FILIPINO ARCHITECTURE

It is not too often that I see my Lola who lives in Isabela which is roughly abouth 12 hours aways from where I live. She used to tell me stories about her life during the Japanese Ocupation, Wars, as well as the American colonization. Her stories made me realize how much our country has undergone and how these countries have influenced our own in terms of Culture, tradition and also Architecture.

Since I studied here in Benilde, All the professors have been talking about how we should think like an Architect, Conceptualize, Analyze and Appreciate when designing or simply looking at our own Architecture. But is there really a Filipino Architecture?. This was the mind blogging question we tackled during our last meeting in HISTARC4. Of course, I agreed that there is a Filipino Architecture. Well, at first I was hesitant, I hesitated even more before When I was in my First year in this course. That's because I've been focusing on the more Physical aspects of Architecture. Before, it was a dream of mine to do an outstanding airport for our country. I was thinking on how it would WOW people rather than thinking for the people. This is similar on how I viewed Filipino Architecture before.

Architecture does not only concentrate on Tangible aspects but also the Intangible ones, just like what Sir Karlo said. The soul of a structure lies in its meaning, context, emotion, the feeling it conveys and that is what gives a structure identity and originality. Buildings somehow represent life, in a way. Architecture can also tell a story and in our case, it's our Architecture that defines who we are as Filipinos.

We are known for being hospitable in all times, We are also one of the happiest people in the world no matter what problems we're encountering. We are caring, loving and very family oriented. All of these Filipino attitudes as well as others can translate to how our structures are planned, and less on how it looks. Personally, I think people do not believe that there is a Filipino Architecture because we dwell to much on other factors such as materials, physical appearance, and I guess people are very hooked on Western Aesthetics that we forget our own. I once saw a flier of a Village that was given to me while I was walking in Paranaque. It showed me how much people are so contained in having their homes look like Victorian, American, or European because for them that is beautiful. I get so frustrated looking at the Fliers that it made me think of our Architecture. I cannot deny that it was beautifully constructed but the fact that it is patterned after another countries Architecture just bugs me. Enough said, I thought of everything that could have tolerated this to happen in so many parts of the country. Political, social and economical issues have made this style of living and has made people believe that it can actually work in our Philippine setting.

It really motivated me more to be an Architect. Part of my Manifesto says that I want to improve the lives of people in our country through Architecture. As how I understand it, Filipino architecture is more about our culture, and identity as Filipinos. It is not that distinct unlike other countries but I believe that it is there somehow. I just don't like to think Literally towards this topic because obviously if I would've disagreed in the first place. I look at it like when I see my wallet, It's just there, but I know that there's something inside. You can feel it once you enter a Filipino home. The living room is the first one you enter in that's close to the kitchen. This is because we are Family oriented and we like to eat as a family, chat with friends on the table and invite people over to dine. We are also sensitive when it comes to faith and religion, that is why most Filipino homes have Altars inside. The most basic Filipino Architecture is the Bahay Kubo. It shows the simplicity of a Filipino's life. We wake up in the morning, go to work or school, and go home and spend time with the family. It's an open floor plan consisting basic necessities that humans need and nothing more to it. Even our churches have a Filipino touch in them. We celebrate Fiestas in honor of the Patron Saints. We go to Church every Sunday to hear mass and I think we are one of the few countries who do that. Thus, our Churches are situated even in small communities, consist of an open floor plan, natural light, and Simplicity.

Architecture is a learning process. It is evolving, and we cannot say that an Architecture of a country may not change, because it will. One of the Architects I look up to is Jason Buensalido. He created a modern Bahay Kubo. He used purely Filipino Concepts in creating the design. I was amazed at how he merged his Philosophies as well as creating a Filipino inspired modern house. All I have mentioned was present. Open floor plan, Importance of the living room and Kitchen as well as flexibility and Adaptation to weather conditions.

Last session, we had an exciting quiz about all Filipino places and different facts. I was really excited about it because I like reading about Filipino Architecture and I was confident that I knew some of the Questions regarding the Quiz. Our country is beautiful. Many of the sites here are one of a kind and cannot be seen in other countries bu here. But as had seen a lot of the Structures mentioned in the quiz, I find it kind of sad that some are not recognized or aren't recognizable anymore. Some are demolished, and some are just plain abandoned. I really think that our Architecture is very undeveloped, it is still very raw. It is because people focus more on the more relevant issues we are facing, and those issues never seem to be solved. I guess our architecture can still develop and be recognized if it is just supported by a lot of people. I would really like to do that, when I become a professional.