2.20. viiiam omy Sets tlassncation of Carainers houses and fe yplalcross fine ardrapeentst al rovetes But galvanized iron was extremely vulnerable to stormy weather unless coated thickly with paint; the large amount of sea spray could only rust the sheets. The first concrete buildings were constructed in 1910-1920. In the succeeding decades, steel reinforcements were used. However since these new materials, usually shipped from the neighboring island of Luzon, were costly and scarce, the production of native lime in kiins continued and the Watan chose cogon over the rust-prone galvanized iron sheets. The use of Cogon minimized the use of nails in the woodwork because the latter proved to be less durable because of eventual corrosion. Cordillera Houses William Henry Scott (1966). classified houses in the mountain ranges of the Cordilleras in Luzon into the northern strain and the southern strain. According to Scott, the northern strain consists of houses made by the Isneg and Kalinga. The southem strain. on the other hand, were houses con- structed by Ifugao, Bontos, Ibaloi and Kankanay, The northem strain is characterized by houses with a rectangular plan covered by a high gable roof. The roof framing is independent of the floor framework that the floor and all ofits legs can be removed, leaving the roof Still upright, or vice versa. An example is the Isneg house, with Its floor and roof supported by completely different sets of posts. The squarish house elongates into a rectangle with a roof that is bowed into the shape of a Gothic arch or a boat tumed upside down. The Kalinga construct octagonal houses having three divided floorings, the center being the lowest The houses of the southern strain have square plans with either a pyramidal or conical roof resting on the top of the walls of the house. The house is a box supported by posts, reaching no higher than the floor joists. An example is the windowless Ifugao house, with its low walls and roofs which keep the inhabitants warm. The floors are however raised 0.9 m above the ground. Although houses in the Cordilleras vary in size and shape, they all have common functions. Primary is the provision of shelter from the cold. Houses, aso give enough protection from dampness and humiaity, which may destroy the grains stored inside the house or alang (granary). The structures must also offer defense against hostile tribesmen, wild animals, and vermin. To avoid landslides, these homes must be designed in relation to the terrain of the mountains. PHILIPPINE VEQUACULAR ARCHITECTURE 42Isneg Inhzbiting the wide mountains of Apayao at thenorthern tip of the Cordi ranges, the Isneg build their houses in close proximity toone another, forming a hamlet or clusters of hamlet mainly for protection. A hamlet consists of four to eight houses, granaries, and an enclosing bamboo fence where residents cultivate coconut, betel nut, and other crops in a grove or orchard coverad with weeds and bushes. ‘The Isneg house distinguishes itself from the typical Cordillera house because of the former's boat-like appearance. The Isneg one-room abode, the binwron, withits large concave-shaped roof resembles an inverted traditional Isneg boat. The adoption of boat architecture to the design of the house may be attributed to the fact that Apayao is the only region in the Cordillera with a navigable river, and among the mountain people of the north, only the Isneg Isneg possesses @ boat-building tradition. The boat, known as, barana’y or bank’, is made up of three planks, a bottom plank which get thinner at both ends, and tivo planks on both sides, carved and shaped to fit alongside the bottom plank. Regarded as the largest and among the most substantially constructed houses In the Cordilleras, the typical Isneg binuron stands 4.6 mx 7.9 m rectangular form several post systems with a prominent gothic-like roof that assumes the silhouette of an upturned boat. Fifteen wooden piles carry different parts of house: eight support the 1.2 - 1.5 m elevated floor; six support the roof frame: and a slim one supports one endof the 6.4 m ridge pole. The walls of the binuron slant and taper downward. It has @ gable roof, Unlike most Cordillera dwellings which have pyramidal or conical roots. A larakip, an extension structure, Is built at one end of the house. Its as wide 2s the house itself, with a slightly higher floor, but a lower roof. Some houses, feature a tarakip at both ends. The Isneg use wood for the posts, girders, joists and walls, and thatch or bamboo for the roof. 42. ARKITEXTURANE FILIPINO, 2.21, The ‘seq binuronis 3 ‘one-room abede wth 8 lage concave-shaped roo! made ‘pot may layers of bamboo formed to resemble an In: ered boatInterestingis the way the fsnog roofs constructed. Lengths of bamboo tubes are split In two, and these are laid in alternating face-down-face-up arrangement, their sides interlocking together. Sever al rows are laid on top of one another like shingles, forming @ continuous wave-like link that effectively keops out rainwater. Sometimes, a layer of thatch is laid on top of this bamboo arrangement for added protection. Scott classifies the Isneg binuron as an example of the northem style of Cordillera architecture, because itis gabled, elevated, and elongated. Its floor and roof are entirely supported by two completely independent sets of posts. The floor itself has slightly raised platforms along the sides (Scott 1969, 187). This is the ‘opposite of the southern house, the roof of which rests on the walls of the ‘square cage constituting the house propor that is supported by posts higher than the floor joists. Although the Isneg house may seem small, there is ample space inside because it has no ceiling. One looks up to see the interior of the bamboo roof. Because the walls slant towards the roof, the space inside expands. A practical feature of the binuron is its roll-up floor made from long reeds strung or woven together. These are laid on top of « floor frame made up of lateral and longitudinal supports. Once in a while. the reed floor is rolled up for washing in the nearby river. The walls of the house are but planks fitted together, all of which can be removed, so that the binuron can be converted into a platform (or stage) with a roof, to be used for rituals, ceremonies, and meetings. Windows are not structures frames cut out of the walls, but are part of the walls themselves. A number of wall planks are removed to provide the needed openings. ‘Another important architectural work in Isneg society is the rice granary. Building big granaries remains @ salient part of 'sneg material culture. The granary shelters not only the annual harvest of grains, they are also belioved to house the benign spirits invoked to guard the treasure of food they contain. These granaries are provided adequate protection, mainly with rat guards, which are found on the upper pert of the posts, and may be disc- shaped or rounded plate, knob- or potshaped, and cylindrical. Kalinga ‘The Kalinga settlements are situated along the Chico riverin the north central region of northern Luzon. These communities are strategically located in steep mountain slope where villagers can easily be alerted against interlopers.. There are three kinds of settlements: one with 3 to 4 houses, a hamlet of 20, cor more, and villages of 50. In the early decaces of the 20th century, there were arboreal shelters built 12-16 m above the ground. These tree houses have long vanished since the demise of headhunting practice and the establishment of peace agreement among warring tribes. Despite the fact that present-day houses have been influenced by nearby lowland communities, thatis, the house being made of concrete, galvanized iron and lumber, two types of traditional Kalinga houses remain extant. One is the famed octagonal house (binayon or finaryon), which assumes a curvilinsar form rather than polygonal at first glance. The other is the square- PHILIPPINE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 43,shaped Kalinga house known as foruy in Bangad, buloyin Mabaca, fuloy in Bugnay, phoyoy in Balbalasang, or biloy In Lubuagan. Wealthy families in the past lived in octagonally shaped houses. At the core of the eight-sided house, a four-post, two-girderand three-floor-joist system forms the foundation of the house supporting the 1.2 m high central floor, ‘which in turn is flanked by raised floor on either side. This is made possible by two beams resting on the end of the floor joist. The side floors reach to ‘the outer walls which have eight sides. William Henry Scott (1969,196-197) provides a lengthy description of the ‘octagonal house of the Kalinga in Bongod: the toe floor Jlss, two gers, and fou posts, whlch form the Fourdation | (of the house arecalled fat-arg avrg and tuodrespectvely, anding ontop of ‘the josts are two baamsca stingers that run ram Frnt to backealh anion ‘chi Just beyond each end cf these singe, but not mortised into them, “another post st in the ground, and at equiva distance from the center of the house four more of to each side the cinta four, ghing a total of eght {or the support ofthe wall ACOs the tops ofthese outer (and lighter post), ‘and connectirg thom, are sight shor sills (Pkp) grooved to roca tho wall boards (o«ong,thefront and vackones being paral, the two side ones being paral, andthe four-corner ones joining them st ABdagren argle—producing tha eghtsided plan for which the houselsfambus. The logs ouside below the Feel ofthe flor are backed up against a sawail matting (ingeing) which en- closes thearea beneath the house, “Tore mat for (aiogn saiddowninthecentr section on ths (chosa) ‘41 note top of te tre Josts parallel to the stingers, andin the two se sectionson laths wich un ransersly from tho outer des of tho stringprsto ‘te er exes ofthe ss Moris Into the Upper foes of te strings are {our study posts (parsto, wo of which cary a crossbeam (fatangar) which ita, carts two light quesnposs (Ch supporting four cossbeams oF putin (atti inte form fa square. The rafts (pong0), fasten below the upper pisipi-beam of the outside wal are boned ove hese puns and ‘awn together over thre smal ridgepoes which cary ite actual weight but {erm the ging (panabforgar). Despite the central square foundatons anc the octagonal fer olan ower, the oot with isridgepok presents a er {nt profil fom tho si..to bowed pong rafters are not cupteatd on the front or back ofthe house nstea, stair raters (pakanod) run up orly as far astho at-atgeossbsams Upon entering the binayon, one perceives the protective aura of the dome and the warmth emitted from the fire pit, a square box filled with sand, located a little off center toward the rear of the house. Above this fireplace isa storage rack. Shelves flaunting heirloom artifacts like precious Chinas and pottery pieces extol the status of oviner in the community. The common Kalinga residence is the square or rectangular single room dwelling elevated above ground on post, with a split-bamboo flooring that can be rolled up or removed for washing. in the past, the space underneath the house is enclosed by bamboo walling for protection against invaders. Some houses also use pinewood for flooring, which oftentimes has three subdivisions: the kansauwan is the middle section with two sides called sipi, which are platformed areas of sleeping. At one end of the kansauwanis the cooking area consisting of @ box of sand and ashes with three large stones 0 hold pots. Above this cooking area is a drying and smoking rack. The AA ARTEXTURANG FILIPINO,222 ‘Tne Kalings octagonal rouse calka binayon only opening Is opposite the cooking area, a small sliding door leading toa kalenga or small veranda. A house shrine stands in a corner of the house, with racks that display a porcelain plate for offerings, a sacred spear and a symbolic decor of coconut leaves. Walls are made of pinewood. Otop or roots are made of cogon and bamboo. Bontoc The Bontoc fif or village has three basic residential structures which differentiates it from neighboring pobiacion, vihere immigrants settle: the ato, the council house and dormitory of the young and old unmarried males: the ulog/olog, the female dormitory: and the afong. the family residence. The Bontoc torm for house in gonoral is afong. The rich and the poor classes have different kinds of afong. A rich family resides in the fayu, which is ope and relatively large, 3.6X 4.5 m. A poor family lives in the katyufong, which is smaller, enclosed, and stone walled. The residence of widows or unmarried old women is the kol-lob, also called katyufong. Although the common usage of the word afong more often refers to 2 hut, the Bontoc house in its formal sense is fayu. A fayu has 2 huge and sloping roof that configures a pyramidal form at the front and rear but trapezoidal al the side and rests on the outward-leaning frame of the firs! storey. Enveloping the entire roof are grasses bunched into shingles on fine stems being tled to the rafters and thatched with layers of cogon and runo. Sloping downward from the ridgepole for around two-thirds of the height, the fayu roof inclines outwards from the walls of the house at a distance of approximately 1.2 m fromthe ground. Theroof defines a space for an upper room along an attic thal doubles as a granary. PHILIPPINE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 43To guard the roof from falling in, the walls of the entire first storey slant outwards as they are raised from the floor towards the upper horizontal beams. The square floor of the attic is accomplished by means of four upper horizontal beams supporting the upper rafters as these descend down the ridgepole. Approximately 1.6 m in length, the ridgepole is laid on two queen posts which, in turn, rest on.a central upper horizontal beam. Small smoke exhausts are found at both ends of the ridgepole.. The fayu is windowless but a gap between the walls of the ground level and. the eaves facilitate ventilation. Access to the Bontoc house |s through front, wall doorway about 0.4 m wide and opens into a passage that extends to the rear inner post of the first storey. To the left of this entrance is a room, about 1.7 sq.m, dug one foot into the ground, and is used for threshing rice, Other Bontoc structures are the al-lang, a repository of food supplies, jewelry, and wine jars; the akhamang, the rice granaries; and the falinto-og, the pigpens. Acts of theft are prevented, not by locking device, but through the achipad, twigs and leaves entangled together symbolic of the owner's curse on the potential trespassers ‘An ato consists of 15 to 30 afong, pigstys, and rice granaries. It has a low stone wall and footpaths connecting the various houses to one another. A typical ili has about 600 to 3,000 residents, living in different ato. Community spirit in the itis based on kindred ties, ato loyalties, communal rituals, and a shared history of defending themselves against common enemies Besides being the term for the social institution, the afois also a physical structure consisting of a large hut, called the pabafunan, and an open court where people gather to perform their rituals. The pabafunan can accommodate about 6 to 18 males. With a thatched roof and stone walls mortared together by mud the rectangular pabafunan has only one small opening, 0.75 m high and 0.25 m wide, through which one enters sideways Adjacent to the pabafunan is the open court, a stone platform with a fireplace in the center, around which the men congregate when ceremonies 46 ARRITEXTURANG FILIPINO 223 ABontoc kayufong 224 A Bontoc fayu has & huge and sloping root that ‘assures pyamiga form at the front and rear but tap ‘aordalat these.225 A poor Bontoc family Ines in te Katyarong, which Isemal, enclosed, andes bystena are performed. The seats consist of flat, elevated stones, worn smooth by the generations of Bontoc who have sat on them. The court is sheltered by a tree; there are posts, either carved to represent human skulls or holding stones atop them that resemble skulls. In the headhunting past, these posts held the enemies’ heads which were brought home by warriors. The olog is a public structure where young women of marriageable age go to sleep at night. Similar to the ato, it isa stone structure with a thatched. roof. The single doorway is about 0.75 m high and 0.25 m wide. Inside, boards are placed side by side for the girls to sleep on. These are usually built over the pigpen. Unlike the ato, the ofag is not an institution: hence, ‘there is no ceremonial stone platform or open court. It is in the olog where courtship commences and ends with an engagement. A few days before the final ceremonies of marriage are performed, couples are allowed to sleep together in the olog Ifugao ‘An Hfugao settlement is composed of 12 to 30 houses, situated amid rice terraces and often near springs and groves. A village is accessible through footpaths on the terrace walls. Village terraces are classified as center, bor- der (lower, near the pond fields), or upper (near the mountain slopes). Wealthier inhabitants prefer the central terraces. Houses may be clustered, as in Banaue or scattered asymmetrically like those in the Mayaoyao area, The arrangement of the house conforms to the contour of the terrace where the latter is located. On narrow terraces, houses may stand in rows, while ‘on wider ones, they may be spread out or grouped around an open space. PHILIPPINE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 47‘As.with rice terraces, the house lot is paved with megalithic stones and has entrances generally facing away from the rise of the slope. Houses are classified according to the social standing of residents: the fale ‘or bale for the affluent: the abong for the poor; and communal segregated, dormitory for unmarried boys, girls, and the elderly. While the traditional house has a specific shape and form, the Ifugao dormitory is a hut that ‘does not have uniform dimensions. It is located in the middle of the rice. fields. The rice granary, though smaller in scale, possesses the same basic design and structure of the fale and is also indicative of the high status of the owner in the community. The Ifugao house is a three-level structure. The first level consists of the stone pavernent, whose perimeter coincides with the edge of the eaves, posts, and girders. Awoodsn cylindrical disk, the halipanor rat quard, Is fitted on each of the four posts, The second level of the Ifugao structure is the house cage, consisting of tre room frame, walls, and floor. The pyramidal hipped. roof comprises the third level. Ifugao houses rise to about shoulder height from the ground to the girder. But the posts do not frame the house cage nor directly support the roof. The house cage rests on the posts, and the roof rests on the house cage. The upper frame of the house cage Is above head level. The wallooard rises from the floor to reach the chest or waist height. The roof slopes down and goes beyond the upper frame of the cage to floor level. The patie or shelf extends outwards from the top of the wall- boards to the underside of the roof and forms a recess that supports the roof. The fale |s a small house with a floor area of about 12-15 sq.m. Itiselevated, by four posts 1.2 to 1.8 m above ground. The roof Is a steeply pitched hut, which is of hand-hevin timber and without windows to protect the residents, from the chilly mourtain weather. The house Is constrcuted without the use. Cf nails so that it can be dismantled and relocated to another area easily. 48 ARRITEKTURANG FILIPINO 2.26 An ifugao fale 2.21 cross-section of an Iraao rae2.28 Anatomy of an tagao howe The interior walls of the Ifugao house incline to give a spherical dimension inside. The interior, with no windows and with only a front door and a back door for ventilation, is blackened with soot owing to the absence of chimney. ‘A hearth is built on a lower plane at the right hand corner of the house to protect the house from the humid climate. A layer of soil is spread over the area where three huge stones are positioned to form a stove tripod. The heat and smoke serve to dry the roof aswell as the grain stored in the upper part of the house. Near the fireplace, jaw-bones of sacrificial animals are on display, as a sign of status or to keep peace with the gods. Unthreshed rice Isalso stored on a platform on the tie beams. Jars and plates are kept in the patie shelf The Ifugao house presents some remarkable features. First is the pyramidal roof that is protected with layers of thatch. The thatch roofing insulates the interior from the heat of the sun ast repels rainwater. Lately, thatch, being prone to organic decay and of combustible quality, has been giving way to galvanized iron roofs, which have been found to be more durable, and more symbloc of prestige and wealth among the Ifugao. Hugao housebuilding techniques are precise and accurate; each piece of timber is carved such that it interlocks with others perfectly without the aid PHILIPPINE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 49of nails or hardware. In housebuilding, an Ifugao may choose four trees forming a square and chop off their crowns, leaving roots and trunks intact to serve as strong house posts. Otherwise, four posts of strong amugawan wood are sunk inte the ground about a half-meter deep, with stones placed around them to keep them vertical and prevent their sinking into the ground. These posts are biyger at the bottom than at the top for added stability Rat guards are fitted 0.25 x 0.25 m in width and 1.52 m in helght, and sharpened to forma large tenon into which the tranverse girders are: driven. Though housebuilding may take as long as two years, the house, mostly of hand-hewn wood, may be assembled and dismantled within a day. The house may endure ive to six generations, with only the post being replaced every two decades as the dampness of the earth slowly deterlorates It Outside the house, animal skulls (and previously human skulls from the headhunting past) are displayed below the eaves and on the walls. Post- harvest implements of mortar and pestle and weaving loom are placed on the open ground of the underfloor space. In the same space, wealthy residents flaunt a hagabi (long wooden bench) with carved animal head on both sides as sign of prosperity. 50. ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO 2.29 Magno radio natnovse ‘ith chicken baskels sus pended rom one ofthe floor2.30 A Kankanay raditonal owe calea bhangyan 2.31 Cross-section of the binangiyan Only the couple and perhaps their youngest child reside in the house. Glder siblings sleep away from the parents in communal dormitories, Interior furnishings in the house are rare. An occasional bench of squared piece of wood and a flat slab with the low guard on one side, serving as the bed, are the only notable pieces of furniture. ‘Although Ifugao houses vary little from this basic configuration, houses of the nobllity are often differentiated through distinctive architectural refine- ments such as massive hagabi lounging benches, decorated attic beams, kingposts, and doorambs carved with human (bul-u) effigies, and ornate exterior frlezes portraying pigs, carabao, and other animals, Kankanay Traditionally, the Kankanay village was situated on the bulge of a hill whose height afforded a natural defensive advan tage against rival tribes. Contem- porary Kankanay villages are located near the source of a stream or river, which provide irrigation water for the rice terraces. A typical village of the northern Kankanay or Lepanto Igorot would have at least 700 Inhabitants, residing in a cluster of some 150 houses. Slopes of hills or mountains are flattened so that houses can be built. Lying near this village is a consecrated grove of trees which serve as setting for sacrificial rituals. There are three main types of Kankanay dwelling: the binangiyan, the apa or inapa, and the allao. The binangiyan is a Kankanay family abode that has a basic resemblance to the Ifugao house (fale), having a high hipped ‘oof with ridge parallel to the front. The key feature of the binangiyan is the box-like compartment - a single-room dwelling with a spacious attic (baeg) that functions as a granary The roof of the binangiyan is pyramidal in form with overhanging eaves extending downward about 1.2m from the ground. The eaves are supported by four walls that slant outwards, toward the upper part where the roof is mortised to the four corners. The four walls are rabbeted into the traverse beam below at chest height. Usually, four wooden posts secure two transverse girders which likewise support three floor joists into which “loor boards are attached PHILIPPINE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 52Close to the ground, tnere is awooden platform stretching out to the eaves. The platform is formed by several broad planks laid together above the ground, instead of stone blocks set on the earth. This space is used for weaving and cooking. Stone is used as pavement around the house. The Interior consists of a sleeping area, a kitchen (with a hearth in one comer), and a storage space for utensils. The floor, about 1.5 m above the ground, is unenclosed, allowing occupant to perform chores, such as basket and cloth weaving, making utensils, and splitting firewood. There is an opening at one side, leading to a narrow passageway protected by a sliding door. A pigpen may be found in one of ‘the end corners. The living rooms upstairs, which also serves as the sleeping and dining area. The attic space formed by the high roof Is used to store rice, There are no windows except a small exhaust opening in the roof for ‘the smoke coming from the hearth. The low eaves afford protection against heavy rains. The house has only one entrance, the front door, the access to which Is a slender renovable ladder. The door panels are lavished with vertical flutings and the beams and joists with horizontal wavelike ‘ornamental furrows. The provision of disc-shaped rat guards under the girders ensures the protection house granary against rodents. ‘The apa and the al/ao which are dwellings for the poorer families, are bullt more modestly than the binangiyan. Regarded as a temporary abode, the apa (also called inapa) has walls which are perpendicular to the ground, with the four main posts standing directly in the corners. The material used for the floor is split bamboo and lengths of runo. Even if the roof is conical, as in the binangiyan, t is lower and closer to the ground. Regarded as even more temporary that the apa is the allao. It has a rectan- gular floor plan anda gable-shaped roof that slopes down beyond the floor towards the ground. The four-corner posts reache up to the roof. The floor is lashed to these posts and supported by wooden piles underneath. Since construction does not require walls, the al/ao allows no space for an attic for storage. The structure has no stair for the floor height is low at 0.6m high