Pre-colonial Philippine Architecture

• The Philippines features influences and background.

Factors Determining Philippine Architecture

• Prior to foreign influence, the Philippine architecture was shaped by variables such as weather, terrain, available building materials, religious views, society, politics, economy, and scientific advancements.
• In simple terms, architecture addresses people's needs, resources, and tastes.

Geography and Topography in the Philippines

• The origin of the Philippines is explained through theories of evolution and migration.
• Evolutionary theories of migration include:
  • The Land Bridge Theory
  • The Volcanic Eruption Theory
  • The Lost Continent Theory
  • The Wave Migration Theory
  • The Austronesian Migration Theory
• The Philippines forms an archipelago comprising over 7,100 islands situated in Southeast Asia, between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
• These islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Religion in the Philippines

• Early Indonesians/Malays were Animo-deists, worshipping natural elements like the sun, moon, stars, rainbow, caves, volcanoes and large trees.
• Animo-deists revered animals such as sharks, crows, doves, roosters, lizards, and iguanas.
• Some appealed to ancestral spirits, or anitos and diwatas, for defense against harm.

Filipino Deities

• Bathala is also known as Abba: “Maykapal sa Lahat."
• Apolaki is the god of the sun and patron of warriors in Tagalog and Pangasinan regions.
• Aring Sinum is the Sun God of War from the Kapampangan provinces who lived on Mt. Arayat and taught metallurgy, warfare, and rice cultivation
• Mapulon is the seasonal god for the Tagalog region.
• Libulan is the god of the moon and patron god of homoseuality.
• Sitan is the god of the lower world responsible for the "Kasamaan", which translates to ancient hell.
• Apung Malyari is the Goddess of the moon, ruler of the Eight Rivers, Kapampangan Region and the mortal enemy of Aring Sinukuan, protecting Mt. Pinatubo.
• Aman Sinaya is the goddess of the sea from the Tagalog region.
• Dian Masalanta is the Goddess of Lovers, Childbirth and Peace
• Anitun Tabu is the Goddess of the Wind and Rain that has roots in Zambales.
• Dumangan is the God of Good Harvest
• Idianale is the goddess of labor and good deeds.
• Amihan is the deity of the wind, and is one of the first three beings in the world, along with Bathala and Aman Sinaya
• Lakapati is the hermaphrodite Goddess of Fertility and Agriculture from the Tagalog region.
• Dumakulem represents the Guardian of the Mountains.
• Anagolay symbolizes the Goddess of Lost Things.

Religion's Impact on Culture

• Religious figures such as Mangagaway representing healers, Mansisilat, Mangkukulam representing the powerful witch, Hulublan representing the godddess, Lakan Bakod representing nature, and many more affected societies structure and cultural roots

Subsequent Religious Influences

• Carvings appear in houses, sailboats, tools, weapons, and costumes.
• Spanish colonization introduced Christianity.
• The southern islands saw the spread of Mohammedanism.
• A variety of other religions have established different social principles.

Climate and Seismic Conditions

• The Philippines has a tropical climate.
• Common natural disasters include torrential rains, typhoons, tidal waves, heat, humidity, and earthquakes.
• The dry and hot season lasts from March to June.
• The rainy and wet season occurs from July to November.

Social, Political, and Economic Factors

• Small communities (barangays) were governed by a Datu.
• Extensive trade occurred with China, Siam, Cambodia, Annam, India, and Japan.

Elements of Filipino Architecture

• It is a combination of Muslim, Malayan, Chinese, and Spanish styles.
• Indigenous architecture used nipa, cogon, and bamboo, suitable for tropical conditions.

Ancient Tagala-Malay Architecture

• The Malays brought the simple home building concept.
• The dwelling construction uses bamboo and wood, thatched with grass, palm leaves, or nipa.
• Gables have carabao skull motifs.
• Homes elevated about six feet on wooden posts or stilts.
• Open, roofless verandahs extended across the front of the house.
• Datu houses have "okir" and "sarimanok" designs.
• Indonesians introduced grass-covered houses with rounded roofs 6,000 years ago.
  • They were dug one meter into the ground, then raised to ground level, and were finally constructed on stilts.

Pre-Colonial Architecture Characteristics

• Pre-colonial Architecture can be referred to as:
  • Folk architecture.
  • Indigenous architecture.
  • Primitive architecture.
  • Vernacular (native or indigenous) architecture.
• Vernacular architecture is found among the ethno-linguistic communities in the country, and takes inspiration from environment, climate, terrain, vegetation, fauna, and available materials.
• It responds to communal and social needs and safety from the hostile and marauding tribes.
• The tradition is rooted in the Southeast Asian building system, and shares specific characteristics.

General Pre-Colonial characteristics

• These include specific characteristics:
  • the use of regional materials like wood, plants, stones, and mud
  • bamboo for the posts, flooring, siding, and roofing
  • the use of coconut wood, and palm fronds
  • stone and rock for the walls
  • The use of pile construction, and the hip or gabled roof style is common
• Vernacular building tradition of non-formal architecture crafted by locals for themselves with or without assistance from local craftsman or artisans- the process of building learned by each successive generation.
• Designs were informal and intuitive, usually designed by the owner and executed by their family or the community.

Design Influences

• Tradition sets the house design, shape, form, and structural concepts.
• "Chance" or "oido" (playing it by ear) inspires changes and improvements during building.

Cultural Groups

• Key cultural groups/peoples include:
  • Ivatans (Northernmost Island)
  • Cordillera Ifugao, Isneg, Kankanay, Kalinga, Ibaloi, Bontok, Tingguian
  • Negroes Group Agta, Pinatubo Aeta, Dumagat
  • Mindoro Mangyans – Hanunuo, Alangan
  • Palawan Tagbanua, Batak
  • Mindanao-South China Sea Maguindanao, Mandaya, Yakan, Manobo, Tausog, Mansaka, Samal, Bukdinon, Badjao, Maranao, Bogobo, T'boli, Tasaday and Tagbanua

Earliest Types of Philippine Dwellings

• Earliest forms of shelters were Cave dwellings
• Earliest shelters in the Philippines served as natural habitat depended on food gathering and hunting.
• The Tabon Cave Palawan, for example, sheltered the earliest men of the Philippines, and the Bronze and Iron that was developed provided soul boat burial jars
• Angono in Rizal has carved-figure evidence of ancient cave dwellers with Angono Petroglyphs
• The lean-to marking the first building attempt was used by food gatherers, fishermen, or hunter The single-pitched roof was supported with horizontal lintel and tree trunk beams approximately 1.20 meters.
• The Negritos used this as Ati, Ata, Aeta, Agta and Dumagat.
• Materials include walls, the roof, rattan, bamboo, and leaves.
• Tree Houses were built in forked branches in high trees or stumps approximately 4.50-6.0 meters high built from bamboo, rattan, and nipa palm
• Often Ilongot and Gaddang and Mandaya and Bukibon communities used them during intercommunity fights
• A more settled house was a product of Kaigin and wet-rice agriculture techniques
  • Types of dwellings include Upland, Lowland, Coastal, and river. These consisted of 3 to 20 houses.
  • Most ethnic houses conform to a general pattern which includes having a steep thatched roof, post or stilt elevation, and a slotted floor arrangement to keep cool and to keep warm during the upland huts, and multi-purpose function
  • A lot of houses reflect the wisdom of the local culture
• Ethnic houses used decoration as a mean to express prestige, religion, and social factors
  • Pig skulls are used in Ifugao styled homes
  • Carabao horns are used for Maranao styled homes
  • Crescent moons adorn Islamic themed religious houses
• Ethnic houses expressed the organization of space, even using the orientation of construction to denote wealth and influence
• Animistic beliefs affected design and construction decisions.
  • Rituals guided the construction process.
  • House design determined the distribution of space to support health and prosperity.

Explore pre-colonial Philippine architecture, influenced by climatic conditions and available materials. Discover Tagala-Malay houses adorned with tiger motifs. Learn how design choices were tailored to environmental factors and cultural expression.