http://ncca.gov.

ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/architecture-and-allied-arts-2/filipino-
building-beliefs/

ARCHITECT ERNESTO R. ZARATE

The experienced Filipino architect is familiar with the common folk beliefs and usually follows
them or applies these age-old guidelines in the planning of ones dream house.

Many of these beliefs are based on sound planning practices that do not have to be overly
emphasized. Like, for example, orienting the building to take in the healthful effects of the
rays of the morning sun by having wide windows facing the rising sun to take in the cleansing
rays of sunlight during daybreak as well as to admit the prevailing southeast breezes to cool
your house.

It is more advantageous if two faces of the house take in the morning sun. This can be
achieved if a corner of the house take in the morning sun. This can be achieved if a corner of
the house faces east. In fact, most educated Filipinos are of the belief that the more windows
your residence has (or the larger they are), the better the chances of your house absorbing
natural and spiritual graces.

In Bontoc, the front door of the house must face against the flow of a nearby river according
to ancient folk beliefs. In Romblon, the roof of the house must slope following the direction of
the incline of the nearby mountains. In the Cordilleras, it is different. The ridge of the roof is
always positioned at right angles to the ridge of the mountain on which the house stands.

Among the Ibalois, a Benguet ethnic group in the Cordilleras, it is customary to give ample
space underneath their houses by elevating their floors to accommodate the future tomb of
the owner to ensure perpetual guidance over the house the dead leaves behind.

If one is building a house within a family compound or between two relatives, make sure that
the roof is not higher than theirs, otherwise, their lives will never progress or will always be
worse. A siblings house must not be built so close to that of his parents such that rainwater
from the eaves of the main house pours onto the roof of the sibling.

Posts

In Southern Tagalog, posts are erected following this procedure: posts are laid with their
bottom ends at the footing on the ground and the top ends pointing towards the east. The
post nearest the east is the first to be raised. The same procedure is followed for the other
posts, one after the other in a clockwise direction as one reads the plan. This same clockwise
manner of raising the posts is practiced on the island of Romblon and the belief is that it will
make the house windproof.

The Tausugs equate the building of a house to the development of a fetus. They believe that
the first to appear in a womans womb is the navel. Hence, the first post to be erected should
be the main post within the interior of the house. In the Cagayan Valley, meanwhile, the first
post to be raised is the one positioned nearest to the northeast. But this is done after the
footings have been sprinkled with wine. The old folks of Bataan caution against having a
solitary post in the middle of a room. It is said to bring misfortune to the family. This belief is
also common in Tagalog areas and it is said that posts situated this way augur a heavily
laden life (mabigat ang kabuhayan). The Yakans do not use crooked wooden posts
especially the ones with knotholes in them because they are said to symbolize death. In the
older communities of Bayambang, Pangasinan, it is commonly believed that termites (anay)
will not enter the house if the bottoms of all wooden posts are first charred. Informed master
carpenters, however, suggest that these bottoms not just be charred but tarred as well.
Others swear by the potency of rock salt sprinkled generously in all footing excavations as
preventive measures againstanay infestation.

Old people also cautions against cutting old posts for reuse so as not to lose ones wealth.

Stairs
An orientation towards the east is also required for stairs. Ilocanos position their stairs so that
they rise with the morning sun. To them, if it were the other way around, meant turning ones
back on fate. But builders in Pandi, Bulacan, just like many typical Filipinos, believe that a
stairway facing east is considered bad luck because, they say, anything facing the early sun
dries up ahead of all others, and in the same token, wealth taken into the house will dry up
much faster.

If there is no way one can make the stairs face east, at least make them face any nearby
mountain. If ones lot abuts a river, position the stairs in a way that they are facing upstream.
This is so in order that good luck from the house would never be washed away with the
rivers flow. In the same way, if the proposed house is beside the sea, or if one is building a
beach house, plan the stairs in such a way that they run parallel with the shore. If the stairs
are perpendicular to the shoreline, luck may flow in but also flow out with the tides.

Also, it is not advised to place a large window in the wall directly facing the stairs so that good
fortune will not easily go out that window.

Most Western countries consider it bad luck to walk under a ladder. Actually, this can be
taken more as a safety precaution than a superstition. Locally, one should not make a
passageway any area under the stairs. Tagalogs never use the space beneath the stairs as a
sleeping quarters. The underside of wooden stairs of Ilonggo houses are usually completed
covered not because of peeping Toms but because the Old folks say so. For business
establishments, especially the small ones, the cashier or the place where money is kept
should not be located under the staircase. In homes, neither should rice be kept there
because it translates to treading on the grace of God whenever one goes up or down the
stairs.

When planning a structure with two or more storeys, the stairway should not be positioned at
the center of the structure so as not to divide the building into two equal parts.

It is believed that the dried umbilical cord of a son or daughter of the house owner inserted in
the staircase will strongly bind the stringer with its supporting girder.

Oro, Plata, Mata

There are guidelines, too, governing the number of steps in ones stairs. Starting with the first
landing, count the steps using the words oro (gold), plata (silver), and mata (death). The
perfect last step should be oro. Ending upplata is not too bad either but, understandably, do
not ever end up with mata. This ruling is strictly observed especially if it involves the first
steps going into the house. If your home has a slight elevation, choose four steps but never
three.

This building belief is not limited to stairs alone. It also applies to walkways that are made of
individual flagstones or the popular circular or square slabs of pebbled concrete or even an
entire concrete walkway or ramp that is divided into sections by lines drawn onto the
pavement itself, especially if they lead to the main entrance of the house.

The Yakans of Mindanao, however, believe in odd numbering of steps. They also require an
odd number of bedrooms. Chinese Filipinos, on the other hand, count their steps by
fours.

Doors

It is advised that doors should not face each other. The people in the north associates this
with the easy passage of a coffin through two doors that directly face each other. Most
regions in the country also avoid positioning the main gate of the lot opposite the main
entrance of the house itself. In Sta. Maria and San Miguel, Bulacan, however, wide doors
facing each other are considered lucky, especially if they lead to the terrace or garden. Ones
door also should not directly face ones neighbors to avoid future conflicts with the said
households and to avoid wrestling with each other for the possession of the luck that passes
in front of both your houses.
Living Rooms

Sunken rooms, like basements are looked at as pockets of caves where evil spirits can hide.
It is balanced off only when an exit lower than the said room is provided. Some Ilocanos do
not want basements altogether because of the belief that only coffins should be found under
the ground. Old folks of Sta. Maria, Bulacan advise that the floors of the living and dining
rooms must be of the same level. They say the imaginary ball of fortune must be able to
freely roll across both floors. Overly ornate living and dining room ceilings, especially those
with cornices, moldings, and other superficial decorations are avoided as it tends to make the
ceiling look like a coffin. Even the mansard or flat type of roof invented at the turn of the
century are avoided as it reminds people of a coffin.

Beds and Bedrooms

It is advised that one must plan the doors of ones bedrooms in such a way that when it is
opened, one would face neither the foot nor head of the bed. There should always be ample
space between the door and the bed itself. Position the bed such that the headboard does
not rest against a window opening. Neither should you put any bed under a cross beam,
regardless of whether the beam is of wood or concrete, and position the bed so that the
occupant will not be lying perpendicular to the beam. Overly strict homeowners do not have
exposed beams at all even if these are veneered with different materials.

For houses with second floors, it should be observed that no drainage pipe runs inside or
under the floor where the bed is located. Drainage pipes contain unclean fluids associated
with bad energies which may affect the good spirits of the people sleeping over these
pipes.

Do not place bedrooms in the basement portion of the house. It is always preferred (luck-
wise) that the bedroom floor is higher than the living room. Non-sleeping rooms like library,
den, foyer, storage, etc. can be at a lower level than that of the living room.

Bright Dining Rooms

As anyone who knows Filipino cuisine, Pampangos love to cook (and eat), so most of their
dining rooms are situated in the sunniest and brightest locations of the house. Ilocanos, on
the other hand, prefer subdued lighting because they consider eating a solemn occasion.

Reference/s:
Excerpted from the book Oro, Plata, Mata: Filipino Building Beliefs published by the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts. For inquiries on the book, contact NCCA Public Affairs
at 527-2192 local 614 or email address cyberspace@ncca.gov.ph. Available also at all
National Bookstores.
About the Author:
Ernesto R. Zarate has been in his profession for the past forty years. It was during his
service as the National Director of the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA) that he was able
to gather these beliefs involved in Filipino architecture.

http://www.glbrain.com/index.php?r=tool/view&id=4981&toolType=1

The house is the most important place for every person and family. This is why Filipinos have a lot of
superstitious belief that they observe and follow about their house from building, designing, and even
housekeeping. These are some of those superstitious beliefs.

Palm fronds are popular in Filipino houses especially for Roman Catholic families. These are blessed by
Catholic priests and should be put up at the door and at the corners inside the house. It is believed to ward
off evil spirits.
In planning and designing the house, people should refrain from having their house in the shape of a cross
as it will bring the residents bad luck. The same is believed to happen to the residents of a new house
which is built on top of an old one.

People should avoid having a living room in a lower place than all other parts of the house or a sunken
living room as this will invite sickness and bad luck into the house, from which the residents will suffer
from.

Doors should never face west. Having such doors will lead to sickness, conflicts, and maybe even death to
the residents.

Mirrors should never face a houses main door because it is believed that the mirror will send out the
blessings that are supposed to go inside the house. This means that the residents of the house will
experience financial difficulties and bad luck.

During construction, residents or the carpenters working on the house should offer a pig or a chickens
blood through pouring it to the foundations or posts of the house. This is an ancient pagan Filipino belief
that is done to prevent spirits living in the area from being upset with the family and the construction
workers.
Another thing which should be done during construction is twisting the posts clockwise before cementing it
in its place. Doing this is believed to make the house safe from damages caused by typhoons.

It is believed that a child will be lucky if his or her first ever extracted tooth is placed under a houses roof.

People should never sweep the floor in the evening going to the direction of the main door and outside the
house. This is said to be like sweeping the blessings out of the house. There are also some people who
believe that doing so will make centipedes fall on the floor from the ceiling.

A house that is built in the middle of a crossroad and faces the dead end or what is called tumbok in
Filipino is said to be full of bad luck for its residence. This also applies to buildings, apartments, and all
other structures. The same is believed by people who believe in Feng Shui. Living in a house which is
positioned that way will cause bankruptcy or death to its occupants.

The numbers of the steps in a stair matters a lot. It is counted as oro, plata, mata which mean gold,
silver, and death, respectively. Counting starts at the bottom step to the topmost. Counting should end at
oro or plata to bring about prosperity and not mata which will bring about misfortune.

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/3/building-a-house-oro-plata-mata

s in other areas of their existence, Filipinos nurture certain superstitions when it

comes to building their abodes. These house-building beliefs are as amusing as
they are intriguing. The origins of these now widely held superstitions can be
traced back to the traditions of particular ethnic groups.
Building a house on a dead-end lot must be avoided as much as possible. Either a
financial misfortune, or worse, a death in the family will befall its occupants.
Applicable to both house owner and tenant, if the former is not residing in it, this
superstition is attributed to Pampangos in Central Luzon.

An imperative ritual in building a house, perhaps the Ilocano counterpart of the

cornerstone-laying ceremony, is to imbed the foundation posts with loose coins
for good luck.

A house must face east, if it could be helped. Sunshine entering the front door
ushers in prosperity. This seems to be the reason why housewives make it a point
to open their front doors upon waking up in the morning. Houses facing west are
considered jinxed. West is where the sun sets and, therefore, it connotes decline,
decay, derailment, etc. If it is any consolation, the jinx is limited to financial
misfortunes.

Doors inside houses must not directly parallel other doors that lead outside. Easy
exits mean money earned may be quickly dissipated and never saved. There seems
to be a remedy for this, which is to make inside doors face walls, if only for the
interpretation that walls bar money from going out; a stop-gap measure, so to
speak.

As for stairs, they should always turn right, that being the righteous path. This
particular belief applies best to the marital bond. An opposite direction signifies
infidelity. Note that the vernacular term kaliwete (left-handed) refers to the wanton
spouse. Since we are on the subject of stairs, can steps be far behind?

Among the Tagalogs, stair steps are erected with a ritual that calls for alternate
counting to three, using the chant Oro, plata, mata (Gold, silver, death) for each
count. Of course, the counting commences with the lowest rung. The topmost step
should never end with mata, that being a symbol of bad luck. On the other hand,
oro, and plata represent good luck.

As for stairs, they should always turn right, that being the righteous
path.

Ilocanos of the northernmost part of the Philippines tend to cut down aratiles trees
growing in front of their houses to prevent their daughters from being illicitly
impregnated. It seems, however, that this particular superstition applies only to
original homeowners. Tenants or renters are exempt.
Septic tanks whose tops protrude from the ground are asking for an offering in the
form of human life. To avert tragedy, septic tanks should never rise beyond
ground level; better yet, they should be sunken.

The mother of all jinxes is a house that had been the scene of a traumatic event, like
a robbery or murder. It is the tendency of the owners of such a house to offer it for
sale at the earliest opportunity. So beware of bargains.

Some people fear financial bad luck when termites invade a house. Termites are
termites, however. Superstition or not, houses made of wood are most vulnerable
to these pests. They can easily devour a house in what can be described as a most
expensive meal.

A snake that nestles in a houses yard is considered suerte (good luck). It is very
likely for a person to succeed, his business could go on an upswing, or he could
depart for a good employment abroad. The snake, however, should be killed
before it becomes a jinx.