Architecture of the Philippines

Retrieved: August 17, 2024 – 9:35 AM

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bahay na bato ("house of stone") is a type of building originating during the Philippines'
Spanish colonial period.
The architecture of the Philippines reflects the historical and cultural traditions in the
country. Most prominent historic structures in the archipelago are influenced
by Austronesian and American architectures.

During three hundred thirty years of Spanish colonization, the Philippine architecture was
dominated by the Spanish influences. The Augustinian friars, along with other religious
orders, built many grand churches and cathedrals all over the Philippine Islands. During
this period the traditional Filipino Bahay na bató (Filipino for "house of stone") style for
the large houses emerged. These were large houses built of stone and wood combining
Filipino, Spanish and Chinese style elements.

After the Philippines was ceded to the United States as a consequence of the Spanish–
American War in 1898, the architecture of the Philippines was influenced by American
aesthetics. In this period, the plan for the modern City of Manila was designed, with
many neoclassical architecture and art deco buildings by famous American and Filipino
architects. During World War II, large portions of Intramuros and Manila were destroyed;
many heritage districts in the provinces were burned down by the Japanese before the
end of the war. In the reconstruction period after the Second World War, many of the
destroyed buildings were rebuilt, however, a majority of heritage structures, especially in
the provinces, were lost and never rebuilt. Most of the structures that were lost are
considered focal properties of former heritage towns.

In the late 20th century, modern architecture with straight lines and functional aspects
was introduced, particularly in the Brutalist architecture that characterized government-
built structures done in the Marcos period. During this period many of the older structures
fell into decay due to the imposition of martial law. After the return of democracy in 1986,
a new age of Philippine architecture came into focus through modernism. Early in the 21st
century, a revival of the respect for the traditional Filipino elements in the architecture
returned.
There have been proposals to establish a policy where each municipality and city will
have an ordinance mandating all constructions and reconstructions within such territory
to be inclined with the municipality or city's architecture and landscaping styles to
preserve and conserve the country's dying heritage sites, which have been demolished
one at a time in a fast pace due to urbanization, culturally-irresponsible development, and
lack of towns-cape architectural vision.

The proposal advocates for the usage and reinterpretations of indigenous, colonial, and
modern architectural and landscaping styles that are prevalent or used to be prevalent in
a given city or municipality. The proposal aims to foster a renaissance in Philippine
landscaping and townscaping, especially in rural areas which can easily be transformed
into new architectural heritage towns within a 50-year time frame. Unfortunately, many
Philippine-based architecture and engineering experts lack the sense of preserving
heritage townscapes, such as the case in Manila, where business proposals to construct
structures that are not inclined with Manila's architectural styles have been continuously
accepted and constructed by such experts, effectively destroying Manila's architectural
townscape one building at a time. Only the city of Vigan has an ordinance on architectural
policy, which led to its declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and
awarding of various recognition for the conservation and preservation of its unique
architectural and landscaping styles.

To help establish a national architectural policy, bills to establish a Department of Culture

were filed in the Senate and House of Representatives in 2016.

Classical – Early modern

The Ifugao Rice Terraces, built about 2000 years ago represents an illustration of an
ancient civilization in the Philippines.
For years the mountainous province of Ifugao have been carefully cultivated with terraced
fields. These rice terraces illustrate the ability of human culture to adapt to new social and
climate pressures as well as to implement and develop new ideas and technologies. They
also epitomize a harmonic, sustainable relationship between humans and their
 environment. The structures' original builders used stone and mud walls to carefully carve
and construct terraces that could hold flooded pond fields for the cultivation of rice. They
also established a system to water these plots by harvesting water from mountaintop
forests. These engineering feats were done by hand as was the farming itself.

Maintenance of the rice terraces reflects a primarily cooperative approach of the whole
community which is based on detailed knowledge of the rich diversity of biological
resources existing in the Ifugao agro-ecosystem, a finely tuned annual system respecting
lunar cycles, zoning and planning, extensive soil conservation, and mastery of a complex
pest control regime based on the processing of a variety of herbs, accompanied by
religious rituals and tribal culture.

Although popularly known as and listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site believed to
be older than 2,000 years, recent research suggests that the terraces may in fact be
approximately 400 years old.

Palaces
Maranao torogan
The torogan (lit. 'resting place' or 'sleeping place') is the traditional palace of
the Maranao royalty in Lanao, Mindanao.[12] A torogan was a symbol of high social status.
Such a residence was once a home to a sultan or datu in the Maranao community.
Nowadays, concrete houses are found all over Maranao communities, but there remain
torogans a hundred years old. The best-known are in Dayawan and Marawi. A torogan is
elevated above the ground by columns cut from trees of huge girth. Its walls are covered
with plywood sticks and the roof thatched with dried coconut leaves. There is no interior
partition, so it appears as a huge hall. Apart from the basic elements of this structure, it
is intricately engraved with flowing okir geometrical and foliage motifs. A torogan is not
complete without the legendary bird sarimanok being displayed inside. Furniture is also
common among Maranaws.

A torogan in Lanao del Sur, the traditional residences of community leaders among
the Maranao people (c. 1908–1924)


Daru Jambangan (Palace of Flowers), the royal residence of the ruler of the Tausug
in Maimbung, Sulu
Villages

 The Kamhatik village is an excavated remains of a thousand-year-old barangay (a

term used to connote a polity during the classical era) found in the jungles of Mount
Maclayao in Sitio Kamhantik within the Buenavista Protected
Landscape of Mulanay, Quezon, Philippines. It is widely believed that
precolonial Tagalog people were responsible for the creation of the tombs. It is
composed of fifteen limestone coffins that can be dated back from the period of 10th
to 14th century based on one of National Museum's top archaeologist "a complex
archaeological site with both habitation and burial remains from the period of
approximately 10th to the 14th century ... the first of its kind in the Philippines having
carved limestone tombs."
 The architecture of the classical period of the Philippines is based on vernacular
architecture for most of its centuries in some coastal areas at the south, plus the
interior of Lanao, after the 13th century.

Fortifications
The architecture of the early Filipinos are also reflected in the historical military structures
in the country. There was often competition in trade between the thalassocratic states in
the archipelago. Neighboring kingdoms would often wage wars against one another to
gain control of trade and territory. Fortifications were then necessary to keep their
subjects and interests protected. Due to foreign attacks and colonization, only a few of
these fortresses physically remain. However, many cities in the country, such as Manila,
were built on the basis of fortifications that predated the colony.

During the colonization of the Philippines, fortifications were also built by the foreign
powers to assert political control in the islands. The Spanish, for example, made use of
their forts against attacks from Chinese and Moro pirates, as well as the Dutch and the
British. These forts were made almost entirely of stone; hence some of them have
survived numerous wars and are still standing to this day.

Kuta
The surviving attested forms of fortifications in the country before colonization were
the kuta (stronghold) and moog (tower). The word kuta is cognate with the
Malay kota which has the modern meaning "city". In addition to its military uses, it also
served as a palace for the local lord. These structures were usually made of stone and
wood and were surrounded by trench networks.
Kuta were notably used by Muslims for defense against foreign invaders. It is said that
the Maguindanao Sultanate, at the height of their power, blanketed the area around
Western Mindanao with such fortifications to prevent the Spanish from advancing into the
region. However, the sultanate was eventually subdued after further Spanish campaigns
in the region and majority of the kuta were dismantled. During the American occupation,
insurgents still built strongholds and the sultans often had these reinforced. Many of these
forts were destroyed during American attacks, which is why very few have survived to this
day.

Notable kuta:

 Kota Seludong: the foundation of the city of Manila

 Cainta was a fortified upriver polity which occupied both shores of an arm of
the Pasig River. It was located not far from where the Pasig River meets Laguna de
Bay, and is presumed to be the present site of the municipality of Cainta, Rizal
 Cotabato: "stone fort"; a stone fortification based in present-
day Cotabato, Bangsamoro
 Kota Sug/Jolo: the capital and seat of the Sultanate of Sulu; converted into a walled
city by the Spanish upon occupation in the 1870s
Igorot forts
The Igorot built forts made of stone walls that averaged several meters in width and about
two to three times the width in height around 2000 BC.

Idjang
Fortifications for wartime purposes were also built by the Ivatan in the islands of Batanes.
They built idjang which were a type of citadel on hills and elevated areas.[17] These
structures were designed so that the entrance was only accessible by the use of rope
ladder which was only lowered for villagers to the disadvantage of the enemies.

Mosques
Prior to the usage of the common Islamic mosque architecture, which can also be seen
in Arabia and modern architecture, the vernacular mosques of the Philippines used to be
the hut-style and the pagoda-style, which were very common until the late 19th century.
Most of the mosques in the Philippines today have common Islamic architectures
imported from Arabia merged with modern style, though some vernacular pagoda-style
mosques can still be seen in Mindanao such as the Masjid Datu Untong Balabaran of
Taviran in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. There have been proposals to put
the Heritage Mosques of the Philippines into the Philippine tentative list
for UNESCO World Heritage Site declaration in the future. The proposals made were to
input the historic mosques of the Philippines (mosque in Simunul), to input the vernacular
mosques of the Philippines (langga/rangga-style and pagoda-style mosques), or to
combine both and input them in the tentative list of UNESCO.
Bahay kubo

Bahay kubo, a type of stilt house indigenous to the Philippines especially in rural areas.
The bahay kubo is the term for huts built out of nipa. These types of edifices were
characteristic of the way that indigenous people of the Philippines built homes prior to the
arrival of the Spanish colonizers. They are still in use today, especially in rural areas.
Different architectural designs are present among the different ethnolinguistic groups in
the country, although most homes built along the shorelines conform to being stilt houses,
similar to those found in neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and other
countries of Southeast Asia.

Developed by the lowland Filipino population from ancestral knowledge originated from
the prehispanic Austronesian architecture, it integrated with the new Christianized
lifestyle of Spanish governance. Houses were built in a more or less similar manner, in
the same way that the settlements were built beside rivers and streams. The houses were
built near rice fields and coconut groves and orchards. The houses sit on posts raised
above the ground. The rooms were small, and generally, with a single multipurpose room,
having only the cooking space differentiated among the areas in the houses. There is a
particular architectural piece called batalan that is often situated in the rear part of the
house, and is utilized for domestic work like washing, bathing, water storage, etc. The
houses were made of raw material like wood and bamboo. Tree houses or houses built
on trunk of trees rooted to the grounds were seen as an advantageous position.

The doors of the houses were usually oriented to the direction where the sun rises and
never faced towards the west, an architectural tradition which can be explained by the
values and belief systems that early inhabitants of the land have.

Later on the invention of various tools allowed for the fabrication of tent-like shelters and
tree houses. Early Classical houses were characterized by rectangular structures
elevated on stilt foundations and covered by voluminous thatched roofs ornamented with
gable-finials and its structure could be lifted as a whole and carried to a new site.


A Tboli nipa hut in Southern Philippines

The Mabini Shrine in Manila



The raised bale houses of the Ifugao people in the Cordillera Region

 Bahay Kubo, ca.1900

The Casa Redonda at Rizal Shrine Dapitan

Spanish Era
Bahay na bato

Bahay na Bato are Filipino colonial houses during the Spanish period. Pictured is
the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna.
The arrival of the Spaniards in 1571 brought in European colonial architecture to the
Philippines. Though not specifically suited for the hot tropics, European architecture was
transposed via Acapulco, Mexico into a uniquely Filipino style.

In this era, the nipa hut or bahay kubo gave way to the bahay na bato (stone house) and
became the typical house of noble Filipinos. The bahay na bato, the colonial Filipino
house, followed the nipa hut's arrangements such as open ventilation and elevated
apartments. The most obvious difference between the two houses would be the materials
that was used to build them.

The bahay na bato was constructed out of brick and stone rather than the traditional
bamboo, timbre and other wooden materials that elevates the house. It is a mixture of
native Filipino, Spanish and Chinese influences. During the 19th century, wealthy
Filipinos built some fine houses, usually with solid stone foundations or brick lower walls,
and overhanging, wooden upper story with balustrades and capiz-shell sliding window
sashes, and a tiled roof. Excellent preserved examples of these houses of the illustrious
Filipinos can be admired in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.[19] Preserved examples of "bahay na bato"
are also found in Taal, Batangas and Boac, Marinduque in southern Luzon, Iloilo,
Iloilo and Carcar, Cebu in the Visayas, and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.

During World War II, many heritage districts and towns outside Metro Manila were heavily
destroyed and damaged by American and Japanese bombs. Reports of deliberate
burning of colonial structures by Japanese soldiers were also rampant. Most destroyed
or damaged heritage structures have never been restored and now lay in ruins or have
been replaced with shanty houses or concrete structures with no significant architectural
aesthetics. Many scholars have championed for Japan and America's accountability for
the destruction of many Filipino architectural landscapes and towns, but to no avail.

Churches

The Paoay Church is an example of Philippine earthquake baroque architecture.

The order of the Augustinians, Augustinian Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of
the Philippines, built many churches all over the Philippines. The Paoay Church in Ilocos
Norte is one of the most prominent types of these churches. This unique specimen of
Filipino architecture called Filipino Baroque from the Spanish era has been included in
the World Heritage Sites List of the UNESCO. The church was built by the Augustinian
friars from 1694 until 1710. It shows the earthquake-proof baroque style architecture. The
bell tower served as an observation post in 1896 for the Katipuneros during the Philippine
revolution against the Spaniards, and again by the Filipino guerillas during the Japanese
occupation in World War II. The present structure is the third to stand on the site and has
survived seven major earthquakes, and the wars in Manila. The church remains under
the care of the Augustinians who founded it. The church also houses the legacies of the
Spanish conquistadors, Miguel López de Legazpi, Juan de Salcedo and Martín de
Goiti who are buried and laid to rest in a tomb, underneath the church. Together with
three other ancient churches in the country, it was designated as part of the World
Heritage Site "Baroque Churches of the Philippines" in 1993.
Colonial fortifications

Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila

Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago (Fuerza de Santiago) is a defensive fortress established in 1571 by the
Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. It was the citadel of Intramuros, built on
the site of the palace and of Rajah Sulayman. which was destroyed by the Spanish in
1570 while engaging in several battles with the Tagalog.

Intramuros
Intramuros was the walled city of Manila along the south bank of the Pasig River.[1] It was
established to replace Kota Seludong, the seat of the power of the Kingdom of
Maynila that was protected by a rammed earth fortress equipped with stockades,
battlements and cannons.

The historic city was once home to many colonial churches, schools, convents,
government buildings and residences. Many of these products of Spanish architecture
were destroyed during World War II. Of all the buildings within the 67-acre city, only one,
the San Agustin Church, survived the war.
American and Commonwealth period

The National Museum of Fine Arts (Manila) is a neoclassical building built during the
American period.
With the arrival of the Americans in 1898 came a new breed of architectural structures in
the Philippines. Foremost of the American contributions to the country was the
establishment of civil government. This led to the erection of government buildings from
the city all the way to the municipal level. Designed in the most respectable manner, these
government houses resembled Greek or Roman architecture.

The revival period, popular at the turn of the century, became the foremost architectural
parlance of the era as seen in such buildings particularly in Manila under the Philippine
Commission. Education of the masses also became the thrust of the American
occupation, as such, public education was established, foremost of which is the University
of the Philippines. With American rule firmly established in the Philippines, the military
government at the time invited the well-known architect and urban planner Daniel
Burnham together with William Pierce Anderson (a Chicago architect) to
develop Manila.[22] Burnham's arrival led to the formation of the Burnham Plan which
identifies the city of Manila as a uniquely European city in the tropics and as such
opposed to develop its architecture in line with the existing style. The style of architecture,
as suggested, varies little from existing architecture at the time as typified by the Manila
Hotel. New structures continued the use of conventional motifs but were made of more
durable materials such as concrete. This style of architecture prevailed even after the turn
of the century.

The Luneta Hotel, located in Kalaw Avenue, is one of the remaining structures that
survived the liberation of Manila in 1945. The hotel was completed in 1918. According to
Dean Joseph Fernandez of the University of Santo Tomas, the hotel was designed by the
Spanish Architect and Engineer Salvador Farre. The structure is the only remaining
example of the French Renaissance architecture with Filipino stylized Beaux-Arts
architecture in the Philippines to date. Other notable American Architects in the
Philippines was William E. Parsons (a consulting architect trained by Daniel Burnham)
who is known for the Manila Hotel, The Mansion, Baguio and Gabaldon School Buildings,
while applying the use of hollow blocks and termite-resistant Philippine Hardwood.
Eventually succeeded by Architect George Corner Fenhagen up until 1916. Some
structures which have been constructed before World War II or during the occupation
of Americans in the Philippines was the Insular Ice Plant designed by Architect Edgar K.
Bourne who also worked with Daniel Burnham. At the Far Eastern University (FEU)
in Quiapo, Manila, five Art Deco structures on the campus were designed by National
Artist Pablo Antonio. Three were built before World War II and two, after. Although FEU
buildings were totally damaged during the war, the university was restored to its original
Art Deco design immediately after. The university was given a UNESCO Asia Pacific-
Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage in 2005 for the outstanding preservation of its Art
Deco structures.

Art Deco buildings

First United Building

During the rise of cinema in the Philippines as a form of recreation, several theaters were
constructed in the 1930s to 1950s in the Art Deco style designed by prominent architects
now recognized as National Artists. The Manila Metropolitan Theater is an Art
Deco building designed by the Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano, and built in 1935.
Another fine example of Art Deco is the Old Jaro Municipal Hall in Iloilo built in 1934 by
Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano. It later became the Jaro District Police Station and
after the full restoration is now the regional branch office of the National Museum. During
the liberation of Manila by the combined American and Filipino troops in 1945, the theatre
was totally destroyed. After reconstruction by the Americans it gradually fell into disuse in
the 1960s. In the following decade it was meticulously restored but again fell into decay.
The sculptures upon the façade of the theater are by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo
Monti, who lived in Manila from 1930 until his death in 1958, and worked closely with Juan
M. Arellano. Highly stylized relief carving of Philippine plants executed by the
artist Isabelo Tampingco decorate the lobby walls and interior surfaces of the building.
The Far Eastern University Manila campus is a living art museum with United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation-Asia Pacific Heritage buildings and
auditorium done in the Art Deco style.
The following are the Philippine architects who contributed and lead to the design of the
classic Philippine theaters:

 Juan Nakpil, a Philippine national artist for Architecture

 Pablo Antonio
 Juan M. Arellano

El Fraile Island

Fort Drum built by the Americans to guard the Islands nearby against invaders.
El Fraile Island or Fort Drum, also known as "the concrete battleship," is a heavily fortified
island situated at the mouth of Manila Bay in the Philippines, due south
of Corregidor Island. The reinforced concrete fortress shaped like a battleship was built
by the United States in 1909 as one of the harbor defenses at the wider South Channel
entrance to the bay during the American colonial period. It was captured and occupied by
the Japanese during World War II, and was recaptured by the U.S.
after igniting petroleum and gasoline in the fort, leaving it permanently out of commission.

Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) Churches

During American colonial rule over the Philippines, there were a variety of rural anti-
colonial movements, often with religious undertones, and American Protestant
missionaries introduced several alternatives to the Roman Catholic Church,
the established church during Spanish colonial period.[26] Iglesia ni Cristo church buildings
primarily serve as places of worship and are used for other religious functions.

Anthropologist Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita,[28] said that INC churches can be uniquely

identified for "its exuberant use of fanciful forms and ornaments". Churches were started
to be built in this style during the late 1940s and early 1950s with the first concrete chapel
built in Sampaloc, Manila in 1948. The pioneer concrete structures of the church are
mostly influenced by mixing Neo-Gothic and Art Deco, and some are built in the style
of Art Deco Alone.
The INC Central Temple which opened on July 27, 1984, can accommodate up to 7,000
persons, and cost about US$2 million.[21] The Central Temple features octagonal spires,
"fine lattice-work" and ribbed windows. Recent buildings are variations of Carlos A.
Santos-Viola's designs on the Central Temple. These are designed to accommodate 250
to 1,000 persons while larger churches in Metro Manila and provincial capitals can
accommodate up to 3,000 persons. Prominent architects, such as Juan
Nakpil and Carlos Raúl Villanueva, had been involved in designing INC churches while
the Engineering and Construction Department of INC oversees the uniformity in design
of INC church buildings since 1971.

Contemporary period
The aftermath of World War II brought major destruction especially in the capital city
of Manila and a time of rebuilding ensued. The modern era dawned on Philippine
architecture using the simple straight lines of the International Modern Style as a chief
mode of expression. By the 1970s, a new form of Philippine architecture emerged with
the filipinization of architecture. The Filipino style found its way in the re-emergence of
traditional motifs, the bahay kubo and the bahay na bato became popular forms to be
copied and modernized such as the Batasang Pambansa and the National Theater. By
the 1980s the country's architectural idiom was swept by the tide of Post Modernism, a
hearkening back of some sort to classical architecture. Today, architecture in the
Philippines continue to be vibrant and with the country opening up to the world, more first
rate architecture is pouring in.

Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex

Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex is home to the National Theater
(Tanghalang Pambansa). The theater is the centerpiece of the 77 hectare (190 acres)
arts and culture complex located along Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Designed by Leandro
V. Locsin, the construction of the National Theater began in 1966 and was completed in
1969. The theater is a primary example of the architect's signature style known as the
floating volume, a trait can be seen in structures indigenous to the Philippines such as
the nipa hut. It houses three performing arts venues, one theater for film screenings,
galleries, a museum and the center's library and archives.

The façade of the National Theater is an example of Brutalist architecture. It is dominated

by a two-storey travertine block suspended 12 meters (39 ft) high by deep concave
cantilevers on three sides. The building is built on a massive podium, and entry is through
a vehicular ramp in front of the raised lobby and a pedestrian side entry on its northwest
side. In front of the National Theater and below the ramp, there is an octagonal reflecting
pool with fountains and underwater lights. Aside from the National Theater, other
structures located inside the CCP Complex is the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo or the
Main Theater, Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino or the Little Theater, Folks Art Theater and
the Manila Film Center.

The Parish of the Holy Sacrifice is the landmark Catholic chapel in the University of the
Philippines Diliman. Known for its architectural design, the church is recognized as a
National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical
Institute and the National Museum respectively. Five National artists collaborated on the
project. The building was designed by the late National Artist for Architecture, Leandro
Locsin. Alfredo Juinio served as the structural engineer for the project. Around the chapel
are fifteen large murals painted by Vicente Manansala depicting the Stations of the Cross.
The marble altar and the large wooden cross above it were sculpted by Napoleon
Abueva. The mosaic floor mural called the “River of Life” was designed by Arturo Luz.

Antipolo Church
The image of "Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage" has been venerated in the church
of Antipolo for centuries. The old church that housed the virgin was destroyed in February
1945 when the combined American and Filipino forces bombed Antipolo as part of
the liberation campaign of Manila. In 1954, a new church was built designed by the
renowned Filipino architect Jose de Ocampo. The Antipolo Church is of
a cupolaed design centered around the image of the Virgin. It functions as the center point
of the pilgrimages to Antipolo.

Iloilo Convention Center

The Iloilo Convention Center (also known as I-Con) is a state-of-the-art convention center
in the Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, Philippines. Its construction was
completed in September 2015 in time for the APEC 2015 hosting. It is built on a 1.7-
hectare of lot in the district of Mandurriao donated by the Megaworld
Corporation. The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) allocated
P200 million for the construction of the convention center, while another P250 million was
sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of Senator Franklin Drilon.

The state-of-the-art convention center designed by Ilonggo architect, William Coscolluela.

The design was inspired by Iloilo's Dinagyang and Paraw Regatta festivals. The paraw is
a native double outrigger sailboat in the Visayas region, used in the annual Paraw
Regatta Festival sailboat race. Abstract designs of the famous Dinagyang Festival are
featured on the glass walls of the center. It is a two-storey structure with a total floor area
of 11,832 square meters. The main hall on the ground floor has a 3,700-seat capacity
and 500-seat function rooms on the second floor. A rooftop of 1,500 sqm is available for
outdoor functions.
Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway
The Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway, also known as the Cebu–Cordova Bridge, is a toll
bridge expressway in Metro Cebu which links Cebu City and Cordova, Cebu. It opened
on April 27, 2022, to the public, becoming the longest bridge in the Philippines at 8.9
kilometers, surpassing the Candaba Viaduct in Luzon.[34] The bridge was first proposed
by Cordova mayor Adelino Sitoy, to connect his municipality and mainland Cebu in Cebu
City. After numerous studies conducted, the local government units of Cordova and Cebu
City entered into a public-private partnership with Metro Pacific Tollways Development
Corp. (MPTDC).

Vernacular styles by region

Plaza Rizal in Biñan, Laguna, showing a typical layout of a city or town poblacion
Lowland and coastal regions roughly divide into Christian and Muslim, and highland
regions are largely indigenous.

Christian lowland architecture, encompassing a vast majority of the archipelago from

northern Luzon to coastal Mindanao, have several ubiquitous characteristics: towns
(colonial pueblos) follow a grid plan centered around a public square (plaza)
accompanying a city hall (tribunal), church (simbahan, less common iglesia), convent,
school, and other public facilities alongside concentrated clusters of large houses of the
wealthy landowning elite (bahay na bato). Spanish colonial policies introduced private
land ownership (tbe). Forts (fuerza or kuta) were commonly built especially among
coastal towns to defend from seasonal raids of marauding fleets from Sulu and
Maguindanao (generalized as moros) prevalent in most of the colonial period, and
sometimes combined with the church which served as refuge. Many towns and cities,
especially along bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and channels were built on preceding
precolonial settlements - Manila and Tondo are famous examples.
Ivatan

Sinadumparan in Sabtang

Basco Cathedral

Ivatan architecture is found in both the northernmost islands of Batanes and Babuyan,
and a subset of its vernacular common house (sinadumparan) architecture are unique
within the country for its predominantly stone structure - a protective, durable element
from the particularly storm and earthquake-wrought landscape of the region.

Nonetheless, many other Ivatan houses and other structures are still built entirely of
cogon like in precolonial times. Mayhurahed is the general term for such houses,
though Itbayat particularly has niriñdiñ which uses sliding panels. Commonly used as
temporary shelters are chivuvuhung, or jinjin for fishermen - they may become houses
depending on availability of plank flooring. Rahaung are temporary, well-less shelters that
serve either as open-air storage or other activity, while lagatiti are simple two-slope
roofed lean-tos. Formerly, precolonial Ivatan society was clan-based and was divided by
small, tightly knit settlements of cogon houses, and were protected by terraced citadels
of stone and earth called ijang, typically on hilltops and ridges for defense during clan
wars. The Spanish period introduced stonemasonry and imported large quantities of lime,
ushering much of the stone architecture the region is known for today.
Heritage towns and cities (1942–1945)

The heritage town of Vigan, one of the New 7 Wonders Cities

The Philippines is home to numerous heritage towns and cities, many of which have been
intentionally destroyed by the Japanese through fire tactics in World War II and the
Americans through bombings during the same war. After the war, the government of the
Empire of Japan withheld from giving funds to the Philippines for the restoration of the
heritage towns they destroyed, effectively destroying any chances of restoration, since
the prewar Philippines' economy was devastated and had limited monetary supply. On
the other hand, the United States gave minimal funding for only two of the hundreds of
cities they destroyed, namely, Manila and Baguio. Today, only the centers (poblacion or
downtown areas) of Filipino heritage towns and cities remain in most of the expansive
heritage cities and towns in the country. Yet, some heritage cities in their former glory
prior to the war still exist, such as the UNESCO city of Vigan which was the only heritage
town saved from American bombing and Japanese fire and kamikaze tactics. The country
currently lacks a city/town-singular architectural style law. Due to this, unaesthetic cement
or shanty structures have taken over heritage buildings annually, destroying many former
heritage townscapes. Some heritage buildings have been demolished or sold to
corporations, and have been replaced by commercial structures such as shopping
centers, condominium units, or newly furnished modern-style buildings, completely
destroying the old aesthetics of many former heritage towns and cities. This is one of the
reasons why UNESCO has repeatedly withheld from inscribing further Filipino heritage
towns in the World Heritage List since 1999. Only the heritage city of Vigan has a town
law that guarantees its singular architecture (the Vigan colonial style) shall always be
used in constructions and reconstructions. Silay, Iloilo City, and San Fernando de
Pampanga have ordinances giving certain tax exemptions to owners of heritage
houses. In 2010, the Philippine Cultural Heritage Act passed into law, effectively giving
protections to all cultural heritage properties of the Philippines. However, despite its
passage, many ancestral home owners continue to approve the demolition of ancestral
structures. In certain cases, government entities themselves were the purveyors of such
demolitions.

Other notable heritage towns and cities include the UNESCO cities and towns
of Manila, Banaue, Mayoyao, Hungduan, Kiangan, Baguio, Paoay, Santa Maria,
and Santa Cruz, Miagao, Puerto Princesa, Tugaya, and Mati.
Filipino National Artists for Architecture
 Leandro V. Locsin (1928–1994) was one of the modern architects who shaped the
modern Filipino Architecture. During his career, he built five churches, over 30
different buildings, over 70 residences, and major landmarks in the Philippines
including the Cultural Center of the Philippines.[39]
 Juan F. Nakpil (May 26, 1899 – May 7, 1986) was a Filipino architect, teacher and a
community leader. In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for architecture.
He was regarded as the Dean of Filipino Architects.
 Pablo Antonio (January 25, 1901 – June 14, 1975) was a Filipino architect. A pioneer
of modern Philippine architecture, he was recognized in some quarters as the
foremost Filipino modernist architect of his time.
 José María Zaragoza (December 6, 1912 – 1994) was a Filipino architect known for
his European style during an era which used American architecture in the Philippines.
 Don Tomás Bautista Mapúa (December 21, 1888 – December 22, 1965) was a
Filipino architect, educator and businessman. He is also the founder and 1st president
of the Mapúa Institute of Technology, currently known as Mapúa University.