popular at the turn of the century which gave double protection from sun and rain.

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Ventanilla terrace on the wall and use of glass and mirrors to create illusions of transparency and space give the feeling that there are no real physical boundaries in the stone house as there is none among the family members.

References: http://www.ternar.com/asianart_98/ph-arki.html http://www.vigan.ph/vigan_houses.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/iloilocity/116332197/ http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-na/article.php?igm=4&i=226 http://www.changemakers.com/geotourismchallenge/entries/ivatan-house http://historyofarchitecture.weebly.com/bahay-na-bato.html

George Salvan. History of Architecture. pp.698-729 13

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