The history of Philippine plumbing pails in comparison–We’re not kidding, the etymology of the word ‘kubeta’ comes from a crude and early system of flushing the toilet, and refers to the initial device used to do so. Cubeta apparently refers to the Spanish term for the pail or bucket. In 1902, the American colonizers introduced the use of the toilet via a pail conservancy system. This was known as the…
Despite the historical and cultural effects of architecture on Filipino homes, there is nothing quite as charming as having one’s own dirty kitchen upon which to prepare home-cooked meals. The dirty kitchen or ‘abuhan’ brings back so many memories, too. For those of us who love to cook, the dirty kitchen was our teacher: it taught us how to make our own fire, including the art form of the proper…
The Mandaya house is wholly made of carefully selected bamboo flattened into slats and held together by horizontal bamboo strips or a rattan. Ascent to this single room with a small kitchen area is through a removable single-notched trunk of a tree. Traditionally, its elevated floor line served as one of the safety measures against attacks of other ethnic groups in the periphery of Davao Oriental. These warring conditions made…
Verandahs sit at a peculiar location in homes such as indigenous homes, bungalows and modern-day houses. It is part of the house but not quite, despite roofing. It is outside, but not there yet. It is within the property, but there is a much, much more private space indoors. These open-air galleries are usually enclosed with railings and are often located at the fronts and sides of homes. The word…
An artwork that is particularly associated with the Maranao people because of their mastery of the craft, the Okir detail can also be found in Sama Dilaut boats and neighboring Moro Cultural Communities such as the Maguindanao, Iranun, Tausug, Yakan. These geometric and flowing plant-based designs and folk motifs are commonly found in Moro and Lumad Tribes in Mindanao and some parts of Sabbah. Historically, the earliest recorded okir design…
There is a legend among seafarers that there is an Ilonggo aboard every ship in the world. Perhaps this legend traces its roots in the early pre-Hispanic days when the earliest sailors from Panay in the Visayas sailed the seas on board vessels such as the paraw. The paraw is part-outrigger canoe and part sailboat. It merges ancient shipbuilding craftsmanship and ingenuity where materials are concerned. Back then, the paraw…
The Veranda and Balcony are two very different spaces of a building that are sometimes easily interchanged. But not everyone knows that these two terms are distinct, even if some people use one term to mean the other. As a rule of thumb, the verandah is an open-air gallery with a roof attached to the outside of the building. It is usually on the Ground Floor. Meanwhile, the Balcony is…
Designed by National Artist for Architecture Francisco Mañosa, the Coconut Palace is a government building known for its concept of the coconut as the ultimate “Tree of Life.” Located inside the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay, it is made of several types of Philippine hardwood as well as coconut shells. But the most interesting part of its design is the specially engineered coconut lumber which is known…
Every Filipino who knows about history knows about this balcony. Located at the famous Aguinaldo House which is now the Aguinaldo shrine, the Independence balcony is famous for its location. On this Independence balcony which was then a window, the Philippine national flag, made by Marcela Agoncillo in Hong Kong, was officially unfurled by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista as President Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence from Spain eight decades ago on June…
We’re seeing a comeback of this tile design in recent years: from supermarket floorings to restaurant motifs. Popularly known as Mediterranean-patterned tiles, Machuca tiles were introduced into Philippine design as early as 100 years ago. The idea for the hand-made cement tiles were brought from Spain to the Philippines by Machuca founder Jose Machuca y Sanchez. The motif of the tile is Mediterranean, a mixture of efflorescent patterns and geometric…
