CORDILLERA ARCHITECTURE

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

Isneg - Bontok – Ifugao

The Cordillera Houses
The Cordillera houses were classified into two strains as presented in the study of
Henry Scott.
1. Northern strain - Isneg and Lower Kalinga
2. Southern Strain- Ifugao, Bontoc, Ibaloi and the Kankanai.
In the said grouping the following Issues are raised
1. What are the characteristics of these ethnic houses based on these groupings?
2. What are the dominant influences that shaped these structures?
This paper focuses on the study of the Isneg house as a prototype of the southern strain
and the Ifugao, Bontoc houses for the Northern strain.
Scope and limitation
1. Overview of the three ethnic groups of the Cordilleras: The Ifugao, the Bontoc, and
the Isneg.
2. Covers ecological profile and its environmental influences affecting the architecture of
the area
3. the comparison of the houses of the ethnic groups based on the given parameters.
The materials used for the discussion are based on secondary and tertiary data. The
said presentation can still be subjected to further in-depth study, if resources allow.
 ECOLOGICAL PROFILE
Isneg Bontoc Ifugao
Occupied Apayao Mountain Province Central of Mountain Province
Area
Boundaries • West-Ilocos • South by • South -Nueva Viscaya
and Abra Benguet and • North- Mountain
• South- Ifugao Province
Kalinga • East by Isabela • East-Magat River
• North and • West by Ilocos • West- Benguet
East Sur,
Cagayan • North by Kalinga
and Abra
Land Area 292,794 hectares 209, 733 hectares 251,778 hectares
Land Forms Flat plains, No level lands, rugged Surrounded by rugged
mountain topography 3000 to peaks of Cordillera
ranges, plateau, 5000 feet above the sea Mountains; extremely
sloping foothills and level craggy
rolling terrain from
300 to 2,500 feet
above the sea level.
Water Navigable river – Small river valleys, River valleys, streams
Forms Apayao River streams
Climate • Relatively dry • Very little rainfall • Dry season from
from from December November to April.
November to to March. Heavy Wet the rest of the
April wet rest rainfall from July year.
of the year to September
• Heavy rain averaging 450
during July to millimeters.
November • The average
averaging annual rainfall is
500 2000 Millimeters.
millimeter,
heaviest
during
August
occasional
typhoon
July to
October.
Temperature Average annual Average annual Average annual
temperature is 27C temperature is 21C temperature is 21C With
25C in December With an average 19C in an average 19C in
and 29C in May January and 22C in January and 22C in May.
May.
 Isneg Ifugao Bontoc

CONSTRUCTION RITES
Isneg Bontoc Ifugao
Before Construction Posts driven on the ground Rituals for the The same with
For Cordillera with herbs; cutting of trees Bontocs the Bontoc.
people: in the forest would consist of • Knowledge
• specific time is determine by the goo or the following: of the
for cutting bad luck manifested by a • Knowledge history of
trees bird; of the the site
• timber are cut Very particular with history of • A ritual on
into smaller messages of certain object the site the
pieces for or phenomenon that will • Boiling of preparation
easy dictate the start of the old salted of betel
transportation construction such as meat done nuts and
• cutting and presence of rainbow, as a rite to rice placed
drying of sneeze of a person means the erecting on the
timber is bad omen; Superstitious of the post. stone. Bad
done in the beliefs related to trees omen if
forest stolen by
• timber is rats.
assembled in • Ants are
the site after good omen
planting
season
house
construction
is a
communal
activity and
assembled
 according to
rituals
After Construction • Ritual dance-say-ao • Sacrificing • Pudupuan
is performed by a of chicken – first fire
male dancer and pig lit in the
selected by the after the house and
homeowner. completion placed in
• Offering of betel of roof and the hearth.
nuts, sweets and walls The
rice to appease the • Sangfu – condition
anito celebrated of the fire
• Rice is placed on after 3 days determines
the hearth covered the house is whether
with ashes occupied. the house
Chicken is to be
beaten to occupied
death is or not.
offered to • In
gods for mayoyao,
family the spirits
protection are
invoked
and the
epic of
Wigan and
Bugan are
chanted.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE
Isneg Bontoc Ifugao
People Slender, graceful, virile, Known for their Warrior strain,
hospitable, generous, self- reverence for the hardworking,
reliant, courageous, gods aggressive inventive,
esthetic in their character, courage creative,
temperament. and ingenious,
resourcefulness, holding on
Did not developed a strong patience, industry faithfully to the
social organization and physical kinship system,
endurance. Known polytheistic
It is customary for member also for their social religion, elaborate
of the family to stay at and political rituals rich
home organization. mythology.

Saving not a primary

concern
 Economic Activity Swidden farmers Wetland terraced Wetland Terraced
Other activities like fishing, farmers Farmers
weaving, animal raising Other activities are Woodcarving,
basket weaving, weaving,
cereal, corn and lumbering,
other crops basketry

CORDILLERA DWELLINGS
ISNEG
Isneg
• Lives along the Apayao River and considered as boat men. The boat is called
barana’y or bank’l.
• House or the binuron is influenced by boat design. The roof suggested inverted
hull, and floor joist resemble the profile of the boat.
• The dimension of Isneg house is 8.00 meters long and 4.00meters wide and 5.50
meters high from the ground to the roof.
• Six inner posts for the main section of the house and
• Post-total of 15 posts raised 1.20 m from the ground.
• Walls-slanted on the sides are about 1.50 m. High from the floor eaves.
• Roof gable from the main section of the house is about 6.50 m long
• Tarakip - house annex as wide as the house and extending 1.50 m. With floor
higher than the main house and roof lower sloping downwards from the base of
the gable.
• Post, girder, joists, walls- made of wood. Roof made of thatch or bamboo.
• Fifteen posts: sinit of eight inner post to support the floor
• Two additional for the annex.
• Six posts or the adixi carry the roof
• One the atobtobo, support the ridge roll.
• • Six inner sinit posts, three on each side supports the girders running
lengthwise. Laths are mortized on the 11 floor joists running across the girder.
• Mats made form reed can be rolled and washed.
• The floor frame accommodate platform and allow wall board to removed.
• Ladder at one end of the side wall considered the front. The interior of the house
is bigger because of the slanting wall.
• No ceiling.
• Floor made of reeds. The main section is the xassaran is surrounded on the
three sides slightly raised platform known as tamuyon.
• At the other end of the floor is the raised floor of the annex
ISNEG COMMUNITY PLANNING
• Orientation - no standard orientation
• Granaries - located near the house or outside the clearing. Small temporary huts
are constructed near their worksite since Isneg were swidden farmers.
• Community - houses are scattered few kilometers apart; three to twelve houses
built along water ways. A village may consist of one cluster of several small
cluster of houses.
• Houses were built in a clearing in circular or elliptical layout surrounded by fence.
• At the edge of the clearing are coffee, cacao, and coconut trees and beyond are
grasses, bushes and ferns.

Isneg house exterior Isneg house interior Isneg Granary

APAYAO HOUSE
- balai, house
- The traditional type of house in Apayao with an elevated rectangular one-room
structure and protected by a high-pitch thatch roof that resembles a pointed
barrel vault. Interesting features of this house include the removable wall panel
which can be opened during the hot season and returned back as a wall during
cold days, and the removable and washable floor mats placed above a closely-
spaced wood floor that allows natural ventilation thru its floor.
- Apayao is the only region in the Cordillera that has a navigable river.
• Atap, roof - High-pointed arch shaped roof with layers of thick cogon grass or
nipa leaves.
• Bobong, roof ridge - Layers of thick cogon grass meticulously laid above the
ridge to cover the space created along the ridge after cogon roof was installed.
• Dindin, wallboards - Rectangular wooden panels vertically fitted on a groove of
the wall sill and girt to enclosed upper floor space. Wallboards can be removed if
the house owner prefers to have an opening, as window, for natural ventilation.
• Sakkar, tie beam - A camber-shaped rectangular beam that holds the roof beam
on its ends to keep the roof beam in place.
• Ribayan, eaves -The lower end of the thick cogon roof projecting beyond the
wallboards
• Toldog, floor joist - A hand-hewn rectangular lumber with cove ends laid above
the posts to hold the flooring
• Tapi, floor beam - A horizontal timber member attached above the floor joist and
the outer post to provide support for the raised section of the floor.
• Sidung/linung, basement - The unusable space below the house primarily
intended to keep the house from dampness and humidity of the ground.
• Talaxatag, wood floor - A fixed wooden floor attached to the floor joist with
spacing almost twice its size.
• Adixiyan, girder - A rectangular member connecting posts and supporting floor
beams.

• rarat, roof undersheating - An undersheating for the roof made from closely-
knit dried reed grass which forms a mat.
• tabungan, gable opening - An opening above the upper-end of the gable wall
used as smoke exhaust.
• dapug, hearth - The earthen hearth of the house located inside the bamboo
 extension and attached to the main house. The hearth has three (3) stones
called "taxang" for cooking and is originally inside the traditional wooden house.
Above the hearth is a 3-layer shelf which has specific uses.
The lowest section is called pasalan where woods for fuel are stored. It is
occasionally used to store meat of a wild boar. Above the pasalan is paxa which
is used for storing bundles of rice that have to be dried before pounding. Paratag,
the last layer situated above the paxa, is used for storing rice, basket, etc.
• soba, breadth of the house - The overall width of the main house.
• sotan/lamdaw, window – A portion along the exterior wall where wallboards can
be removed to have an opening for windows.
• banga, cooking jar - Earthen pot used for cooking.
• amoto, jar for holding water - Earthen jar used for storing water for cooking,
washing and drinking purposes.
• arangat, shelf - The shelf above the dishwashing area used for storing plates,
bowls, etc.
• padurot, length of the house - The overall length of the house which includes
both the wooden main house and the kitchen extension made from light
(bamboo) materials.
• gawayan, interior of house - The spacious hall of the main house, without
partitions and with portion of floor adjoining wall raised to about 4" which can
function as a seat or any related use
• agdan, ladder - The wooden or bamboo ladder used both at the main house and
the kitchen extension.
• balatad, pathwalk - Stone pavers laid over muddy ground serving as a pathwalk
from one house to another, or from one settlement to another
• irat, binding rafter - A horizontal roof member made from wooden
branches, tied under the rafter to prevent them from moving.
• sokar, collar beam - A three-layer wooden branch, placed below the
binding rafter which serves to tie and unite the two opposing bent rafters.
• talabawan, ridge beam - A horizontal member at the apex of the roof,
made from wood branches and used to support the roof of the house.
• patuna/pantud, king post - A hand-hewn lumber, vertically fitted on its
ends with mortise. Joints to the tie and collar beams, used to provide
additional support to the heavy roof.
• tadawag/baday, rafter - A thin, pliable board, hand-hewn into bent form,
tied to the ridge beam at the apex of the roof and the roof beam above the
wall to support the thick cogon grass roof
• adixi, outer post - A square hand-hewn timber post, approximately twice
the length of the inner post, which supports the heavy roofing framework
and its thick cogon grass roof.
• sinit, inner post - A square hand-hewn timber post supporting the
elevated floor space
• datag/xassaran, flooring (bamboo/rattan mat) - A flooring made from
closely- knit bamboo strips or dried reed mat which can be removed and
washed along rivers.
• ampakan, roof beam - A rectangular beam connecting the outer columns
that support the roof's structural framework.
• agnadan, wall sill - A horizontal wooden member placed above floor
beams and grooved to hold the enclosing wallboards.
• axeran, girt - A rectangular horizontal wooden member along the
perimeter of the house supporting the closing wallboards and the upper
roofing frameworks.

CORDILLERA DWELLINGS

IFUGAO 1
IFUGAO
• They are the Ipugo or earth people
• According to oral traditions, the Ipugo were decendants of sky god Kabunian.
Their first ancestors were ‘Wigan and Bugan who left Kabunian and settled in
Pugaw - a rich fertile area now the Ifugao
Presence of Ifugao on the mountains
1. Beyers’s theory that these people came from Indo - China 2000 years ago and
they knew about wetland terraced farming and settled along mountain side
2. Keesing theory that they live in the lowland in the Magat area and were forced
to migrate up the mountain to escape Spaniards making the terraces about 400
years old
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
• Polytheistic - worship of divinities
• Ancestral worship
• God - anito
• BELIEF IN CELESTIAL HEAVEN
1. the heavens which itself has four "superimposed heavens." Beneath it is
2. Pugao, the known land. Below is
3. the underworld and there is also
4. the world upstream and
5. the world downstream. Each area has a large number of spirits, each of which
has a name and belongs to one of 35 categories. Among them are ones
associated with hero ancestors, diseases, omens, messengers, celestial bodies.
• Bulul – guardian of the rice crop of the Ifugao

SOCIO-CULTURAL CHARACTERSTICS
• No system of writing but culture and customary laws are trans generationally
handed by oral traditions - rituals, chants, songs, folktales
• Customary laws include the protection of nature: building and maintaining the
rice terraces including forest, land and water management
 • Included in the protection of the forest is the control of logging used for the
construction of the houses: season to harvest the tree; what species of trees for
construction and for wood carving for their gods; how to make the forest healthy;
the owners of muyong or the forest woodlot are responsible for the health of the
forest
• The muyong is privately owned but communally used

SOCIAL GROUPING
1. kadangayan- affluent, aristocrats with many possessions: rice land, water
buffalo, slavesLead the people about moral, laws and helpcommunity by lending
money
Hagabi- bench placed outside their house as symbol of wealth
Display of animal skull - sponsor of festivals
2. Natumuk –owns very little of land and other material things. Depend on
kadangayan for financial matters
3. Nawatwar - poorest of the poor; do not have lands; serve as tenants of the rich
RELIGIOUS PRACTICES
• Religious ceremonies on Agriculture, hunting, good omen
• Performed by many priests at least 15 of them
• Verses of mythology were read
• Priest, mumbaki, chants the myth up to five hours
• Ritual dances and dramas
• Celebrate ritual with food sacrifices: dozens of chickens, pig, buffalo
• The rich sponsor the food sacrifices, get the skull and hung them at their houses
as sign of prestige in the community
IFUGAO SETTLEMENT
• Boble - Ifugao settlement district consisting of 8 to 12 houses occupied by more
or less 30 people
• built wherever there is flat area on the terraces; near spring for fresh water or
grove for climate shield
• Houses in clusters of lined along the terrace
Villages are classified based on location on the terrace, end or upper or upper part of
the mountain:
• Central -where the rich live
• Middle
• Border or
• Lower
• Property boundaries are planted with betel nuts
• Circulation - foot paths along terrace wall

Public forest
Woodlots

Swidden fields

Rice paddies

Hamlet

Woodlots
Muyong -traditional forest
Management - privately owned forest lots but communally used the
people. The owners are responsible for the healthy condition of the forest
Water-management - very important for terraced farming water from the
streams of the forest are managed and monitored by assigned member
of the community
Labor management - agricultural activities are scheduled per terraced plot to properly
distribute the farmers who will both be planting and harvesting at the same time that
might cause shortage of labor force
IFUGAO
“Basket-like house” and “stretched-leg-like ladder”.
• The basket-like description is from the tudung or the raincape used by women
which when inverted is used as carrying basket.
• The house is compared to a woman figure: the ladder is the stretched leg and
the house is the belly.
• Womb - the house has no windows only front and back door
• Dark due to the soots
• Suggests womb -dark warm and enfolding
• Occupants - husband and wife and the smallest child
• Other children live in dormitories
• House interior - womb
• The house was included in the epic where Bugan and Wigan procreated and
give birth to the Ifugao people
IFUGAO HOUSE
• Roof atup - steep pyramidal roof covered with cogon grass protection for sun
and rain
• Wall gaub - wood planks laid at an angle fitted on groove on the floor beams,
joists
• Walls with skeletons - determines the number of animals consumed in
festivities - show prestige of the owner in hosting festivities
• Stair - teteh removable ladder
• Halipan - rat guard
• Silong - weaving and other activities take place
• 4 posts tukud - made of wood or tree trunk or wood in mortise and tenon
• 2 girders kuling that one girder ties the 2 posts
• Wanan - purlins
 • Bunghol rafter
• Liub – girt
• Nundatu - space for the husband
• Mundilig - outer end of the floor joist to support the floor boards
• Kuling 2 girders
• Halipan
• Tukud – 4 posts
• Stone floor for the silong
• Ambubulan - square frame attached to king post to support the rafter of the roof
• Taknang - king post where the square box supporting the pyramidal roof rests
• Palan - attic used for storing rice
• Patyie – shelf
• Punchapalan - Fire place with shelf for fire place and drying food
• Na-ulya - space for the wife
• Hagabi - made of wood
• Symbol of affluence
• Rites performed after the chair is finished
Mortise and tenon joinery used in the construction of the Ifugao house. the house can
be dismantled and be constructed in other sites
In book…
The framework of the bale/fale is done using hand-hewn timber, mortised without nails
or hardware. It can be disassembled, moved and raised again on a new site within a
day.
• hagabi, bench - A bench that provides status symbol for the rich lfugao due to
the cost of its construction and the ceremonies involved.
• atop, roof - The steep pyramidal roof from thick bundled cogon grass (golun)
used to provide shade from the sun and shield the torrential rains
• gaob, wallboard - Rectangular wooden planks of about 1 in inches thick with
varying widths and heights vertically fitted at an angle on grooved floor beams,
joists & wall headers.
• Tukud, post - Made of large round logs, 8-12 inches wide by 6-10 feet in
length and buried about 2-3 feet below the ground and secured in with stone
boulders around.
• The thick and heavy roof of a bale/fa le house covers its wall and exposes only
the supporting posts.
• Parts of trees with truncated roots are also used as posts and placed above
stone boulders.
• The roof and the floor of a bale/fale house are never supported by the same
posts.
• palan, attic - The third level space of an ifugao house with reed mat flooring and
used as storage area for rice grains.
• patyie, shelf - A shelf formed by fitting rectangular wood boards from the wall
header to the roof
• nundatu, male side - The spacious section inside the house intended for the
male head of the family.
• halipan, cylindrical disk - A wooden disk of about 2-14 inches thick and 36-40
inches in diameter, placed along the upper portion of the post to prevent rats
from entering the house.
• silong, basement - The space underneath the main house with stone pavement
aligned with the edge of the roof eaves.
• punchapalan, fireplace - An earthen fireplace about 3-5 square feet with layers
of open shelf used for drying firewood and stacks of rice and preserving other
food
• na-ulya, female side - The space inside an Ifugao house intended for the wife. It
has a much smaller space due to the presence of the fireplace (punchapafan).
• panto, door - A detachable wooden panel door tied to a girt and locked in place
by a wooden bar.
• teteh, ladder - A wooden or bamboo ladder which can be removed and hanged
on the wall for security and protection.
• wanan, purlins - A horizontal member of a roof made from split bamboo and
rono sticks laid out across the rafters and tied by rattan vines.
• ambubulan, square box - A wooden square frame box attached to a king post
used to carry the upper end of the rafters thus making the apex pyramidal.
• taknang, king post -The vertical wooden member where the square box
supporting the pyramidal roof is attached.
• pumpitolan, central beam - A long piece of heavy squared timber centrally
located to reinforce the attic floor space and the roof's king post.
• bagat, upper column - An upper wood column mortised at the base of the floor
beams and enclosed by a girt above.
• bughol, rafter - Long, round tree trunks or chopped flat boards tied to
ambubulan (square box) and liub (girt) to support a roof
• dotal, floor board - Rectangular wooden planks of about 2 inches thick, 12-30
inches in width and 7 feet 7 inches in length which are horizontally laid above
floor joists as boards in a floor.
• mundilig, outer end floor joist - Side-end floor beams above the girder with
right angle grooves to receive the floorboards.
• kuling, girder - A wood transverse girder, 12-14 inches thick, 14-16 inches in
depth and 12-14feet long, with a flat top surface and a rounded base. This
member holds the posts and holds up the floor beams and central floor joist.
• Liub, girt - A horizontal timber resting above the upper columns to support the
rafters of the roof and the central cross beam.
 • huklub, transverse beam - A chest level transverse wooden beam where
wallboards are rabbeted.
• gawaan, central floor joist - An inverted wooden tee beam that supports the
floorboards.
• pognad, stone foundation - huge stones that serve as foundation of the house
as well as protection from the ground termites and moisture.
IFUGAO RICE TERRACES, ZONING
• Bable, village - The settlement of an Ifugao community, usually comprised of
house (bale/fale) and granary, built in an area that cannot be irrigated and not
following a regular pattern or straight line.
• bale/fale, house - A single-room structure that serves as living quarters of an
Ifugao family.
• alang, granary - A building intended primarily as storehouse for harvested rice
grains.
• betel palm - An endemic pinnate-leaved palm (Areca catechu) with nut used
both for medicinal and chewing purposes.
• inalahan, public forest – a forest that serve as hunting ground and source of
wood for construction
• hinaob, forest adopted by terrace communities - The forest adopted and
protected by the people owning the rice field terraces as it is the source of water
for the rice field.
• payo, stonewalled terrace pond-field - A series of stone-walled
structures, usually 3.00 meters in height, built in a hillside, primarily used as
ricefields.
• uma/kaingin, swidden farm - A swidden farm cultivated through a rotation of
users.
• latangan, residential area - The area below the rice terraces intended as place of
residence.
• Magulon, grassland – the area occupied chiefly by forage plants especially
grasses.
RICE TERRACES PARTS
• payo, stonewalled terrace pond-field - A series of stonewalled structures, usually
3 .00 meters in height, built in a hillside and designed primarily as ricefields.
• bawang, enclosed pond field surface - The area enclosed by each terrace dike
that primarily functions to cultivate rice.
• tau', fish sump - A low portion in an enclosed pond-field that is usually stocked
with mudfish.
• pumpudungan, property marker - A marker that is intended to identify the limit of
one's property, especially in a ricefield.
• inado, vegetable mulch mounds - An earthen mound intended for cultivating
vegetables.
 • banong, dike/pond-field rim - The topmost part of the retaining wall (topeng) that
is relatively flat and used both as a pathwalk and water confinement at the: pond-
field.
• topeng, stone retaining wall - Quarried angular broken stones laid in a slight
angle, one above the other to serve as terrace walling.
• Lobong, water – the irrigated water from the forest, naturally distributed to every
ricefield to foster rice growth.
• guheng, spillway - A water outlet constructed at the retaining wall, just above the
required water level of the pondfield, as means of passage for surplus water as
well as a drainage conduit.
• Luyo, work pond-field soil – the soil that is ploughed, planted with rice, and
provide with proper water irrigation.
• Haguntal, hard earth fill – earth soil with pieces of crush stones or rockes that
serve as pond-field soil bedding.
• Gonad, foundation stone – huge bolders that serve as foundation of the terraces
• Ahbubul, submerged water source – the natural source of water for the pond-field
coming from the ground
• Adog, rough gravel fill – small pieces of rock or gravel that work both as support
for the terrace stone walling and the artificial pond-field
• Aldoh, second-course walling stone – the second layer of stones of the terraces
resting above the “gonad” or foundation stones.
• Doplah, bedrock/original valley-floor earth – refers to the natural mountain slope
or terrain that serves as the terrace’s foundation or bed.

KALINGA
Location
• Chico River divides the Kalinga into three and its people into three group
• the settlements are about 500 to 700 meter above the sea level.
• Also known as upper kalinga and lower kalinga
Northern Kalinga
Economic activity – swidden farming
Settlement
• cluster of 20 to 30 houses.
• A village composed of nuclear group of a dozen houses arrange in 2rows and
houses scattered in 2 or 3 near swiddens.
HOUSE
• binayon or finaryon - octagonal house of the rich
• Rectangular houses are also common
 • House exterior - plain
Roof
• Material - thatched
• Height - ground floor to the roof ride is 4.5 m.
• Type of roof - hipped roof not high and steep.
• Roof ridge - parallel to the sides
• Floor is 1.2m above the ground
• 6.0 m long and 5.2 m wide.
Entrance - ladder to a narrow platform on the front wall with low door.
• A door at the ground level opens to the working space below.
• Walls - made of sawali or plaited bamboo.
Interior - well organized space.
Floor
• divided into 3 sections running front to back.
• The central portion lower than the sides.
• Roof granaries and octagonal plan shape create a sense of space.
• Floor – reed mat that can be rolled.
• Floor- not a perfect octagon since corners are not floored over. At one side of
the entrance, the floor is eliminated to provide a working space that reaches the
ground floor level. The kalinga design of octagonal floor and roof form a
domelike space which suggest expansion rather than enclosure.
Lower Kalinga
• Economic activity - swidden and wet terrace farmers
Settlement-
• have town-like village up to 200 houses.
• Houses built close to each other and sometimes grouped around open spaces.
• villages surrounded by bamboo fences with warning devices
• Houses generally located near river, roof ridge perpendicular to the downstream
of the river in order to prevent misfortune.
• About 6.00m x 5.00 m wide and height of 5.75 m from ground to roof.
Roof
• Roof - gabled and ridge parallel to the sides of the house. Moderate pitched,
made of thatch or bamboo. The roof’s inner configuration is a prominent feature
of the interior space
Floor-
 • 1.5 above the ground level.
Divided into three sections:
• dattagon -wide middle section made of bamboo strips of mat running cross wise
• sipi -two narrow slightly elevated side sections each 1.20 m wide made of
bamboo mat with rattan strips
• Walls - ground to floor level horizontal bamboo poles; from floor to eaves are set
of vertical wooden boards. Front and back walls are of 2.50 m high to the gable
which is covered with horizontal bamboo.
• Front door and back door do not face each other. Windows open at opposite
ends of the house diagonal to each other.
• Rice is stored at the sipi besides the fire place with water jars at the opposite.
In book..
KALINGA HOUSE
foruy, house
• The traditional house of the Kalingas. It is comprised of an elevated, rectangular,
one-room house of timber materials, and thick roofing made from 8-10 layers of
cut bamboo laid one above the other. An interesting feature of the house is the
removable wall panel for ventilation and the elevated floor along the perimeter of
the wall that can be used both for seating and sleeping purposes.
talob, roof - thick roofing made from 8-10 layers of bamboo, cut into halves with the
lower layers laid in concave arrangement and the upper layer in convex layout covering
the concave joints and the rest.
agakan, secondary ridge beam - A square, heavy timber beam constructed above the
apex of the rafters to provide support for the rafters and the thick bamboo roofing.
sawang, door - The opening in both exterior and, interior walls that serves as entrance
and access to adjoining spaces.

ina, main interior post - The interior timber post that supports the wood structure serving
as the main living space.
tukud, external post - The external timber post supporting the thick, heavy roof and the
external wallboard.
batangan, tie beam - A rectangular timber, constructed horizontally at the mid-section of
the rafters to hold the two opposing rafters in place.
daipong, stove - The hearth located at the rear corner of the house and slightly raised
above the floor by thick wood panels that hold the earth.
sagpatan, shelf - A thick flat piece of wood fastened horizontally on a wall to hold
objects
manukdon salakab, rafter - A rectangular timber roof
member, laid at an angle above the upper tie beam and the lower roof beam. It is used
to hold and provide support for the thick and the heavy bamboo roof
1 dattagon, upper floor - The main section of the house elevated to about 1.20m used
as living and sleeping area.
ban-oga sawang, window - An opening that suggests a window created in the outer wall
once a wallboard is removed.
sogwas/dola, basement - The portion of the main house below the ground level which is
sometimes used as a working area.
singit-tukod, stone peg - Stone boulders inserted at timber posts to fix and restrict the
posts' movement.
sipi, elevated flooring - The side portion inside the house, running from front to rear
walls, that is elevated to about 4 "from the main floor
lutud, floor joist - The horizontal timber beam constructed above the interior posts used
to hold the post together and to provide support for the main floor.
patang, girder - A rectangular timber beam placed on the upper-end of the interior posts
to restrict its movement and to provide support for the floor joists resting above these
beams.
pudis, floor beam - A beam, laid horizontally above floor joist to hold together the base
of the lower column
mamalbag salakab, purlin - small pieces of timber laid horizontally above the rafters
used to bind the rafters together and provide a member where bamboo roofing could be
tied.
bubong, ridge cover - A thick volume of cogon grass used to cover the space between
the ridge, for both cogon and bamboo roofing materials
binukol, primary ridge beam - A heavy square timber beam where the top most part of
the rafter’s rests.
dabi, wallboard -The thick wood panel vertically laid above the Supper floor and tightly
held by horizontal beams laid at both lower and upper parts of the wallboards.
alisot, bamboo siding - The external wall of the house located below the upper floor
level. It is made from bamboo strips fixed horizontally to the external posts
angattigan, king post - The heavy, square timber placed above the beam that supports
the interior columns
tunglob, gable wall - The triangular portion of the upper exterior wall found below the
sloping rafters, covered with strip bamboo and laid horizontally
binayon/finaryon, house - The traditional house in an octagonal layout or plan. In
Apayao, this house is called binuron.
panabfongan, ridge beam - A bundle of two to three wood branches, tied securely as
one, horizontally laid at the apex of the roof to hold up the upper end of rafters.
ta'ray, vertical roof support - Two pieces of vertical timber constructed above the tie
beam used to hold the horizontal roof support at its upper ends.
fatangan, tie beam - A heavy timber laid above the top end of the upper post to the
together all external upper posts and provide hold for the timber roof's support.
pisipis, sill and roof beam - Square, hand-hewn beam laid horizontally between vertical
wallboards which function as a wall sill and a roof beam.
soling, girder - A rectangular beam providing support for the floor board and the interior
columns
fuchis, beam - A secondary floor beam laid above the floor joist to provide support for
the upper columns
chingching, lower floor wallboards - Thick wooden planks laid horizontally between
external columns to serve as outer walls of the main house.
pongo, bent rafter - A thick rectangular lumber, hand hewn into bent form, and tied to
the ridge and roof beams to support the cogon grass roof
tu-od, post - The square-sized internal or external post that is made from hand-hewn
lumber.
ati-atig, horizontal roof support - The horizontal timber with its end portion tied to the
bent rafters for support and placed above the vertical rog member.
paratok, upper column - An independent interior post, not the extension of the group
posts
okong, upper floor wallboards - thick timber planks laid vertically between the roof beam
and the floor sill.
tatagon, floor (mat) - The main floor made from closely knit bamboo strips or dried reeds
and tied with rattan to forma mat. It can be removed for cleaning and washing.
chosar, fixed wooden floor - Fixed wood flooring of less than 2"which is made from
square lumber and is attached to the floor joist with spacing equal to its width
fot-ang, floor joist - rectangular timber with coved ends, laid horizontally with spacing
approximately 0.6om. It is used to support both wood floor and floor mat.

MARANAO IN BOOK
MARANAO, TOROGAN
torogan, sultan's house - A place of residence and office of the reigning sultan and
immediate members of his family. Torogan is also the community's venue for important
social events such as weddings, thanksgiving, wakes aside from cultural rituals and
spiritual-related activities.
• The Maranao are dwellers of Lake Lanao and said to be of mixed Malaysian and
Indonesian ancestry.
• Torogan is a huge one-room house with pukananan or pugigaan (mat) assigned
for every member staying with sultan and baol (wood chest) as storage for their
belongings.
• The okir is a popular Maranao art form and is applied both in the "sarimanuk"
(wild rooster symbolizing completeness, wealth, prestige, and power) and
"panolong" (end-beam design). These art forms are extensively used as
decorations in both interior and exterior of their houses (torogan and mala a
walai) boats, musical instruments such as harp and kotiyapi (string instrument),
weapons such as kampilan (sable), danganan, and sebat (spear), and coconut
grater and ladle.
• mala awalai - A house of the highest rank or richest datu in a "pagawid"
principality.
• It is a huge, partition-less structure on stilts with okir decoration on the
baseboards, windowsills, and doorjambs. Although this house has
ornamentation, it does not have the panolongs or richly carved end beam
design.
• la wig - A house of light materials for the common people. It has no
ornamentation and is raised above ground on stilts and with or without indoor
cooking area.
• panolong, end-beam design - Richly carved and colourful end-beam design that
flares upward into sculptured wings with either naga (sea-serpent) or pako
rabong (growing fern) ornamentation. The naga and pako rabong panolongs are
alternately placed on the east section of the house to symbolically capture the
sun's energy.
• onsod, fence-like motif - Triangular or pyramidal design usually applied at the
facade of the house below the window.
• tiali-tali, rope-like motif - Rope-like design symbolizing strength and unity,
generally applied at the facade of the house above the window.
• obar-obar, flower-like motif - Flower design often applied at the facade of the
house, including the face of the upper front and comer columns
• birdo, growing vine or scroll-like motif - The most common ornamental design
symbolizing continuity both for interior and exterior uses.
• niaga motif
• panolong
• tiali-tali motif
• obar-obar motif
• onsod motif
• birdo motif
• lamin, princess' room - A richly-decorated room serving as private space for
sultan's daughter and her attendants
• lapa, princess bed - An elevated bed with abundant ornamentation on its sides
and exclusively intended for the sultan's daughter.
• sendigan, sultan's area - An area located away from the entrance of the house
and designated for the sultan. It is provided with a bed (panggao) and richly
ornamented fabric called mamandiang, lalansay, and somandeg.
• panggao, sultan's bed - The only elevated bed with rich carved ornamentation all
around its sides. The bed is oriented east-to-west and is shared with sultan's first
wife.
• mamandiang - Hand-embroidered and opulently designed piece of fabric laid
horizontally above the wall where the sultan's bed rests.
• somandeg - Hand-made and richly ornamented piece of cloth horizontally láid
below "lalansay”
• tulang, kitchen - A spacious area for preparation and cooking activities inside the
house. It has also "tapaan" or fish drying area and laya" for storing bamboo
containers
• pukananan (dining) or pugigaan (sleeping area) - A mat provided for each
member living inside the house where he/she will take his/her meal and will rest
or sleep. These mats, oriented east to-west, are arranged with the sultan's
security near the door and the person closest to him beside his bed
• towa, stair - The main access to the upper floor level of the house with the entire
framework, including the railings, made from wood.
• kerit, tread - Pieces of rectangular boards or planks of wood used as steps in a
stair.
• atup, roof - A steep, thick cogon roof covering the entire house with a flaring-end
at its lower base due to the varying inclination of its roof framework.
• pulaos bungan, king post - The elaborately carved vertical members above the
tinai-a-walay (tie-beam) to support the roof.
• kalasagan, rafter - rectangular wood member set at a high-pitch angle as
framework for the thick thatch roof.
• tinai-a-walay, tie beam - The thick and huge horizontal member, often elaborately
carved with Maranao decorative elements that reinforces the perimeter roof
beams and supports the king post.
• sumang, hip rafter - The second layer rafter which is connected to the lower end
of kalasagan (rafter) and with a very low inclination or pitch. The exposed section
of this rafter, located below the roof eaves, is embellished with carvings.
• lantay, floor board - The thick wooden planks that function as floor panels of the
main house
• dulog, floor joist - The thick and huge hand-hewn horizontal member that
supports the floor of the spacious house
• runding, wallboard - The thick wooden planks that are vertically installed as
house enclosure. The wallboards on the side where panolongs (end beam
designs) are located are richly carved with decorative motifs such as tiati-tiali
rope like, obar-obar (flower-like), onsod (fence-like), and birdo (growing vine or
(scroll-like).
• tukud, corner post - The massive often carved wooden column at the corner of
the house and built above the ground on huge stones or boulders.
• tapuwilih, central post - The massive wooden column situated at the centre of the
house and aligns with the pulaos bungan (king post).
• Every post rests on 5-6 pieces of well-closed rocks that serve both as foundation
and protection from the ground termites and moisture.