Houses Revisited

Houses Revisited

By Raneil Antonio Ibay

The bahay kubo is a square-shaped hut found throughout the Philippines.

Its enduring charm and practicality has enabled it to be a distinct feature in Philippine architecture.

During the Spanish era, a new design in architecture focused on Fil-Hispanic baroque was introduced by the Spaniards as an adaptation to their needs. The bahay kubo was

reinforced and enlarged with stonewalls and floors and a tile roof. Then more rooms and ornaments were added and thus the 19^th century bahay na bato was born along with a new affluent lifestyle of the era.

Last April 10, 2011 the Intramuros Administration opened a special painting and paintography exhibit as part of the Intramuros Arts Festival to celebrate its 32^nd founding anniversary.

The exhibit titled “Bahay Kubo and Philippine Traditional Houses: Revisited” features selected artworks of well-known Filipino international artist Rosalinda Roman and noted Filipino international painter and photographer Victor Sison.

Roman shows different variations of the bahay kubo from various regions of the Philippines as part of a project for the Department of Tourism.

Sison on the other hand depicts the ancestral houses from Vigan, Ilocos Sur in his distinct style of combining photography and painting known as paintography.

The exhibit runs from April 10 to 17, 2011. Display hours are from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Ms. Raquel Flores, Public Relations Officer of Intramuros Administration and OIC of the Intramuros Visitor’s Center will be there to personally show you around the exhibit.