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The
Tausog of Sulu, one of the Muslim peoples of the Philippines,
are known as seafarers; but they build their houses on
land, away from the shore. A site is considered lucky if
it is flat and dry or if it gently slopes westward, that
is, towards Mecca. The traditional T ausog house rests
on nine posts, each signifying a part of the body the
neck, shoulders, navel, ribs, groin, and hips. Basically
a oneroom house, the T ausog dwelling includes a
porch and a separate kitchen. A distinguishing feature
of the house is an elaborately carved wooden finial
called tajuk pasung placed at one or both ends of
the roof ridge.
 The
Samal and the Badjao are people of the sea. The sea is
their source of livelihood, the link to other people,
and the place for celebration - and also home. The Samal
build their houses on stilts over the water, along the
shore, or farther out. The Samal houses are grouped
together in villages and are connected by bridges and
catwalks.
Unlike
the Samal house, the Badjao landhouse stands alone on an
expanse of water and is reached only by boat. It is not
joined by bridges or catwalks to the shore or to other
houses. It is a man-made island.
Among the Muslim Filipinos, there
arose two institutions which did not develop among the
other ethnic peoples, namely, a specific place for
worship and the lordly residence of the ruler.
The
earliest mosque in the Philippines is said to have been
built in 1380 in Simunul Island, Tawi- Tawi. Mosques in
the Philippines follow the traditional design which
includes an onion-shaped dome and minarets. However,
some mosques are closer to indigenous architecture
with a multi-tiered pyramidal roof resembling a pagoda.
The
Muslim chief resides in the torogan, a huge
stately, towering house, with a single large room.
Although "torogan" simply means a place for
sleeping, the house is more than a residence. It is
also used for official meetings, social gatherings,
and religious rituals.
Only
the chief - the Sultan or Datu - is entitled to own and live in a torogan.
The soaring, flaring roof is, like a ceremonial
umbrella, a proclamation of exalted status. The
massive posts serve as solid support and signify
established power. To protect the house from
earthquakes, the over-sized posts rest on stones. With
this device, the house sways with the tremor, playfully
surviving it. Posts may be plain and bulky or may be
carved to look like clay pots or outsized chess pieces.
The most arresting feature of the torogan is the set of
protruding beam ends called panolong. Flaring out from
the facade, intricately carved and stunningly colored,
the panolong resembles the prow of a boat and makes the
splendid torogan appear to float like a royal barge.
For
all the variety of design and construction, Cordillera,
Mindanao and Sulu houses are basically one-room
dwellings covered by steep roofs and raised on stilts.
They are all related to the bahay kubo, which in
its simplicity is regarded as a prototype.
Largely
of bamboo and thatch, and with parts woven, fitted, or
tied together, the bahay kubo might be described as less
of a building and more of a basket. While posts, beams
and joists are assembled, the roof is put together
separately and later fitted on top like the lid of a
basket. The bamboo floor, with its slats set slightly
apart is like the bottom of a basket and makes for
incomparable ventilation. With air coming in through
windows and floor and the crevices in thatch and bamboo
walls, the bahay kubo is a house that breathes.
Houses take an entirely different form in the
Batanes, the northernmost islands of the archipelago.
With the frequency of high winds and strong rain, the
Batanes house is built to hug the ground. Thick stone
walls and a meter thick grass roof withstand the
severest storm. The roof is supported by posts encased
in the stone walls. Stone and mortar construction was
introduced in the Batanes islands during the Spanish regime.
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