PRE-SPANISH ARCHITECTURE OF LUZON
BONTOC (Fayu) * Location: Mountain Area of Cordillera * Bontoc is the capital of Mountain Province * Bontoc is derived from two morphemes “bun” (heap) & “tuk” (top) which when taken together means mountain
Traditional House of Bontoc * House within a house shelter for rice, chickens, pigs & people * Plan: square in plan & designed to facilitate various activities * Granary (falig) – (2 m2 in area); elevated on 4 posts of about 5’-0” high * Has a fireplace located at rear left corner * On the ground floor (cha-la-noii) the following areas are arranged from the doorway to the rear as follows: a. left side of main entrance is rice threshing room (5 ft2 in area); center of room is mortar used for threshing rice b. right side of the entrance is a bench 4’-O” wide, 12’-O” long and l’-O” high where baskets, utensils and other tools are placed. Chickens are kept underneath this bench. c. adjacent to the threshing room is kitchen (5 ft2 in area); provided with 3 concave stove stones, wooden shelves & water jars. d. rear side of the house is angngan, for sleeping & storage; only room with wooden flooring & ceiling
Structural
* 4 corner posts & side walls are built as supports to the roof * front & side walls are made of wood connected to the posts * rear wall is made of stone & mud * floor is the earth itself often covered with hardened mud * roof framing is made up of a ridge post supported by two queen posts; its peak or attic is called (faey) * roof of the house is well-thatched with cogon grass * queen posts are made to rest on a central horizontal beam

Decorative Elements

* sleeping compartment (wooden boards or sleeping benches 3-O” x 4-O” in size) * board is slightly inclined on one end to allow the sleepers head be elevated * on the other end is a pole where the sleeper can rest his feet * fire can be provided under this pole
IFUGAO
* Location: Mountains of Cordillera
Traditional House of Ifugao * Built on rice terraces near a spring * Plan: square in plan; rests 2.00 high on 4 tree trunks as columns * Contains a single room (20 m2) * Interior space – for cooking and sleeping * Fireplace – at the far right hand corner of the house * Shelves above the fireplace – storage of palay & firewood * Floor is 1.50 to 2.00 above the ground (wooden planks)
Structural
* posts are buried into a hole dug (1/2 m. into the ground & further secured by means of stones placed on each hole * floor girders – carved w/ mortises on both ends which act as tenons * lower part of the wallboards are mortised into the floor joists * upper part are rebutted above into a transverse beam * roof is pyramidal (reed & grass) * roof framing (rafters) resting on a brace above & supported by kingpost * apex of the roof (grass covering - made loose in order to allow the escape of smoke coming from the kitchen area)
Decorative Elements * carabao’s skulls * pig’s jaws – used as indication of status & keeping peace w/ the gods * ambubulan figure form placed on top of the roof – as a protection against evil spirits, lightning & sign of asking a favour from the God Kabunyan
ISNEG/APAYAO
* Location: Mountain of Apayao & Northern end of Cordillera
Traditional House of Ifugao * Home of the Isneg boat people a. pyramidal or hipped roof b. annex on one or both ends c. removable sidings for special occasion * Plan: single-room rectangular structure designed w/ three levels
-lowest level: datag or xassaran - at the center of the room
-immediate level: ramuyon - occupy 3 sides of the floor proper (the lowest level)
- highest level: tarakip - located on the remaining side of the house is an extension * Elevated at approximately 1.50 above the ground
Structural
* 15 posts of heavy hardwood - used as supports * posts are distributed in the following manner
-sinit 6 posts - support the datag & two support the tarakip
-adixi 6 posts - support the roof
-atobrobo - single post supporting the ridgepole * There are no fixed window openings because wall construction system allow occupants to remove few wallboards