Construction Practices in the Philippines

Histarc 4

Months, Days and Seasons to be Observed Before Building a House

House building also entails various days, months and seasons desirable for starting construction.

From the book Understanding the Filipino by Tomas D. Andres and Pilar B. Ilada-Andres, the following are the unlucky days of the year to start business ventures, weddings or constructions;

January – 1, 3, 4, 5, 28, 29February – 2, 4, 5, 17, 28, 29March – 2, 3, 8, 9, 10April – 2, 6, 25, 27May – 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 18, 20June – 3, 5, 16, 19, 24, 30July – 4, 12, 15, 19, 26August – 6, 9, 14, 19, 26, 31September – 3, 12, 20, 21, 29October – 7, 12, 17, 24, 29, 30November – 1, 2, 11, 18, 23, 28December – 5, 8, 16, 20, 24, 25

There following were also observed in house building;a. Houses built during the warm/ hot season

will not bring harmony between husband & wife;

b. Easter Sunday is considered a lucky day;c. New houses should not be built in months

containing the letter “R”

In addition to these unlucky days are the unlucky 18th of the months of March, August, September.

Particularly, Monday of the following months were also known to be unlucky for any undertakings;

April – when God condemned the towns of Beram, Lipandas, Madama, Sodom & Gomorrah;

August – when Eve gave birth to Cain

September – when Judas Iscariot was born

January – when Cain killed Abel

It should be observed that no particular week of the months was mentioned. One may there therefore conclude that any Monday of these months is not good.

Rituals before starting the construction

Bukidnons

Must not have the following trees around the site; balete, kanaway, bago (because these threes are known to be inhabited by the taglogar or engkanto);

Manobos

In selecting the site for the house, certain omens, dreams and oracles are considered. These ominous signs also dictate upon the start of the construction of the house.

Manobos

If one of the men involved in the construction work sneezes on his way to the site, the work has to be postponed lest some misfortunes befall from anyone involved in the construction as well as the owner of the house.

Tausugs

The house site must be as strong as the strength of the human body; this is usually a flat, dry, level-land called datag or a sadlupan, a flat piece of land sloping toward the west facing Mecca.

In choosing the site, the imam or the panday (carpenter) is consulted.

Yakan

In designing the house, the Yakans observe the following;1. Houses are made to face East so that the husband

who sleeps along the east side with his wife in bed may outlive his wife;

2. Number of rooms and stair steps are usually in odd number which symbolizes life,

3. Two doors are made to face the rising sun which is the source of life,

4. Windows are few and small so that entry of evil spirits into the house will be impossible,

Batangueños

A stick, measuring in arms’ length found in the prospective site, is thrown some lengths away.

Then the one who throws the stick invokes some prayers.

After the prayers, he picks up the stick and measures it again.

If the stick has lengthened it is an indication that the site where he picked up the stick is a good site for the house to be constructed.

Ilocanos

In llokos, the father, at the fading of the daylight, kneels in prayer at the site where the house is to be built.

At the end of his prayer he plants an improvised cross whose arms are not permanently fastened.

He leaves the cross planted overnight.

Ilokanos

The next day, when he finds the cross’s arms either tilting or bent, it would mean bad luck, or worse when the cross is uprooted and lying on the ground, it is interpreted as a sign of death.

Children are not allowed to go near the building site either. If this happens especially before the floorings are finished, the house has to be reconstructed.

Hiligaynons (Ilo-ilo)

The Hiligaynons consult an almanac which contains dates, months, lunar cycles, high and low water tides and other events. The almanac is based on the position of the bakunawa – a huge snake with supernatural powers living elsewhere.

Bakunawa = Leviathan

Beliefs to obtain prosperity, good health and family life and protection from evil

spirits

• Umbilical cord of a child is inserted in the staircase so that the stringer would strongly connect itself to the girder,

• Silver coins, win, cash money and medals are placed underneath the principal posts for a prosperous life of the house dwellers,

• The main door is placed to face the east or the rising sun for good luck.

• Chickens and other animals are killed and their blood splattered on all foundations and wall corners to ward off evil spirits that may be lurking in the area,

• Door swings of the main door must be towards the interior to bring in the good luck

• The number of steps in the stair must end either in oro or plata never in mata. Gold, silver and death are representatives of the steps. Thus stairs must not be divisible by three.

• Posts should be placed one after the other in a clockwise direction for a stronger house against typhoon.

Precursors of misfortune

• The death of anyone of the workers during construction.

• Stairs facing the sun bring bad luck to the family.

• Houses built when the wife is pregnant or is about to give birth during that month bring bad luck to the family

• Main doors facing the setting sun or the west cause bad luck

• Main doors situated opposite the exit doors effect the flowing of wealth or money out of the household

• The balete tree is the abode of evil spirits; hence, houses should not be built near it.

10 mins break

Vernacular terms in construction in

the Philippines

Vaciada

Rabbeted door jamb.

“Lason”

• The vernacular of applying concrete

neutralizer.

Madre de Escalera

• The structural member in a stairway that supports the treads & risers,

Kostura

• It is done when you fill cement mortar to CHB joints to prevent insect gap,

Kankanay

• Traditional house that was called binangiyan.

“Eskwalado”

• Which of the following doesn’t belong with the term eskwalado?

a. Domeb. Cubec. 90 degreesd. square

“Eskwalado”

• Which of the following doesn’t belong with the term eskwalado?

a. Domeb. Cubec. 90 degreesd. square

“Asintada”

• The vernacular term for laying of CHB.

Escombro (Fill)

In construction site, if someone posts “escombro for sale” outside it is also known as “panambak”.

Match the correct vernacular terms

Bolada StuccoKanal VarnishPalitada ProjectionBatidora Door FilletMonyeka Gutter

Bolada

• Projection, “boladas”

Palitada

• stucco

“Hulog”

• Vertical alignment

Mga kasangkapan at kagamitan sa paggawa

• http://www.slideshare.net/joemariearaneta/mga-kasangkapan-at-kagamitan-sa-paggawa

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