CULTURAL BELIEFS IN HOUSING (REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS)

Question 1

which represents new beginnings and family. It has the energy of the wood element and springtime, like a fresh blade of grass emerging from the soil.

Answer 1

feng shui, called Zhen

Question 2

the front door of the house must face against the flow of a nearby river according to ancient folk belief

Answer 2

Bontoc House

Question 3

the roof of the house must slope following the direction of the incline of the nearby mountains.

Answer 3

Romblon House

Question 4

the ridge of the roof is always position at the right angle to the ridge of the mountain on which the house stands

Answer 4

Cordilleras House

Question 5

it is customary to give ample space underneath their house by elevatating their floors to accommodate the future tomb of the owner to ensure pertual guidance over the house the dead leaves behind.

If one is building a house with a family compound or between two relatives, make sure that the roof is not higher than theirs, otherwise their lives will never progress or always be worse. A siblings house must not be built so close to that of his parents such that the rainwater from the eaves of the main house pours onto the roof of the siblings.

Answer 5

Ibalois House

Question 6

Post are erected following this procedure:

1. Post are laid with their bottom end at the footing on the ground and the top end pointing towards the east.

The post nearest the east is the first to be raised. The same procedure is followed for the other post, one after the other in clockwise direction as one reads the plan.

This same clockwise manner of raising the post is practiced on the island of romblon and the belief is that it will make the house windproof.

Answer 6

Southern Tagalog

Question 7

equate the building of a house to the development of a fetus. They believe that the first to appear in a womans womb is the navel, hence the first post to be erected should be the main post within the interior of the house.

Answer 7

Tausug House

Question 8

the first post to be raised is the one post to be raised is the one positioned nearest to the northeast. But this is done after the footing have been sprinkled with wine.

Answer 8

Cagayan Valley

Question 9

Caution against having a solitary post in the middle of a room. It is said to bring misfortune to the family. This belief is also common in Tagalog areas and it is said that post situated this way augur a “heavily laden” life (Mabigat ang Kabuhayan)

Answer 9

Folks of Bataan

Question 10

do not use crooked wooden post especially the ones with knotholes in them because they are said to symbolized death.

Answer 10

Yakans

Question 11

commonly believed that termites (anay) will not enter the house if the bottom of all wooden are first charred. (SUNOG) MASTER carpenter suggest that these bottoms not just be charred by tarred as well.

Answer 11

Bayambang Pangasinan

Question 12

Other swear by the potency of rock slat sprinkled generously in all footing excavation as preventive measures against anay infestation

Old people also caution against cutting old posts for reuse so as not to lose once weath

Question 13

If there’s is no way can make the stairs face east, at least make them face any nearby

Answer 13

Mountain

Question 14

Orientation towards the ____ is also required for stairs

Answer 14

east

Question 15

position their stairs so that they rise with the morning sun, if the other way around meant turning once back on faith

Answer 15

Ilocanos

Question 16

believe that a stairway facing east is considered bad luck because, they say anything facing the early sun dries up ahead of all others and in

Answer 16

Pandi Bulacan

Question 17

It is not advised to place a large window in the wall directly facing the stairs so that good fortune will not easily go out that window. Most western countries consider it bad luck to walk under a ladder. Actually this can be taken more a safety precaution than a superstition. Locally, One should not make a passageway any area under the

Question 18

ORO

Answer 18

GOLD

Question 19

PLATA

Answer 19

SILVER

Question 20

MATA

Answer 20

DEATH

Question 21

It is advised that doors should not face each other. The people in the north associates this with the easy passage of a coffin through two doors that directly face each other. Most Regions in the country also avoid positioning the main gate of the lot opposite the main entrance of the house itself

Question 22

like basement are looked at as pocket of caves where evil spirits can hide. It is balance off only when an exit lower than the said rooms is provided. Some Ilocanos do not want basement altogether because of the belief that only coffins should be found under the ground.

Answer 22

Sunken rooms

Question 23

advise that the floors of the living and dining room must be of the same level. They say the imaginary ball of fortune must be able to freely roll across both floors

Answer 23

Old folks of Sta. Maria Bulacan

Question 24

Overly ornate living and dining room ceiling especially those with cornice moldings and other superficial decoration are avoided as it tends to make the ceiling look like a _______. Even the mansard or flat type of roof invented at the turn of the century are avoided as it reminds people of a __________.;

Answer 24

coffin

Question 25

It is advised that one must plan the doors of ones bedroom in such as way that when it is opened, one would face neither the foot nor head of the bed. There should always be ample space between the door and the bed itself position the bed such that the headboard does not rest against a window opening

Question 26

Neither should you put any bed under a _________, regardless of whether the beam is of wood or concrete, and position the bed so that the occupant will not be lying perpendicular to the beam. Overly strict homeowners do not have exposed beam at all if these are veneered with different materials

Answer 26

cross beam

Question 27

For Houses with second floors, it should be observed that no ________ runs inside or under the floor were the bed is located. Drainage pipe contain unclean fluids associated with bad energies which may affect the good spirits of the people sleeping over these pipes.

Answer 27

drainage pipe

Question 28

Do not place bedrooms in the ________ of the house. It is always preferred (luck wise) that the bedroom floor is higher than the living room. Non Sleeping rooms like library, den, foyer storage etc. can be lower level than that of the living room

Answer 28

basement portion

Question 29

As anyone who knows Filipino cuisine, __________ love to cook (and eat), so most of their dining room are situated in the sunniest and brightest location of the house. Ilocanos on the other hand preferred subdued lighting because they consider eating a solemn occasion.

Answer 29

Pampageno’s

Question 30

should never face west

Answer 30

Doors

Question 31

__________ should never face a house main door because it is believed that the mirror will send out the blessings that are supposed to go inside the house

Answer 31

Mirror

Question 32

During construction, residence or the carpenters working on the house should offer a ________________ through pouring it to the foundation or post of the house

Answer 32

pig or a chicken blood

Question 33

People should never sweep the floor in the evening going to the direction of the main door and outside the house

Answer 33

twisting the post clockwise before cementing it in its place

Question 34

A house in the middle of a crossroad and faces the dead end or what is called_________

in Filipino is said to be full of bad luck for its residence. This also applies to buildings, apartments and other structure

An imperative ritual in building a house, perhaps the Ilocano counterpart of the cornerstone laying ceremony, is to imbed the foundation post with loose coins for good luck

Answer 34

tumbok

Question 35

is inserted in the staircase so that the stringer would strongly connect itself to the girder.

Answer 35

Umbilical cord of a child

Question 36

are placed underneath the principal post for prosperous life of the house dwellers.

Answer 36

Silver coins, wines, cash money and medals

Question 37

is placed to face the east or the rising sun for good luck

Answer 37

The main door

Question 38

are killed and their blood splattered on all foundations and wall corners to ward off evil spirits that may be lurking in the area.

Answer 38

Chickens and other animals

Question 39

is important during the erection of the first post or first row of hollow blocks or cement wall. This will make the house solidly strong for the father is the symbol of strength.

Answer 39

The father’s presence

Question 40

The longer length of the roof should be ______ to avoid misfortune.

Answer 40

placed parallel to the street

Question 41

the number of steps in the stair must end either in oro or plata never in mata. Gold, Silver and Death are representatives for the steps. Thus stairs must not be divisible by ________.

Answer 41

three

Question 42

If a coconut buried in the ground at the site still contains plenty of juice after a week it means

Answer 42

prosperity

Question 43

Stairs leading to the threshold of the main door must be _________________, to bring in wealth and prosperity to the family.

Answer 43

odd numbers, preferably 5 or 7

Question 44

For a more prosperous life, ______should be nailed on top of posts

Answer 44

coin

Question 45

wrapped in black cloth should be buried in every post for wealth and prosperity.

Answer 45

Coins, cedula and broken glass

Question 46

placed underneath the house will drive away evil spirits.

Answer 46

Hot pepper

Question 47

Bamboo materials used for the building of the house must be those cut during the month of ____________ because they are more durable and are strong enough to withstand calamities.

Answer 47

December

Question 48

Posts should be placed one after the other in a ____________ for a stronger house against typhoon.

Answer 48

clockwise direction

Question 49

The following are precursors of misfortune:

Answer 49

1. The death of anyone of the workers during construction. Misfortune will befall on the owner of the house.
2. Cutting of old posts when reconstructing or renovating is done. This results in the loss of one’s wealth.
3. Stairs facing the sun bring bad luck to the family
4. Wooden floor slats laid perpendicular to the stairs cause misfortunes to the house dwellers.
5. The last step of the stairs placed facing the main exit of the house brings bad luck
6. Gates of house on dead-end streets made to face the street cause one of the members of the household to meet an accident
7. To start building a house when the moon is waning or entering its last quarter augurs an unprosperous life.
8. Houses built when the wife is pregnant or is about to give birth during that month brings bad luck to the family
9. Having an enemies before building a house foretells that peace will not reign in the household
10. Covering or putting an overhang over an anthill (punso) incurs the wrath of the spirit living in the anthill.
11. Materials once used in a church or from the owner’s old house with experienced misfortune presage bad luck
12. The fresh wood used in the building of the new house still contain the tear-like sap is a premonition of real tears.
13. Doors facing each other and a door facing a window bring ill health to the occupant of the room
14. Main doors facing the setting sun of the west cause bad luck.
15. Main door situated opposite the exit doors effect the flowing of wealth or money out of the household.
16. Bamboos whose top already have been cut by the wind or storm shorthen the life of the family members.
17. Materials like dead trees balete trees, lonoc or bubog are habitation of evil spirits.
18. Site that were once a road or a cemetery bring illness to the house members.
19. The balete tree is the adobe of evil spirit, hence, houses should not be built near it.

20.
A house built over the site of a newly-cut three subjects the owner of the house to experience bad luck

21. House plan shaped like a cross portends bad luck
22. A basement placed in flat surface indicates graves. This is precursor of early death in the family.