Bayanihan as a roadmap to PH architecture

Bayanihan is simply translated as "being a bayan" which I would argue is the spirit of being Filipino and therefore Philippine architecture.

- PINO PERSPECTIVES NICHOLAI GO

When we think of Filipino culture, one word always surfaces: bayanihan. Most of us picture villagers carrying a bahay kubo on their shoulders, moving it together as one community. But bayanihan is much more than a charming folk image. It is a deeply rooted Filipino cultural value that refers to communal unity, cooperation, and mutual help.

Prior to the Spaniards colonizing the Philippines, Filipinos used to have a vastly different concept of land ownership and building typology. Most land was communally owned as a shared resource by the barangay (village or kinship group) which was then divided and assigned by the datu (local chief) to certain families or individuals based on need or contribution to the community. This kind of land ownership model resulted in a more communal type of housing wherein there was an intricate balance between public and private life. Traditional Filipinos used to live more harmoniously with their neighbors and were part of a tight knit community that worked together for the betterment of their tribe. This is our original concept of a "bayan" wherein our concept of bayanihan was birthed.