Churches Since the Spaniards came to the Philippines by conquest, and later to spread Christianity, the first structures

which they erected were churches and fortresses. The building of a church marked the beginning of community planning. Wherever a church was erected, the people tried to live within its vicinity. The churches which generally of simplified Baroque, Byzantine or Romanesque style, were built by Spanish friars, who without formal training as architects or engineers, supervised their erection by using pictures of churches from their native country, especially those from the province of Andalucia, Spain. These churches were constructed by Chinese and Filipino workmen under the efficient supervision of the friars. This procedure resulted in huge edifices with he combination of Oriental and Occidental features of Hindu, Chinese, Indo-chinese, Romanesque, Baroque and even Gothic influences. Sometimes, they were decorated with crude and clumsy details of spontaneous and unprecedented character. Built of soft, porous materials, these edifices have through decades absorbed enough moisture and vegetable matter to produce considerably surface vegetation resulting in charming colour and picturesqueness quite alleviating their gross proportion and clumsy details. They formed important feature of the landscape of a town, depicting impressive ecclesiastical monument. In plan the churches were either rectangular of cruciform with simple nave and aisles, baptistry and belfry. The thick walls were made of adobe and brick interstices mortared with lime, honey and sand. The thick walls were supported by massive buttresses for protection against earthquakes. Between buttresses and the walls were interspersed with small window openings. the facades were embellished with classical details, niches, low reliefs. Spanish colonial churches were erected in many towns throughout the Philippines. At the clause of the Spanish regime there were 2,778 churches scattered throughout the country, and they present a variety of architectural styles, from Greco-Romano to Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish and Gothic. These churches became foremost patron of architecture, sculpture and painting. They provide logical setting for the development of the art of sculpture and painting, the former for religious statuary and architectural ornamentation, and the latter for murals and

decorative ornaments for the ceilings, walls, pendentives and soffit of the domes. Their proportions, scales and details were either modified or adulterated depending on the availability of a design, "maestro de obras" or sculptor assigned to undertake the work. Significant examples of churches built by the Spanish missionaries are: San Agustin church, considered as the oldest church in Manila (1599-1606 by Bro. Antonio Herrera), the church of Sto. Nino, Cebu, solid Romanesque (1565). The San Agustin church was able to resist the earthquakes of 1645, 1754, 1852, 1863, and 1880. It was the only church that escaped the destructive Pacific War in 1942. Notable churches outside of Manila are the Church of Taal, Batangas by Fr. Marcos Anton; Lipa, Batangas, by Fr. Bonito Varas; Church of Tuguegarao, Cagayan by Fr. Anton Lebato; Church of Baclayon, Bohol, by Fr. Juan de Torres. The old Sto. Domingo Church built in Intramuros by Fr. Diego Soria when destroyed was rebuilt by Filipino architect Felix Roxas. The Manila Cathedral had its beginning from bamboo and nipa construction was the first parish church in Manila in 1571. After its destruction in 1593, 1599 it was replaced by stone edifice in 1610 by Archbishop Diego Vasquez de Mercado. Since then it suffered several destructions caused by earthquakes. The fifth edifice, (the actual cathedral before the Pacific War) was built by architects Luciano Olivar, Vicente Serrano and Eduardo Navarro, and solemnly blessed in 1869. The architecture is a composite of Byzantine and Romanesque. Above its lofty dome is a cross which is the reference of all astronomical altitudes of the Archipelago. The Barasoin Church of Malolos was the scene of promulgation of the Philippine Constitution by President Aguinaldo of the first Philippine Republic on June 23, 1899. This church is of Romanesque style. There are many churches which are of historical importance.

Military Architecture The early friars proved that they were practical architects and engineers. As a defense against Moro pirates they constructed forts and fortresses. The first fort was constructed by Fr, Antonio Sedeno who arrived in Manila in 1581. He began and planned the construction of the "Real Fuerza de Santiago (Fort Santiago) at the mouth of Pasig River as it was conceived by Legaspi. With the walls of Intramuros, this was completed in 1872. Fort Pilar in

Zamboanga was constructed by Fr. Melchor de Veyra. Fr. Francisco Duco built fortresses at Iligan and Misamis. The first stone pier was built in Guiuan, Samar, by Fr. Pedro Monasterio. Early stone bridges were built in Bulacan by Fr. Ignacio Manzanarez in Catarman, Cebu, a sea-wall was built by Fr. Antonio Fuertes.

Irrigation and Water System The first artesian wells were built in Betis, Pampanga by Fr. Manuel Camanes. The water system in Manila (now MWSS) had its beginning from the water works constructed by Fr. Juan Peguero in 1686. The first irrigation system was constructed in Tanay, Rizal by Fr. Jose Delgado.

Schools The Spanish missionaries founded and organized schools (nautical and commerce, fine arts, agriculture, trades, home arts, surveying, medicine). The early schools were San Agustin College, Iloilo; San Alberto College, Dagupan, Pangasinan; San Juan de Letran, Manila and Colegio de Sto. Tomas, Manila.

Domestic In domestic architecture, the mansion type for the well-todo families was given importance. The first floor was usually of adobe stone while the second floor was of wooden structure with tiled roofs. The main door was the main decorative treatment and was treated with pilasters capped with cornice and pediment. The heavy wooden doors were of two sashes made of heavy timber planks studded with wrought iron or bronze nails, knockers, sockets and heavy cross bars. The street windows of the first floor were elevated from the sill (ventanillas). The open interior court or "patio" was a popular feature of the house plan. The gate entrance hallway was called "zaguan" which led to the patio. Open terraces with balustrades surrounded the patio on the second floor. The upper exterior walls were treated with paneled wood partitions, sliding windows of shell sashes and wood louvres above the sill, sliding "ventanillas" below the sill and protected from without by heavy, wide projecting caves.

Filipino Architects
At the closing years of Spanish regime, some Filipino engineers and architects were in the practice of the profession after they returned from Europe where they studied architecture and engineering. The first Filipino architects were Felix Roxas and Diego Hervas. The early works of the former were the reconstruction of the Sto. Domingo Church, the Church of St. Ignacio and the massive Catholic church of Bacoor, Cavite. He reconstructed the Ayuntamiento (Marble Hall) formerly the Philippine Senate, the palatial residences at San Miguel, Manila for Filipino aristocracy, the Roxas Family, the Paternos, the Valdez', the Aranetas and the Hidalgos. Diego Hervas' works included the St. Paul's Hospital, Assumption Convent, Oriente Building, Monte de Piedad. The later architect was Julio de la Rosa. Influence of European Building Technique. Steel and concrete construction was introduced in the mid-80s as a result of European and American Influence. The first steel structures in the Philippines were: i. ii. iii. Compania General de la Tabacalera, planned in Spain, and erected in Manila in 1894. Puente Colgante (now Quezon Bridge), a suspension bridge spanning the Pasig River. The all-steel Church of San Sebastian, manufactured in Belgium, Gothic in style which was completed in 1891, built by Architect Genaro Palacios.

The introduction of reinforced concrete in the Philippines was in the 1900s and its use in the construction of the Masonic Temple, the first multi-structure in Escolta, Manila.

List of Local Edifices and Their Architects

Name of Local Edifice Quiapo Church Architect Juan Nakpil

Sta. Cruz Church San Sebastian Church Sto. Domingo Church Manila Cathedral Baclaran Church Lourdes Church Christ The King Church San Agustin Church St. Jude Church San Miguel Pro-Cathedral Antipolo Cathedral Victorias Church Antipolo Church (Circular) U. P. Protestant Chapel U. S. T. Chapel St. Andrews Church (Circular) San Beda Chapel Iglesia Ni Kristo Church in San Juan Sanctuario de San Antonio Mount Carmel Church Legislative Building Manila City Hall Agrigulture and Finance Building Manila Post Office Malacanang Palace Old Manila Hotel Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Philippine General Hospital Old Metropolitan Theatre Quezon Institute Hospital Old Veterans Memorial Building Quezon City Hall Development Bank of the Philippines Philippine National Bank (Escolta) Department of Foreign Affairs

Gregorio Gutierrez Genaro O. Palacio Jose Zaragoza Fernando Ocampo Cesar H. Concio Luis Araneta Fr. Frederick Linzenbach Bro. Antonio Herrera Fr. Lyn Juan Nakpil Fernando Ocampo Antonin Raymond Leandro Locsin Cesar H. Concio Fernando Ocampo Leandro Locsin Andres Luna de San Pedro Juan Nakpil Manalac Construction Max Vicente Antonio Toledo Antonio Toledo Antonio Toledo Arellano and Mapua William Parsons Willam Parsons Juan Arellano Tomas Mapua Juan Arellano Juan Nakpil Federico Illustre Ruperto Gaite Carlos Arguelles Carlos Arguelles Crecenciano de Castro

Social Security System Building in Quezon City Juan Nakpil U. S. Embassy Building in Manila Bonifacio Monument Rizal Monument Quezon Memorial Fort Santiago Cultural Centre of the Philippines A. L. Aydelott and Associates Juan Nakpil and Tolentino Richard Kissling Federico Illustre Fr. Antonio Dendon Leandro Locsin

Links to Filipino Architecture

Armand Ajala's Pre-Hispanic Architecture Roger Gerard Gaspar's Philippine Colonial Churches Tribung Pinoy Sining Panitikan: The Filipino Arts and Literature Page Arkitektura Link Filipino Architecture page Joel Chua's Homepage on Filipino Architecture August Li's Page on Architecture

Back to Home Page

Copyright 1997 Most recent revision Saturday, August 02, 1997