Bahay na Bato
“house of stone” – is a type of building originated during the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. It
is considered as the updated version of the traditional “bahay kubo”, known for its masonry in
construction, using stone and brick materials and synthetic concrete. It has evolved throughout the ages
but the architectural principle of the “bahay kubo” remained the same which is adaptation to the
tropical climate, rainy season, and an earthquake prone environment of the whole archipelago of the
Philippines and fused it with the influences of the Spanish colonizers and Chinese traders.
Basic Features
elevated
overhanging wooden upper floor (with balustrades, ventanillas, and Capiz shell sliding windows)
upper floor standing on wooden posts in a rectangular foundation
posts placed behind Spanish-style solid blocks or bricks (first floor)
first floor is made up of storage rooms, cellars, shops, and other business related functions
second floor is made up of a residential apartment
roof materials – tiled or thatched (nipa, sago palm, and cogon with galvanization features)
roof styles – high pitched with, or gable roof, hip roof, east Asian hip roof, simpler east Asian hip-
and -gable roof
caballerizas – housed horses for carriages
popular among the elite or middle-class in the 19 th century
Casa Manila | Intramuros (Architect: Ramon Faustmann)
The Casa Manila is a grand house (now a museum) built from 1981 to 1983 during the Spanish colonial
period. It is a replica of the 1850 San Nicholas House that stood on Calle Jaboneros in the Chinese
district of Binondo. The ground floor (puerta principal) was rented to shops. Upon entering, the
residents will be greeted with a huge wooden door. Walls of the ground floor were made of volcanic tuff
or adobe which was used as a main building material during the colonialization. This is the same
material used to build the walls of the Intramuros. Outside the grounds is a patio, where residents
lounge in the afternoon. It is constructed with granite pavements and a fountain is added surrounded
with tall and hanging plants. The patio is wide enough for their carriages during that time and is similar
to what we call today as garage. Upper floors serve as living quarters and are overhanging and extend
outwards and is made up of the middle floor and the topmost floor. This overhanging feature makes the
house resilient to earthquakes and help shade pedestrians during the day. Upon entering the middle
floor, the residents will be greeted with an office and a library ( oficina/biblioteca) that is furnished with
wooden sleek tables and chairs. There are bedrooms and living rooms in the middle floor as well used by
the residents for their afternoon naps or siestas. In the middle floor, there are places which have baul
and caja de heirro (chestbox and safe) which they use as storage for their belongings. The topmost floor
houses the living rooms furnished with the most luxurious antiques and furniture such as marble table
tops, China pieces, European furniture and a prominent looking grandfather clock. There are also
various instruments in this floor such as a grand piano and an organ. This floor showcases the wealth of
the families living inside the mansion. Other spaces inside the mansion include the sala (main living
area), caida (anteroom), comedor (dining area), cocina (kitchen), oratorio (prayer room), and azotea
(balcony).
Agoncillo-Marino House | Batangas, Philippines
The Agoncillo-Marino House is an ancestral house built by Don Andres Marino in the 1780s. It is one of
the earliest bahay na bato in Batangas, and was passed on for generations until it was inherited by
Marcela Marino, the granddaughter of Don Andres Marino. Marcela Marino was married to Felipe
Agoncillo, a Filipino diplomat and lived in this house upon their marriage in 1889. The house was not
only admired being a century-old ancestral house, but also for the historical figures that once owned it.
Marcel Marino de Agoncillo is remembered for her legacy in sewing the first official flag of the
Philippines together with her seven-year-old daughter Lorenza and Dr. Jose Rizal’s niece Delfina Herbosa
de Natividad. Don Felipe Agoncillo y Encarnacion is one of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s most trusted advisers
during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. He was exiled in Hong Kong, and
there he founded the Comite Revolucionario Filipino whose main purpose was to solicit funds and
smuggle arms for the Filipino revolutionaries. He was chosen by Gen. Aguinaldo to be the ambassador of
the First Philippine Republic to the United States of America and other European Countries.
