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 durinj) cold
days, and the removable and washable floor
mats placed above a closely-spaced wood floor
that allows natural ventilation thru its floor.

'
I
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.
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.
ribayan, eaves
The lower end of the
thick cogon roof
projecting beyond the
wallboards.
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.
lawang, drain gutter
A shallow drain canal, ·· ..
located just below the
roof eaves, and
constructed along the
~'r-_...__._
perimeter of the house to
capture and redirect
rainwater.
• The unusable space below
_._.J----- talaxatag, wood floor
A fixed wooden floor attached
to the floor joist with spacing
almost twice its size.
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.
sakkar, tie beam
A camber-shaped
. rectangular beam that holds
the roof beam on its ends to
keep the roof beam in place.
toldog, floor joist
.·· A hand-hewn rectangular
lumber with cove ends laid
above the posts to hold the
flooring .
sidung/linung,
basement
the house primarily
intended to keep the house
.. . . .. .from dampness and
humidity of the ground.
~-===_,__,,,__,,.._...__a_n_
adixiyan, girder
A rectangular member
· · · .. connecting posts and supporting
floor beams. .

2 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

part ~
FIRST SOCIETIES
• Apayao House
• Badjao House
• Bahay Kubo
• Bontoc House
• House, Early Form
• lfugao House
• lfugao Rice Terraces, Zoning
• lfugao Rice Terraces, Parts
• lvatan Thatch House
• Kalinga House
• Kankanay and lbaloi House
• Sagada House
• Samal House
• Tausug House
• Yakan House

rarat, roof undersheating
An undersheating for the roof
made from closely-knit driec!
reed grass which forms a mat.
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 occasiona~y ..-.::"
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.
·...
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.
APAYAO HOUSE
tabungan, gable
opening
An opening above the
upper-end of the gable wall
used as smoke exhaust.
soba, breadth of the house
The overall width of the main .. ....... sotan/lamdaw, window
ho.use. ..· ·····•_,_.,,.__
A portion along the exterior
wall where wallboards can be
removed to have an opening for
· ·. -· windows.
·JJ;...
ri-~~~~~2
padurot, length of the
house
The overall length of the house gawayan, interior of house agdan, ladder
which includes both the wooden The wooden or bamboo ladder
main house and the kitchen The spacious hall of the main used both at the main house
extension made from light house, without partitions and and the kitchen extension.
(bamboo) materials. with portion offloor adjoining
wall raised to about 4" which
can function as a seat or any balatad, pathwalk
related use.
Stone pavers laid over muddy
ground serving as a pathwalk
from one house to another, or
from one settlement to another.
FIRST SOCIETIES I 3
APAYAO HOUSE
irat, binding rafter
A horizontal roof member made
from wooden branches, tied
under the rafter to prevent
them from moving.
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.
4 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO
sokar, collar beam
A three-layer wooden branch,
placed below the binding rafter
which serves to tie and unite the
two opposing bent rafters.
datag/xas.saran, flooring
(bamboo/rattan mat)
A flooring made from closely-
knit bamboo strips or dried reed
mat which can be removed and
washed along rivers.
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
agnadan, wall sill
A horizontal wooden member
placed above floor beams and
ainpakan, roof beam grooved to hold the enclosing
wallboards.
A rectangular beam connecting
the outer columns that support
the roof's structural framework.
axeran, girt
A rectangular horizontal
wooden member along the
perimeter of the house
supporting the closing
wallboards and the upper
roofing frameworks.
 BADJAO HOUSE

.0

I
'

The trad it ional house of the Badjao communities at Southern Ph ilippines

comprised of a windowless one-room house of light materials and thatch roof
built above coastal waters.

The Badjao or Bajao is the second largest ethnic community in the Sulu
Archipelago afterTausug . Originally, they were known as "orang selat" or
"orang laut" and were living on their lepa-lepa (boats) .

,
: tl :
I
'. Houses are built separately in a staggered
: ~\ ~
I
!I
.'
, 1 ,,
': ''
:• pattern but connected to the neighborhood thru
I:
i• .. .i
, I , I '' '· jambatan (footbridge) and own taytayan
I 1 1
11

:: :· (catwalk) and to the waters by harunan (ladder)

I ! f: 1.

- - - - - ~ - _;~ - - - - - - - - - . J .L - - -- - ~ - - - - - - -;...:. · - - - !--! - ---

:: {:
I f
::
:;
(,.,:
I;
:;
I I
i'
:.i
t . .:

FIRST SOCIETIES I 5
BADJAO HOUSE

batang-bubungan, ridge
beam
_.: A straight trunk of wood or
atup, roof · bamboo at the apex of the
A thin layer thatch covering gable roof to support the rafters
made from palm or coconut and the thatch roof
leaves, fixed with moderate
inclination to protect the
house dwellers from both
intense heat of the sun and
occasional rainshower.

A piece of bamboo or wood

placed above the tie and ridge
beams to support the thatch
The central post of the house·· ..... roof
located at the portion with
gable walls and used as support
of the ridge beam.
The structural element
of wood or bamboo that
madeyon;· ········ ····· · encloses the top-most
portion of the wall and
living space provides support to the
Pertains to the open, rafters.
multi-use space of a
Badjao house.

ding-ding, wall· · · lantay, floor

The windowless vertical Small strips of bamboo
enclosure of the house that is closely-laid above
comprised of individual thatch the floor joist and girder,
panels made from palm or to serve as the floor of
coconut leaves horizontally tied ---....z-"'.:.A..-. the house.
to closely spaced bamboo
studs.

dagan, floor joist nd girder ....- ~ harunan, ladder

The horizontal structural A thick piece of lumber tightly
member of wood or bamboo secured to the girder to serve as
that ties and stabilizes the .. ~ ladder with a carved and
wood posts and provides ·... hag, post closely-spaced conical-shaped
support for the main living footrest.
structure. A piece of wood or thick bamboo
that is burried to about o. 60 meters
below the sea bed and extend
beyond coastal waters line to
about half a meter during high tide
and tightly secured by floor joists
and girder.

6 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 BAHAYKUBO

bahay kubo, cube-shaped house

0
A common type of dwelling in
lowland and coastal areas during
the Pre-Hispanic Philippines.
"Bahay" is a Tagalog word for
house while "kubo" is from the
Spanish "cubo'~ meaning cube.

Bahay kubo is a one-room house, raised above the ground to protect the dwellers from
the dampness and humidity of the earth .

sibi, eaves
The portion of the
thatch roof that
extends beyond the
wall.

The bahay kubo has three distinct horizontal divisions, namely: the
stilts or posts, the one-room upper living unit, and the steep roof.
The posts are often covered or enclosed with bamboo latticework
to serve as usable space underneath the house for house
implements and livestock.
The bahay kubo is often built with whole bamboo
or tree branches as structural framework, and
finished with bamboo strips for floors, palm leaves
for roof, and bamboo strips or palm leaves for
walls.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 7
 BAHAY KUBO

~ · ...................... ...... .. .. · balangkas,

framework
pasibi, lean-to roof
The skeletal
A single slope extension structural element
of a jJable or hip type of a roof or wall,
roof. assembled or fitted
together to handle
the exterior
elements or
finishes .

batalan, washing area

A small space adjacent to the
cooking area with a service door
banguerahan ,. " leading outside. It is used for
washing hands and feet, bathing
An elevated counter kids and washing pots and dishes
made of bamboo
strips usually
projecting beyond
the kitchen wall abuhan, cooking area
which is used to An elevated earthen
store food and fireplace with a stone stove
kitchen utensils. for cooking and layers of
open shelves for drying
firewood ancfsmoking fish.

sagang, railing bulwagan, main house

A waist-level railing, made The main section of the house
using bamboo, used as an used as living, dining, and
enclosed and protected porch sleeping areas.
area.

.·
silong, underneath the
house
hagdan, stair An enclosed/open space under
The main access to the house the house where harvests are
with the entire framework stored, tools and implement are
made from bamboo or kept, and livestock (chicken,
combined with wood. pigs, goats) are tended.

8 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

---------

bubong, roof
The steep thatch roof made
from either bamboo cogon
grass, anahaw leaves or nipa
shingles as protection and
shade from the sun and
torrential rains.
nipa, nipa
"Nypa fruiticans," a tropical
palm with a short trunk and
broad pinnate leaves that grows
abundantly along rivers and
estuaries; its leaves are utilized
both as roofing and walling
materials.
dingding, wall
Finished walls assembled on the
ground and tightly secured using
rattan strips on the bamboo wall
studs. The wall siding is either
bamboo latticework (sala-sala),
interlaced bamboo (amakan),
woven bamboo (sawali), or
woven coconut leaves (sulirap).
yawi, main beam ...... .
A whole bamboo, horizontally
laid to define the perimeter of
the house and tied firmly on
each post with rattan strips.
·. patukuran, secondary
haligi, post
A whole bamboo, vertically set
up to support the floor and roof
members. A post buried on the
ground is called binaon (buried)
and a post set up above a stone
slab is referred to as pinatong
(placed on).
BAHAY KUBO
sahig, flooring
Bamboo strips laid
perpendicular to the floor joists,
either closely laid or with ample
spaces, allowing natural air to
enter through the floor.
beam
A whole bamboo laid over the
main beam (yawi) to carry the
floor joist (soleras) .
soleras, floor joist
A whole bamboo laid parallel
with each other of about 12 to
15inches over the secondary
beam (patukuran) as support
for the flooring.
gililan, floor sill
A whole bamboo laid around
the perimeter of the house
used to hold and support the
walls.
FIRST SOCIETIES I 9
BONTOC HOUSE

afung, house .
0
The traditional type of house
in Bontoc, Mountain Province
comprised of perimeter
wooden walls enclosed in an
open living space, and central
granaries. It is covered by a
steep, thick roof that is
almost covering the
perimeter wall.

I
Afung is the Bontoc house for
married couples and children
up to eight years old.

babarey, village Afung is one of the houses in the Cordillera that is built directly
on the ground and its ground space serving as the main living
The settlement area in a
Bontoc community.
and working areas.

The village usually consists of

ator (men's meeting place),
afong (houses), pabafunan
(boy's dormitory), pangis (girl's
dormitory), chap-ay(open
space with flat stone in circular
layout), and akhamang (rice
granary).

The steep roof, made from cogon grass that grows The roof and the granary are both supported by
abundantly nearthe village, extends beyond the walls independent wooden posts and function distinctively:
and much lower than a standing Bondoc man. the covered roof space as the main house, and the
elevated central granary for storing rice grains.

10 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 BONTOC HOUSE

falig, granary
.. · · · · · · An elevated one-room structure
· supported by four hand-hewn
wooden posts and enclosed by
wooden plank walls. It is used
as space for storing rice grains.

li-im, eating area soklut, cooking area

The most spacious in the house .. The area, at the left corner of
since it contains only an the house, is intended for
elevated stick rack (patyay) cooking and as fireplace for the
suspended on the wall, and the adjoining sleeping area.
water jar (panannom) in one
corner.
Stored in patyay are the
following :
khyag (rattan plates)
palato (enamel plates)
ungot (coconut shells or
wooden bowls)
tasa (enamel cups)
mallakong (enamel bowls)
fanilag (rattan trays)
fanga (pots)

tap-an, pounding area ang-an, sleeping area

The section of the house with The area utilized for sleeping
stone pavement and a pounding with a tag (reed mat) as bed for
hole where the task of pounding the couple and children up to
rice is done. eight years old.

FIRST SOCIETIES/ 11
BONTOC HOUSE
atep, roof
A steep, thick cogon roof
protecting the central granary
and the living space below the
granary.
oway, roof undersheating
Closely- knit reeds, parallel to ..
the ridge beam, as brace for the·· ..
cogon grass roof
tokod, post
A heavy square or circular
member as support for both .. ······
granary and roof structures.
12 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO
....
tey-tey, ladder
A wooden ladder, made from
branches of trees, intended for
accessing the central granary.
fogsor, rafter
Long wooden branches, tied to
the roof beam above the wall
and to the ridge beam at the
apex of the roof It is used to
support the reed mat
undersheating and thick cogon
roof
kaew, floorboard
Thick, hand-hewn wooden
planks as floor panels of the
granary.
chingching, wallboard
Hand-hewn wooden planks,
laid horizontally above every
panel, used to serve as the
primary wall protection of the
ground living space.
 HOUSE, EARLY FORM

balangay, boathouse
An impressive boat,
approximately 25 meters in
length and carbon-dated to 320
AD, that was built entirely of
wood and used for seafaring by
;) the ancient Kingdom of Butuan.

Pinanahang, Lean-to Tree House

A form of dwelling common to the Negritos, an A single-room house of light materials that are
ethnic group regarded as wanderers, hunters, either integrally built on high trees or above a
and farmers practicing slash and burn tree stump serving as the house's main support.
agriculture even during the Hispanic period. The
lean-to is a single-pitched structure of grass or
thatch on wood branches framing with the
lower end resting on the ground and the upper Tree Dwellers in the Philippines:
end supported by wood posts. - Gad dang and Kalinga of Luzon
- Manobos and Mandaya of Mindanao
- Moros of Lake Lanao
Lungib/Kweba, Cave - Negritos of Bukidnon and North-
A natural chamber on the side of a hill utilized as central Mindanao
one of the earliest forms of dwelling. The Tabon - Bagobo of Davao
Cave in southwest of Pala wan is one of the oldest - Mandaya
and largest caves with an approximate length of - Bilaan
41 . 00 meters and an opening of 8.oo meters in
height and 16. 00 min width. - llongot

FIRST SOCIETIES I 13
IFUGAO HOUSE

bale/fale, house
The traditional lfugao housei an
elevated square and
windowless one- room structure
dominated by a high, heavy,
pyramidal roof

The framework of the balelfale is done using hand-hewn

t imber, 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 rooffrom
<II · · ·: thick bundled cogon grass
'. (9olun) used to provide shade
'. from the sun and shield the
: torrential rains.

j 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.
Parts of trees with truncated .J_ .· -- .
roots are also used as posts and
The thick and heavy roof of a bale/fa le house placed above stone boulders. The roof and the floor of a bale/fale house
covers its wall and exposes only the are never supported by the same posts.
supporting posts.

14 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWALNG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO


palan, attic
The third level space of an
Jfugao house with reed mat
flooring and used as storage
area for rice grains.
patyie, shelf
A shelfformed 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 and36-40 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.
IFUGAO HOUSE
punchapalan, fireplace
An earthen fireplace about 3-5
square feet with layers of open
shelf used for drying firewood
andstacks of rice and
preserving other food .
. . . na-ulya, female side
The space inside an Jfugao
house intended for the wife.
It has a much smaller space
fi.ue 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.
FIRST SOCIETIES I 15
IFUGAO HOUSE

ambubulan, square box taknang, king post

A wooden square frame box The vertical wooden member
attached to a king post used to where the square box
carry the upper end of the supporting the pyramidal roof is
rafters thus making the apex attached.
pyramidal.
pumpitolan, central beam
wanan, purlins
A long piece of heavy squared
A horizontal member of a roof timber centrally located to
made from split bamboo and reinforce the attic floor space
rono sticks laid out across the and the roof's king post.
rafters and tied by rattan vines.

bagat, upper column

An upper wood column mortised
at the base of the floor beams
and enclosed by a girt above.

A horizontal timber resting

above the upper columns to
support the rafters of the roof
and the central cross beam.

bughol, rafter·· huklub, transverse beam

Long, round tree trunks or A chest level transverse wooden
chopped flat boards tied to beam where wallboards are
ambubulan (square box) and rabbeted.
/iub (girt) to support a roof

dotal, floor board gawaan, central floor joist

Rectangular wooden planks of An inverted wooden tee beam
about 2 inches thick, 12-30 that supports the floorboards.
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 · kuling, girder pognad, stone foundation

joist
Side-end floor beams above the
girder with right angle grooves
to receive the floorboards .
A wood transverse girder, 12-14 Huge stones that serve as
inches thick, 14-16 inches in foundation of the house as well
depth and 12-14feet long, with as protection from the ground
a flat top surface and a rounded termites and moisture.
base. This member holds the
posts and holds up the floor
beams and central floor joist.

16 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 IFUGAO RICE TERRACES, ZONING

Bable, village
The settlement of an Jfugao
community, usually comprised
of house (balelfale) 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
Jfugao 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 serves 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.
•· ·· ···· · .. .. .. ... ... .. ..:
:· · · · · · · · uma/kaingin, swidden farm
A swidden farm cultivated
through a rotation of users.
payo, stonewalled terrace
pond-field
A series of stone-walled
structures, usually 3. oo meters
in height, built in a hillside,
primanly used as ricefields.
• ···· ··· .. ················.

latangan,
residential area
The area below the
rice terraces intended
as place of residence.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 17
 RICE TERRACES, PARTS
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.
'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.
18 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO
pumpudungan, property
marker
A marker that is intended to
identify the limit of one's
property, especially in a ricefie/d.
inado, vegetable mulch
mounds
An earthen mound intended for
cultivating vegetables.
gangal, course fill/small
stones
The space in a stonewalled
terrace composed of small,
broken stones /aid directly on the
hill's bedrock.
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 a_ngular broken stones
laid tn a sltght angle, one above
the other, to serve as terrace
walling. .. ... .. .. ... ..
· · · · .. · · · · .... · ·· ·· · .. · · · .... ·· ··· ··required water level of the pond-
.. 'anul, drainage conduit
An artificial stone conduit for
distributing and draining excess
water constructed based on the
natural topography of the land.
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.
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
field, as means of passage for
surplus water as well as a
drainage conduit.
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.

jinjin, thatch house
A type of house with a timber-
framed structure which uses reeds
and cogon materials for its walls
and roof
pakaw, rafter
4 "x4 "parallel wood beams
attached to the ridge and the
roof beams to support the thick
and heavy cogon gra~s roof
tukah, tie beam
A 4"x6" piece of timber
with both of its ends
connected by lap joints
to the roof beams to ........... · · · -~
keep them from
spreading.
paninjinan, wall stud
A 4" diameter piece of log
vertically laid in parallel with
the post to support the
lightweight cogon wall. Its
lower end is buried about 24"
underground and the upper end
is fastened to the roof beam.
sakong, ridge cover
A thick bundle of cogon laid to
cover the ridge of the roof
. A 4 "x4" wood beam at the ridge
........._
parey, corner post
A vertical piece of log, about 7''
in diameter, situated at the
corner of the house and buried
at least 1.00 m deep to hold up
the roof beams.
IVATANTHATCH HOUSE
Other types of lvatan
••
0
Thatch House:
kamadid
An Iva tan type of house with its
enc/osing's lower portion built of
wood, while the upper portion is
built of cogon grass. It has a
thick hip type cogon roof
rahaung
An lvatan structure used as a
working area and a place of
storage for fishing implements.
The structure does not have any
wall enclosure, exposing posts
that support the roof, and the
thick gable cogon roof, either
with or without gable wall, made
from cogon and reeds.
vuvong, lower ridge cover
The lower portion of the ridge
_.: cover that is tightly pressed by supit, reed mat tie
the top layer ofyayis or
battens. ... A rattan strip parallel to the
rafters laid above and tied to
the reed mat.
panganivucan, roof beam
A long piece of heavy 6"x6"
square timber resting above the
longer wall of the house to
support the roof's rafters.
sppawan, ridge beam
· of the roof to support the upper
ends of the rafters.
pasunen~ king post ·. jinjin, cogon wall
A vertical piece of log, about 12" Cogan grass wall securely tied
in diameter, situated at the to the wall studs.
center of the shorter wall of the
house to bear the ridge beam of
the roof
FIRST SOCIETIES I 19
KALINGA HOUSE

foruy, house .
0

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

I
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 an(i,
interior walls that serves as
entrance and access to
adjoining spaces.
·. · ·...
·I . ..

1i~~;~;;;;~~~; ina, main interior post

I ,......,.. -,-. · · · ·
-,. ,. . ·-The interior timber post that
supports the wood structure

:
1{_2JJllllllll.llll-ll serving as the main living space.
tukud, external post
·~~!~il~~ii~~li~~::::IC~
i
····· The external timber post
· · · · · · supporting the thick, heavy roof
and the external wallboard.

20 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 KALINGA HOUSE

batangan, tie beam

A rectangular timber, constructed
horizontally at the mid-section of
the rafters to hold the two-
opposing rafters in place.

manukdon salakab, rafter

. · · · · · · ·· · ·· · ·" · · ·· · · · · ·. A rectangular timber roof
member, laid at an angle
daipong, stove sagpatan, shelf above the upper tie beam and
the lower roof beam. It is used
The hearth located at the rear A thick flat piece of to hold and provide support
corner of the house and slightly wood fastened for the thick and the heavy
raised above the floor by thick horizontally on a wall to bamboo roof
wood panels that hold the hold O.bjects.
earth.

dattagon, upper floor

The main section of the house
elevated to about 1.20m used
as living and sleeping area.
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.
ban-oga sawang, window
An opening that suggests a
window created in the outer
wall once a wallboard is
removed.

lutud, floor joist

The horizontal timber beam .
constructed above the interior ·····..
posts used to hold the post sogwas/dola, basement
together and to provide support
for the main floor.

singit-tukod, stone peg

er
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.
Stone boulders inserted at
timber posts to fix and restrict
pudis, floor beam the posts' movement.
A beam, laid horizontally above
floor joist to hold together the
base of the lower column.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 21
KALI NGA HOUSE

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.

angattigan, king post bubong, ridge cover

The heavy, square timber placed · · · · · · .. · · · .. · · · · · · · · · · · A thick volume of cogon grass
above the beam that supports the used to cover the space
interior columns. between the ridge, for both
cogon and bamboo roofing
materials

tunglob, gable wall

The triangular portion of the
upper exterior wall found below
the sloping rafters, covered with
strip bamboo and laid
horizontally.

binukol, primary ridge

beam
... A heavy square timber
beam where the top most
part of the rafters rests.

he thick wood panel

ert ally laid above the
v--<·~...,r 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.

22 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 KALINGA HOUSE

binayon/finaryon, house
The traditional house in an
octagonal layout or plan. In
Apayao, this house is called
binuron.

pongo, bent rafter

panabfongan, ridge beam
A thick rectangular lumber, hand-
hewn into bent form, and tied to A bundle of two to three wood
the ridge and roof beams to branches, tied securely as one,
support the cogon grass roof horizontally laid at the apex of
the roof to hold up the upper
ati-atig, horizontal roof end of rafters.
support
The horizontal timber with its .
end portion tied to the bent · ta'ray, vertical roof support
rafters for support and
pfaced above the vertical r~ Two pieces of vertical timber
member. constructed above the tie
beam used to hold the
horizontal roof support at its
upper ends.

paratok, upper column

An independent interior post;· ······ .... fatangan, tie beam
not the extension of the
group posts. A heavy timber laid above the
top end of the upper post to tie
together all external upper
posts and provide hold for the
okong,upperfloor ······ ··· ··········· timber roof's support.
wallboards
Thick timber planks laid
vertically between the roof .pisipis, sill and roof beam
beam and the floor sill.
Square, hand-hewn beam laid
horizontally between vertical
wallboards which Junction as a
tatagon, floor (mat) wall sill and a roof beam.
The main floor made from closely-
knit bamboo strips or dried reeds
and tied with rattan to form a ..... ·. soling, girder
mat. It can be removedfor
cleaning and washing. A rectangular beam providing
support for the floor board and
the interior columns.

chosar, fixed wooden floor

Fixed wood flooring of less than fuchis, beam
z " which is made from square
A secondary floor beam laid
lumber and is attached to the
above the floor joist to provide
floor joist with spacing equal to
its width. support for the upper columns.

fot-ang, floor joist chingching, lower floor

Rectangular timber with coved wallboards
ends, laid horizontally with Thick wooden planks laid
spacing approximately o. 6om. horizontally between external
It is used to support both wood columns to serve as outer walls
floor and floor mat. of the main house.
tu-od, post
The square-sized internal or
external post that is made from
hand-hewn lumber.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 23
KANKANAY AND IBALOI HOUSE

baey/babayan, house
0

An elevated, square, one-room

house of the Kankanay and
lbaloi, with four thick posts
supporting a timber upper floor
and steep hip type roof of cogon
grass. The lower end of the roof
flared out similar to the roof of
the Bontocs and Kalingas
houses.

I
•

sapditan, binding rafter

A horizontal lumber placed
above the flared-out rafter
(tikel) to hold them in place.

kalasod, queen post

The upright member of the roof
frame placed above the tie ....
beam (anayasan) to support
the rafter (dagat).

sha'tal, floor board

Rectangular wood planks laid
horizontally above the floor
joist (sagpad) to serve as floor
(det-a) of the interior of the
house.

tokod, posts
············
· · · .. · · · · · · · · · · .. · · · A vertical upright member
made of heavy, square timber
used to reinforce the entire
elevated structure.

24 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 KANKANAY AND IBALOI HOUSE

............. ..... . bubung, roofridge

The thatch at the topmost part
of the roof to cover the ridge .

.... ...... atep, roof

····· ··· ··· ·
A steep hip roof with at/a ring
base covered with thic bundles
of thatch from dried cogon
grass.
·· ···. ·······
baey, ceiling ·· ·· ·· · ·· ··
The underside of the reed mat
that is laid based on the angle
of the roof it serves as the roof's
undersheating.

sagaang, shelf
A series of horizontal wood-
framed structures above the . pangtew, door
cooking area with c/osely-
spaced wooden base. It is used The removable wood panel
to hold objects or kitchen intended as entry way.
implements.

det-a, floor
pananuman, water
container The elevated interior surface of
the Kankanay house, usually
An earthen vessel used for made offloorboards (sha'tal) .
holding water intendedfor
drinking and cooking.
abek, mat
banga, cooking jar A mat made from reeds and
laid above the floor (det-a) for
A rounded small earthen sleeping.
container used primarily for
cooking.

.. .. ...... tetey, wood ladder

tokdoan, bench
A fixed wooden or bamboo
A wooden bench inside the ladder intended for climbing up
house. or down the house.

balangsag, bench under the sakiatan, stone stair

house
The base of the wood ladder
A wooden bench placed (tetey) constructed of stones
underneath the house. laid one above the other.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 25
KANKANAY AND IBALOI HOUSE
torok, undersheating
The reed mat undersheating
utilized as roof thatch and
interior space ceiling.
dagat, rafter
A wooden member set at an
angle to hold the thick steep
roof Its upper end is supported
by a queen post (kalasod) and
on its lower end, a roof beam "· ..
(goanan) . · goanan, roof beam
tikel, flared-out rafter
A secondary rafter that is
attached to the main rafter
and provided with an inclined.
support. It is installed with a "._
different angle of inclination ·...
from the main rafter to create
a flaring lower base roof
balkes, horizontal stud ... ··
A horizontal lumber placed at
the outer mid-section of the
wallboards (dingding) to
provide additional
reinforcement for the vertical
wa{/boards.
dingding, wallboards
A rectangular wooden panel
vertically fitted on the grooved
roof beam (goanan) and wall
sill (opop).
ballangan, girder
A thick rectangular lumber
placed above the posts (tokod)
to hold them together and
provide support for the floor
joist (sagpad) .
26 / DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO
bobongan, ridge beam
The top most horizontal roof
framing member placed above
the queen post (kalasod) to
support the upper section of the
rafter (dagat) .
anayasan, tie beam
A horizontal lumber placed
above the roof beam (goanan)
to hold it in P.(ace.
A heavy square lumber built
similarly as the wall sill (opop)
but intended to hold together
the upper section of the
wallboard (dingding) and
. provide support for the roofing.
sedngal, inclined support
A square piece of lumber set at
an angle above the wall sill
(opop) to hold up the flaring
section of the roof, particularly
the flared-out rafter (tikel).
opop, wall sill
A rectangular lumber
horizontally laid above the floor
joist (sagpod) around the
perimeter of the house. It is
sagpad, floor joist provided with a groove at its
upper portion to hold the
Three pieces of heavy wallboard (dingding).
rectangular lumber with coved
ends laid horizontally above the
girder (ballangan) to provide
support for the wall sill (opop)
and floor boards (sha'tal).
 SAGADA HOUSE

tinokbob, house
One of the earliest houses in
Sagada, windowless with a
thick and steep roof intended to
withstand the cold weather
conditions.

Tinokbob is one of the houses in the Cordillera that is built directly on the
ground. Similar types of houses are the Bontoc and Nabaloi houses. The
ground space is used for eating, sleeping, cooking, and working and the
elevated central structure is used as granary only.

The roof of a tinokbob house is steep, leaving The house is comprised of two
only a minimum wall surface exposed to the independent structures - the main
elements. house and the granary.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 27

r
SAGADA HOUSE
agamang, central granary
An elevated wooden structure, ...
regarded as the heart (poso) of · · ·· ..
the house, and intended for
storing rice grain and for
offering sacrifices to the anito.
agdan, ladder
A wooden ladder utilized for
accessing the granary of the
house.
segpan, doorway·..
An opening as entrance into the
house.
28 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO
.··· ······ atep, roof
A steep roof with thick piles of
cogon grass gathered into
bundles and inserted into the
rafters.
dapoan, cooking area
·· · · ... The area, located at the rear
section of the house, used for
cooking and storing kitchen
implements.
kamalig, storage space
An elevated wooden platform
for storing baskets and pots.
··... lomeng, pig pen
A shallow pit enclosed with
stones and boulders intended as
pigs' pen.
 SAGADA HOUSE

dingding, upper wall pamobbongan, ridge

Wooden boards for sheathing
interior walls ofgranary.
beam
A horizontal wooden section at
the apex of the sloping roof
which supports the upper end of
the rafters.

bogso, rafter todog, roof undersheating

An inclined wooden member, A horizontal support for roof
attached to the upper ridge pqle grass made from "runo" sticks.
and beam below to bear the · .
steep and heavy roof made of
cogon grass.

kiling, girder ... kammanga, wall sill

A principal beam of timber used A horizontal timber resting
to support the granary above the floor joist used to
structure. hold up the granary wallboards.

pitit, beam ... ··.. desa, floor joists

A long piece of heavy timbered A rectangular member
beam used to connect the lower attached to the girders which
posts and provide support for keeps up the granary structure.
the heavy and steep roof

dingding, wall ·. · tokod, post

Horizontal planks wall chinked A square wood post used to
with mud to enable the house to support the roof and the lower
be comfortably heated by the horizontal plank wall.
cooking fire .

FIRST SOCIETIES I 29
SAMALHOUSE

Traditional Sama I houses are elevated rectangular one-room structures near the coastal
waters of Southern Mindanao, Palawan, Zamboanga, and Sulu archipelago. These houses
are directly built on shallow water and connected to the shore by a pantan (bridge) or
directly built on solid ground.

:
····-- .. ---- --r ·--· ------·-n ----··· --.--- T---------. ---\ \----· ------.
11 t• \
.···- - --· -. -?-i------
; ~
--- --!-~
;~
--- ·-- ------+~-·--
;;
----------
!: I: ii
;: :! ;~
Ll u J...J ;._;
;- J:
-
1.: :.
.i
The houses are clustered in groups by kinship, with 100 to Coastal house has ample space underneath the house for
500 members per group, and affiliated with the nearest the family's pelang (boat) and fishing paraphernalia .
mosque.

30 / DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 SAMAL HOUSE

bubung, roof
The gable roof with moderate
slope usually made of nipa
thatch material on bamboo or
wood purlins. The roof also has
an extended rooffor the open
deck and built just below the end
of the main gable roof

tukalog, stud
.... Secondary posts along the
perimeter of the wall used as
vertical support for the exterior
thatch wall.

pang-tuud, king ·· ..... .

post ·· ··
The central timber
post that extends
beyond the perimeter
wall to support the
gable-end wall and
the ridge of the roof .. ..... · · · · taytayan-tikus,
roof beam
The lumber or bamboo laid
horizontally throughout the
habong, tie bean:;· perimeter of the wall to hold
the upper-end portion of the
A rectangular lumber posts.
or bamboo laid
across the upper
section of the room
to connect the two
king posts.

. . salsa I, joist
A whole bamboo laid
horizontally at about
0.40-0.60 meter
spacing to support the
flooring of the house.

hanglad, gi.rder
A thick lumber or bamboo which
holds the floor joists of the
house.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 31
TAUSUG HOUSE

bay sinug, house 0

The traditional house of the Tausug

in the Southern Philippines. It is
comprised of two or more houses on
stilts that are connected by an
elevated open space serving as house
extensions.

Tausug or "suluk" is
the foremost ethnic
group in Sulu then
fol lowed by the Badjao
(Bajau, Bajao, Badyaw,
Sama I or Sama), the
Yakan, the Kagayan,
the lranun (llanun) and
the Kalibugan
(Subanun or Suba'
a nun).

The word Tausug is said to come-from-the words

"tau" (meaning people) and "sug" (meaning
tide), hence they are the "people of the tide."
The two distinct communities of the Tausug is
the "tau gimba" (inland people) and the "tau
higad" (people along the shore).
lubing-lubing, rafter
A rectangular lumber
providing support on the ridge
beam at its upper end and the
purlins throughout its length.
tiyadtad, split bamboo..
wall
A wall covering made from
split bamboos /aid
vertically at the exterior
portion of the wall.
batang-bubungan,ridge
beam
A thick lumber at the ridge of tadjuk pasung, bargeboard-
the roof and kept in place by the end decoration
king posts to provide support for
the roof's purlins. The decoration at the upper-end
of the bargeboard which covers
the projecting end of the gable.
pusal, king post The decoration is usually in the
form of a sea-serpent (naga) or a
A vertical member often in a .. bird (manuk-manuk).
form similar to a baluster with · ··.
belly base, placed above the tie
and roof beams to reinforce the
ridge beam.
kasaw, purlins
The bamboo or wood branches
placed above the rafter to hold
the thatch roof

ubung, tie beam ·

A rectangular lumber that runs
across the upper portion of the
roof to connect the central
columns and provide support for
the king post.

liug, central post

The shortest column pla~ed..at · · ..... .
the center of the house to hold
the crossing floor beams. This
post is the first post to be
erected and represents the
·· ... hag, post navel (pipul) of the human hanglad, roof beam
body.
A post at the perimeter of the The perimeter beams above the upper end
Tausug house. portion of the posts used to support the
roof structure and the perimeter wall.

32 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO

 TAUSUG HOUSE

Types of Types of Roof:

"tajuk pasung":
sungan - hipped roof
with triangular
vents

libut - pyramidal roof

with vents at
the apex

naga tajuk pasung manuk-manuk tajuk pasung

A sea-serpent style of bargeboard-end A sarimanok (bird) style of bargeboard-
decoration. end decoration.

pang gong, receiving area

A space intended to receive
and entertain _guests.

pantan, open space · · ·

An elevated, open
extension used as a hall,
living space, and place
where fruits, vegetables,
and fishing implements
are kept.

lawang, door
An opening in the main
house functioning as
access to adjoining spaces.
It is often provided with a
removable enclosing
panel.

.···· ··· •

dagtong, bamboo water

containers gibayan, main house
A whole bamboo with a The only structure in a Tausug
removable opening at one-end house that is provided with
to hold refilled water, usually nine posts and used both as
laid near the kitchen and living and sleeping areas.
bathing area.

FIRST SOCIETIES I 33
YAKAN HOUSE

lumah, house
The traditional house of the
Yakans in the mountainous
interior of Basilan Island. It is
an elevated, rectangular, one-
room structure with few small
windows and protected by a
high-pitch thatch roof

The Yakan is the third largest ethnic community in

Sulu Archipelago, after the Tausug and the Badjao,
and known for their intricate and colourful
embroidery.

The interior of the one-room house is divided into kokan (sleeping area)
or tindakan (multi-use living space), pantan or simpey (porch), and kosina
(kitchen) by a 0.25 meter by 0.25 meter patung (wooden fl itch). The house
also has angkap (mezzanine) for girls above the sleeping area.

The houses are traditionally built scattered among the Yakan house is often used from 10-15 years then will be
fields or clustered around the langgal (mosque). dismantled, rebuilt, or built using new materials besides
the previous site.

34 I DIKSIYONARYONG BISWAL NG ARKITEKTURANG FILIPINO


kulung, hip rafter
A rafter supporting the ends of
the roof's sloping sides, that ..
provides additional support for ···..
the traversing salilihan (rafter).
sampayan, roof beam ·....
Long wooden pieces of lumber,
horizontally laid and firmly
attached to the topmost portion
of the post to support the roof
and its tie beams.
ding-ding, wall .... ..
The perimeter wall
enclosure from hand-hewn
wooden planks lay
horizontally above every
panel, and built at a
distance from the main
posts with separate wall
posts as support.
tandiwan, window ··
The small opening built about 1 . 10
meters above the interior floor and
selectively placed along the
perimeter wall.
pagnutih, floor joist
Parallel horizontal wood
members placed above the
girders that hold together the
main posts.
YAKAN HOUSE
salilihan, rafter
Long pieces of wooden lumber ... ...... .... bu bong, roofridge
set at an angle as primary
framework support for the Layers of thatch roof materials
thatch roofing. securely tied at the top purlins
to cover the space between the
ridge.
kasaw, purlin
Pieces of wood or whole
bamboo laid horizontally and
securely tied above the rafters
to support the thatch roof
···· ...
pamatuk, wall post
The post intended primarily to
reinforce the perimeter wall.
.·· salat, tie beam
Wood members
horizontally tied above
the roof beams to keep
the wooden posts and
roof beams in place.
The opening of the perimeter
wall that serves as entrance
and access to the interior
space.
babag, girder
..A horizontal wood member
tightly secured to the posts as
support for the floor joists .
................... ulum, post
The vertical piece of log or
timber that is buried in the
ground to hold both the upper
floor structure and the roof
harren, ladder
Removable wooden or bamboo
ladder.
FIRST SOCIETIES I 35