![]() ![]() ![]() The elite or principalia included landowners and traders, as well as professionals-physicians and accountants-and the highly educated, cosmopolitan illustrado (literally, enlightened). Wealth became the passport to higher education not only in Manila but also in Europe. With the opening of Manila to international trade in 1834 and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, trade and agricultural production rose to exhilarating heights and increased the fortunes of the native aristocracy, particularly in the provinces. The 19th century townhouse, called bahay na bato, was a product of economic and social developments, as well as architectural evolution. Below is the history of how Bahay na Bato Originated ![]() Meanwhile, Bahay Kubo became the foundation-idea in constructing the Bahay na Bato. If we want to see bahay kubo, we visit our provinces and there we can see that our fellow countrymen still settles in Bahay Kubos. In our time, we seldom see bahay kubo especially because we live in the city. Likewise, some huts have an open back porch or batalan where household chores are done and where the jars of water are placed. Another feature of the the bahay kubo is ladder or hagdan which can easily be removed at night or when the owners are out. The windows have tukod or “legs” that hold the swinging shades open during the day, and secure it back in place at night. The walls are made of nipa and cogon leaves or sawali or woven bamboo, and there are large windows on all sides, which keep the interior well-ventilated. This area serves as the area for livestock pens, storage space, workspace and granary. It has a cellar, called silong where most household chores are done. Raising the interior from the ground safeguards the shelter’s inhabitants from flood, and from snakes and other wild animals.Ī typical bahay kubo only has one, large, open, multi-purpose room for dwelling, called bulwagan. Normally cubic in shape, this shelter is raised on stilts or posts of one to two meters depending on the area where the said shelter is constructed – it may be on solid ground, on a hillside or mountainside, or in shallow water. It is constructed of indigenous materials that can easily be found in their local surroundings – wood, planks, grass, bamboo and large logs. Its name is said to have originated from the Spanish word, cubo, which means “cube,” because of the bahay kubo ‘s rectangular/cubic shape.Īlso known as Nipa Hut, this architecture can still be found along the countryside. Made of indigenous building materials like bamboo and nipa, this pre-Hispanic architecture was constructed to perfectly adapt to the tropical climate of the Philippines and to be easily repaired or rebuilt once damaged by typhoon, flood or earthquake which frequented the country. The Bahay Kubo is the native house of the Philippines and is also considered as its national shelter. Middle-class houses and commercial buildings have tiled roofs. The roof is pitched so that rain will run off. Enclosed kitchens provide a roof over the cook and keep dogs and chickens from wandering into the cooking area. Newer, larger houses designate a room as a dirty kitchen in contrast to the “clean” kitchen, which has an eating area where utensils are stored. ![]() Older houses have a “dirty” open-air kitchen for food preparation. Plasterers add decorative touches to the exterior. The blocks are plastered and painted on the inside and outside when funds permit. Cinder blocks are the most commonly building material used. Traditional houses in rural areas are nipa huts constructed of bamboo and roofed with leaves from palm trees or corrugated metal. But whatever it is, how simple or elegant it may be, a Filipino shelter started with this simple designed house- the Bahay Kubo. Some of these dwellings were adapted from the design in other countries. These days, there are many kinds and types of dwellings that can be found in the philippines. Newer buildings in Manila range from standard multistory offices to Western-style gated housing areas for the affluent, to tenements and shacks. Areas of Manila destroyed during World War II have been restored to their historical Spanish appearance. Towns destroyed during the liberation campaign in World War II, especially in central and northern Luzon, were rebuilt using wood. Seaports and government centers had a larger proportion of Spanish buildings with wide verandas and tiled roofs. It is difficult to imagine how the indigenous population in the seventeenth century was able to build them. The churches are large and different from traditional construction. Spanish brick churches built during the colonial era dominate the towns. The architecture of the Philippines shows Spanish influence. ![]()
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