The Filipino ancestral house is one of the most important parts of the Culture and history of the nation. Many of our Philippine heroes and idols were born and lived in these houses, and their history can be seen in where and what they grew up in. Unfortunately some people are unable to identify the age of the Filipino ancestral house. There may be skeptics who say “Why should you give importance to the age of the house? is it not more important to know who lived there?” Knowing the age of an ancestral house is not only important to know who lived there but it is also important in the field of Architecture. Architecture of any building changes over time. The architecture that you see from a certain period also exemplifies the beliefs of the people and the capabilities of their society. We will soon see the evolution of the Ancestral house is a great story, and will be a treat to your eyes and mind as we explore the Age guide of Filipino ancestral houses.
Early Spanish Period (1675-1750)
The Evolution of ancestral houses as we know them today would begin in the early Spanish Period in the Philippines. The design of the houses were a step above the Bahay Kubo which was already present before the Spanish occupation, as the typical stilt house as noted in the writings of Antonio Pigafetta. One of the oldest houses in the Philippines is the Yap-San Diego ancestral house located in Pari-An, Cebu city. The house was built around 1675-1725 no exact date can be put on the construction of the house though it is believed to have been built around that time. The house was the home of the Yap-Sandiego family of Pari-an they were Mestizo-Chinese merchants who were one of the rich families of the area. The house is very average size in modern standards but during the time a size of this size would grant you some prestige.
The houses in the city were very different to the rural areas. The houses of the urbanized and rich areas of the Philippines were typically made of 3 things. The first and most sturdy would be a Coral stone first floor. The coral stone wall would be made by first taking stones from a nearby river or beach, then they would pile them up and apply a basic form of mortar made of egg whites and gravel. The second part would be the second floor made of hardwood like Tugas or Molave. Many other species of wood are used in the construction of old houses. the style of wooden boarding would be different in each region but the strip and support style of build. The third would be a Tisa or tiled roof that would either be hipped or inclined in line with Chinese designs. In Luzon the first floor would be made of either Adobe or Brick because it was more readily available. A notable feature of Ancestral houses during this period would be the Nipa roof. The nipa roof was a hold over from the old Bahay Kubo. The nipa roof was a cheap and easy way to roof a building, and since the material to make nipa roofs were very common it was unsurprising to see that Cogon/Nipa roof buildings are all over the Philippines. In more rural areas of the Philippines three things would also be very common. The first would be the raised floor for ventilation. The house would be raised on giant stilts made of either naturally shaped wood or carved wood. The second part of the rural ancestral house was the second floor of the house would also be of hardwoods, and for ventilation though not very prevalent during this period were this period were ventanillia. Ventanillia are small openings below the window to allow for more ventilation. The third part would be the Cogon/Nipa roof.
The Casa Ordoveza of Majayjay,Laguna was built from around 1750-1790 and is very similar to the Yap-San Diego house. The house is the second oldest house in the Philippines and is a prime example of Early Bahay na Bato. The house would have one of the mainstays of Philippine ancestral house Architecture the Capiz window. I have already made an article on the Capiz window and its history. (Click the link below to read it).
This era of Bahay na Bato ancestral houses were what laid the foundation for future designs, paving a way for more sophisticated architectural elements present in later Spanish and American Designs. The second part of this will be published soon and until then take care and keep learning!
