Geographical
Situated in the SE of the Asian
continent
Archipelago of 7,100 islands
Volcanic in origin
Made up of mountains and
plains, valleys and volcanoes
complemented by bays and
lakes, rivers and waterfalls
Boundaries are:
North: Taiwan
East: Pacific Ocean
South: Indonesia
West: West Philippine Sea
lying at the crossroads of the
East and the West, its strategic
location became a factor in
shaping its architecture
near Asian continent: Asian
neighbors settled and
established commercial and
cultural relations
discovery by Spanish
traders strengthened
Spains desire to extend her
empire, propagate her
culture and the Christian
religion
strategic location in Asia
and the Pacific was
apparently a reason for
Americas colonization of
the country to in the desire
to become a major power
3 regional island groups
with Luzon and Mindanao
being the largest islands
Geological
Rich in natural resources
Abundance of wood for
building (ipil, molave, yacal,
guijo, apitong, tanguile, red
and white lauan, almon,
palosapis, Benguet pine,
tindalo, kamagong and
narra), furniture making,
carving, etc.
Minerals: gold, silver, iron,
etc.
Clay for making bricks
Stone: limestone, marble,
adobe, granite, coral stones,
lime, gravel, sand
Early Philippine Architecture
(domestic structures) were
light and airy due to
indigenous materials used
Bahay kubo swayed with
the earthquakes, easily
knocked down by typhoons
and also vulnerable to catch
fire
Climatic
Climate, topography and seismic
conditions highly influenced
architecture
2 General Climatic Types
dry season - November to June;
November to February is
cool, while March
to June is warm and humid
wet season - July to October
with torrential rains and
typhoons
Climatic classification in terms of
orientation
East - generally wet, the
wettest period coinciding
with the north-east
monsoon or Amihan;
October to April; dry cool
season in the west during
these months
West wet season during
south-west monsoon or
Habagat; May to October
Country is located in the
Pacific Ring of Fire
Over 30 significant
earthquakes with latest one
with a magnitude of 7.2 last
October 15, 2013
Bahay na bato developed
during the Spanish Period
was more durable and
permanent than the nipa
hut
Religion

Filipinos are known to be
deeply religious
93% of its population are
Christians
Inflow of Spanish
missionaries since 1521
resulting in the prevalence
of church architecture over
the country
Before the Spaniards came,
Filipinos already believed in
the existence of a supreme
being, the cult of the dead
and the cult of the spirits;
they also believed in
underworld creatures
These beliefs were reflected
in their architecture in terms
of site selection, desired
start of construction, rituals
before starting construction,
beliefs to obtain prosperity,
good health and family life
and protection from evil
spirits
Cathedrals, mosques and
chapels: landmarks
Church runs educational
institutions, hospitals,
asylums, and leper colonies
nationwide
Protestanism, since 1898
Islam was introduced before
the Spaniards arrived;
Muslims, the largest non-
Christian group is
concentrated in Mindanao
Iglesia ni Kristo was founded
in 1911
Social, Cultural, Economic,
Political
The country was settled by
Negritos from the Asian
mainland followed by
seafaring Indonesians and
then by the Malays
Early Filipinos established
relationships with India,
China, Japan, Arabia,
Indonesia, Cambodia,
Thailand and other
southeast Asian countries
before the Spaniards arrived
The barangay system was
the early form of
government based on a
kinship and made up from
30 - 100 families
The family was the basic
unit of Philippine society
thus strong family
relationships characterized
every Filipino home
The Spanish conquest lead on the
introduction of several changes in
the socio-cultural and economic
life of the Filipinos such as:
1. abolition of slavery
2. towns cities and villages were
established
3. introduction of the Gregorian
calendar
4. use of Spanish surnames and
converts first names changed to
those of saints
5. assimilation of the Latin
alphabet and the Spanish
language
6. establishment of the first printing
press
7. introduction of the European
system of education
8. promotion of the arts: introduction
of the bahay na bato and
churches
9. practice of the sciences
10. establishment of hospitals and
orphanages
11. introduction of fiestas and
holidays (cockfights, horse races,
pilgrimages, haranas, flores de
mayo and santacruzan, indoors
and outdoor games )
Historical
22,000 BC Man inhabits
the Tabon caves for about
40,000 years
 960 AD Chinese goods
begin to flow into the
Philippines
1100 AD Chinese colonies
are founded along coastal
towns
1150 AD - Ancient Filipinos
built the rice terraces
1200 Islam is introduced in
Mindanao, southern
Philippines
1521 Ferdinand Magellan
reached the Philippines and
claims the archipelago for
the King of Spain
1762 - 1764 the British
occupied Manila
1834 Manila is opened to
world trade; economic
development is underway
1892 Andres Bonifacio
founded the Katipunan, a
secret society aiming for the
separation of the Philippines
from Spain
1898 - The American
congress declared a state
war between the United
States and Spain
May Commodore George
Dewey attacked and
destroyed the Spanish fleet
in Manila Bay
June 12 Filipinos declared
Philippines independence; a
constitutional government is
established with Emilio F.
Aguinaldo as the President
1899 - The Philippine
American war broke out
1902 Filipino armed
resistance against the
Americans
1941 Japanese bombers
attack the Philippines
1945 - Liberation of the
Philippines from Japan
1965 Senator Ferdinand E.
Marcos was elected
President of the Philippines
1972 Marcos declared
martial law
1986 Feb. 7 - A presidential
election was held with
Marcos and Corazon C.
Aquino in contention.
Marcos was proclaimed
winner by the national
assembly despite
widespread protest
1998 June 12 the
Philippines celebrated the
centennial of Philippine
independence