Indigenous Houses Of The Philippines

 

Below are four kinds of houses that were built by different indigenous groups found in the Philippines.

The Nipa Hut

The FIRST one is called the Nipa Hut(Nipa is a palm native to the coastlines of the Philippines). The Nipa Hut, Bahay Kubo, Balay, is a type of stilt house indigenous to most of the lowland cultures of the Philippines. Bamboo is used for the framing and support, while the roof is constructed using the palm leaves.

Here is an old photo of a nipa hut

Another example

The SECOND one is called the Ivatan House.

Ivatan House

The Ivatan House is a unique vernacular architecture developed in the province of Batanes. Its compact structure is divided into four areas: the main house, the cooking house, toilet, and bathhouse. During the cold seasons, the cooking house also serves as sleeping quarters. The houses of Ivatan are constructed and repaired through a cooperative system called kayvayvanaan or kamanyiduan. Through this system, houses are fixed with immediate action.

Map Of The Philippines(Batanes is highlighted in RED)

 Most of the Ivatan houses are built with limestone walls, reed and cogon roofs, strong enough to withstand the numerous typhoons and earthquakes that visit the island on an average of eight times a year. Some houses have roof nets which allow the roofs to last from 25 to 30 years. These nets serve as the roofs' protection against strong winds during typhoons. Only three walls of the house have windows; the fourth wall faces the direction of the strongest typhoon winds. The inside is relatively cool during summer and warm during the rainy season.

There are 3 different types of Ivatan houses.

Sinadumparan

The sinadumparan or maytuab is the most common type. It is a one-storey structure with a partially submerged basement that functions as a storage area. It has thick stone and lime masonry with walls topped by either a dos aguas or a cuatro aguas roof which is made of an elaborately crafted wood truss system with bamboo, reed rattan, and thatch cover. It has a distinct roof system built with a meter thick cogon bundles done by by no less than twelve persons at the same time. The roof nets, called panpe, are made of strong ropes thrown over the roof and fastened to the ground.

Rakuh

Compared to the sinadumparan, rakuh has bigger floor area with a lower level which functions as the storage area. The walls are made of lime mortar that binds the stones of different sizes. It has two doors and three windows.

Jin-Jin

Instead of thick stone and lime mortar walls, the jin-jin house has walls made of woven cogon thatch with bamboo or wood framework. The roof is made with the distinctive Ivatan multi-layered cogon system.

Another Ivatan House with landscaping

The THIRD one is the Ifugao House.

IFUGAO HOUSE

The Ifugao houses were usually similar in architectural designs but they differ in decorative details depending on the tribes. Their houses were harmoniously located with the contour of the rice terraces. The one-room house of the Ifugao commonly know to them as fale. The exterior of the house seems to be nothing but a pyramid resting on four posts, while the interior space is enclosed by slanting walls and ceiling that appears to be spherical that are formed by the loft.

IFUGAO HOUSE

"OLIANG" Disks

The Ifugao House have three functional levels: the ground floor, the second level for the living quarters and the third level which was used as the granary. The ground level the posts have wooden discs which was called oliang to prevent rats from entering the house. The second level or the living area was accessible through a removable ladder. The social affairs, eating, cooking and sleeping are all done in this area. At the third level there was the patie, it is a shelf that extends from the wallboards outwards to the underside of the roof. It serves as the storage area and as a structural support to the roof. Inside the house was embellished rows of skulls of animals offered to gods during their annual rituals and also as a source of pride to the homeowner

A typical house design

Ifugao's constructing a house

The Ifugao house is sturdily crafted of timber from amugawan trees raised on four posts, which was buried 50 centimeters below the ground and locked in with stones. The four wooden posts that rest upon the pavement and support two wooden girders, which also supports three wooden transverse joists. The floor joists, floor silts, vertical studs and horizontal beams rests on the post and girders at about head level from a cage. The floor boards were fitted between the joists. The wooden sides of the house slant outward and rise up to the waist, this forms the lower half of the wall. The upper half of the wall is formed by the inner side of the roof. This creates a dark, windowless chamber which suggests a womb. The roof system rests on the “house cage”. The steeply pitched pyramidal roof is covered with thick layers of thatch or cogon, this insulate the house from the heat of the sun and from the torrential rail.


The FOURTH one is a Higaonon House.

Higaonon House

The picture above was borrowed from http://www.natgeocreative.com/photography/661852.

I could not find any information about they're style of housing online. Below would be the definition of "Higaonon".

The term higaonon means "people of the wilderness." The Higaonons occupy not only parts of Bukidnon Province but also the hinterlands of Agusan del Sur and the boundaries of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon Province.



EXTRA PHOTOS OF THE PHILIPPINES BELOW: 

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