If you’ve ever wondered what typhoon resilience looks like, look to the Ivatan of Batanes and how their homes have been designed to withstand the strongest of elements. The traditional house of the Ivatan is called the Rakuh. It is the main house that serves as living quarters. Its ceiling is higher that could store jars, boats, and other household belongings.
The house typically has two levels which are divided by a floor made of wood joined by wooden dowels. The wall system is composed of wooden girders and joist that sits on a corbel stone which protrudes from the walls. The upper level is the main habitable area. The window and doors are both swing-in panels that are identical in dimensions.
Each Ivatan household has a different typhoon story to tell. To quote Uy and Shaw: “In 1905, strong winds suffocated cattle to death. In 1918, a fishing boat was swept away to Annam, which is located in present-day northern Viet Nam. In 1921, the cathedral was unroofed and the wireless tower twisted. In 1952, a citizen who was determined to recover his galvanized iron roof chased after it and eventually recovered it at the town plaza only to find it rolled into a ball, driven about like tumbleweed. In 1987, a Philippine Navy ship tank ran aground in Basco, the provincial capital, and a school building was blown away in Mahatao, one of the towns in Batan Island. Not so long ago, a fisherman was set adrift to Taiwan. Lastly, the provincial governor tells the story of one stormy night long ago when a family gathered in the living room to wait out the typhoon. The roof gave way, disgorging in their midst a cow. There was a feast the next day.”
References:
Ignacio, Jose “Heritage Architecture of Batanes Islands in the Philippines: A survey of Different House Types and their Evolution”, Environmental Architecture Laboratory – University of the Philippines, College of Architecture, May 2005. retrieved August 4, 2020. http://www.hdm.lth.se/fileadmin/hdm/alumni/papers/cmhb2004/cmhb2004-01.pdf
Noche, Manuel D. “History of Philippine Architecture.” National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/architecture-and-allied-arts-2/history-of-philippine-architecture/.
Uy, Noralene and Shaw, Rajib. “Shaped by Wind and Typhoon: The Indigenous Knowledge of the Ivatans in the Batanes Islands, Philippines.” Academia.edu. Accessed August 5, 2020. https://www.academia.edu/16343023/Shaped_by_Wind_and_Typhoon_The_Indigenous_Knowledge_of_the_Ivatans_in_the_Batanes_Islands_Philippines.
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