Philippine Architecture

The architecture of the Philippines is a reflection of the history and heritage of the country. The most
prominent historic constructions in the archipelago are based on a mix of Indian, Japanese, Chinese,
indigenous Austronesian, American, and Spanish influences.

Pre-historic Period
Caves (Natural Shelters) - Caves and rock shelters like the Tabon Cave in Palawan served as shelters for
the early Filipinos.
Banaue Rice Terraces - The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2,000-year-old terraces that were carved into the
mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people.

Classical Period
The Bahay Kubo was the one of the common house of the Common people from the classical period up
to pre-modern Era.
Skills in Fortification - The architecture of the early Filipinos are also the skills that were used at the time
of war and on the battlefield.
The Muslim Kota - With the arrival of Muslim scholars from nearby Indonesia, the native Filipinos were
introduced to the concept of the Kota or fort.
Batanes Castles - The Ivatan people of the northern islands of Batanes often built fortifications to
protect themselves during times of war. They built their so-called idjangs on hills and elevated areas.
Igorot Forts - The Igorots built forts made of stone walls that averaged several meters in width and
about two to three times the width in height around 2000 BC.
Torogan (The wooden palace) - This Classical Filipino House have three types of house: is lawig the small
houses, The mala-a-walai the large houses and the torogan.
The Bahay Kubo - The Bahay Kubo is the Filipino word for Nipa huts, they were the native houses of the
indigenous people of the Philippines before the Spaniards arrived.

Pre-Modern Era
Mosques, the masjid and the langgal in Tausug and Yakan or ranggar in Maranao, emerged as Islam was
established in Sulu (14th century) and in Mindanao (15th century).
Spanish Colonial era - Spanish colonization introduced European architecture into the country. The
influence of European architecture and its style actually came via the Antilles through the Manila
Galleon.
Bahay na bato - In this era, the nipa hut or bahay kubo gave way to the Bahay na bato (stone house) and
became the typical house of noble Filipinos.
Intramuros - Intramuros is the old walled city of Manila located along the southern bank of the Pasig
River.
Fort Santiago - Fort Santiago (Fuerza de Santiago) is a defense fortress established by Spanish
conquistador, Miguel Lpez de Legazpi.
Paco Park - Paco Park was planned as a municipal cemetery for the well-off and established aristocratic
Spanish families who resided in the old Manila, or Intramuros.
Augustinian Churches - The order of the Augustinians, Augustinian Province of the Most Holy Name of
Jesus of the Philippines, built many churches all over the Philippines.
Lighthouses - During the Spanish and American era many lighthouses were constructed around the
Philippine Islands. The most Northeastern Lighthouse can be found in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.

American colonial period - After the SpanishAmerican War in 1898, the Americans took control of the
Philippines until after the World War II.

Contemporary period (After World War II) - Modern urban dwellings are typically two-story structures
with a concrete ground floor, sides of brick, concrete blocks, or wooden slats, and an iron roof.

Philippine Paintings
Artistic paintings were introduced to the Filipinos in the 16th century when the Spaniards arrived in the
Philippines. During this time, the Spaniards used paintings as religious propaganda to spread Catholicism
throughout the Philippines. These paintings, appearing mostly on church walls, featured religious figures
appearing in Catholic teachings. Due to the Church's supervision of Filipino art and Spanish occupation
of the Philippines, the purpose of most paintings from the 16th-19th century were to aid the Catholic
Church.

Philippine Sculpture
Before the coming of the Spaniards, Philippine sculpture had a striking similarity with the Egyptian
sculpture which is characterized by frontal nudity.
In the Philippines, particularly among the Ifugaos, the bulol (fertility) is considered as an Ifugao
granary god. It is a wooden sculpture in human form to assure bountiful harvests for the natives.

Modern Period
A familiar example of sculpture with the integration of architecture is the Art Deco Style of the
Metropolitan Theater at Liwasang Bonifacio completed by Juan Arellano in 1931.