Sustainable Pre-Colonial Visayan House

CEBU, Philippines — If you want to know how a pre-colonial house looked like, just look at our ethnic house. And the ethnic house, in turn, is the inspiration behind the houses that came after it. The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ monograph on architecture, specifically the first of the series about ethnic architecture, cites, “Its sensibility is pre-Hispanic, pre-Western and Southeast Asian.”

The Visayan word for house is “balay.” The pre-Hispanic house, regardless whether it was the house of the “datu” or an ordinary person, had these basic characteristics: it was elevated off the ground and supported by wooden posts, and dominated by a steep roof. These features certainly considered the country’s climate – tropical environment characterized by heavy rains.

The steep thatched roof acted as drainage for the rains, letting rain slide off quickly from the roof outside, at the same time the high roof allowed hot air inside the house to rise.

The house was eventually called “bahay kubo,” because of its resemblance to a cube. It was built of light materials, commonly bamboo for the flooring and post and nipa for walling, and cogon grass for roofing.

It was a one-room structure, with the “sulod” a space convertible to “sala” (living room) where meals were also taken and sleeping mats rolled out. The “salog” (floor) was also slatted so the breeze could come in and out freely, which was facilitated by the big windows too.

Finer details include the “hagdan” (ladder or stairway), “ganghaan” (door), and “batalan,” a roofless extension where the family bathed and laundered.

Design was not only a reflection of how we organized space within and without, but also responded to the Filipino’s need for safety (safe from the hostile environment and marauding tribes, thus, the use of light materials tells of its temporariness as well as its easy-to-build characteristic), privacy, and communal and social needs. Most of the time, occupants stay outside working under the eaves of the house or out in the fields.

At other times, the house can be the setting for weddings and wakes as well as religious rites and other life-cycle celebrations. Thus, the orientation of the pre-colonial house is towards accommodation of the environment and communal life.

In later years, the basic design of the pre-colonial house was adapted to more seemingly elaborate dwellings. And the Casa Gorordo, built around the mid-1800s towards the end of Spanish occupation, and called a “balay nga tisa,” shows remnants of the pre-Hispanic house.

Although stone walls cover the ground floor, and used as storage area, the living quarters are on the upper portion of the house, which was made of wood, and certainly an echo of the elevated house of older times. The whole house is supported with massive house posts made of hardwood. It retains the basic box-like form.

Going up, one ascends the grand staircase, a modification of the inconspicuous “hagdanan.” The “sala” dominates the second floor, with its stretch cut at the end with the dining table, setting the dining area. This area lies nearest to the kitchen, which leads to the transformed “batalan” called the azotea.

Even with smaller rooms, called “cuarto” or small cubes setup, they are not strictly sealed from the rest of the house. One sees openings in the friezes above the rooms to let air flow, at the same time connote that the individuals occupying the rooms are not totally cut off from the rest of the affairs outside.

Come May 25, on “Gabii sa Kabilin,” the Casa Gorordo Museum will highlight the pre-colonial house vis-a-vis the Casa Gorordo in the guided tours of the house. At the same time, it will run shows highlighting pre-colonial family life and performances, such as indigenous dances, in its garden.

“Gabii sa Kabilin” opens the doors of 27 participating museums and sites from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight to visitors with the P150 ticket. The theme of this year’s “Gabii sa Kabilin” is “Balangay,” a tribute to Cebu’s pre-colonial culture and in preparation for the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s arrival and Chistianization of the Philippines. “Gabii sa Kabilin” is spearheaded by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI).