Taking a Second Look at the Bahay Kubo

Is the lowly bahay kubo or Philippine native house our answer to the ever growing clamor for clean living? When you think about it, it just might be.  

The bahay kubo is considered the national shelter of the Philippines and is made of light, indigenous materials like bamboo, nipa, wood and large logs.  It is so designed to adapt to the tropical climate of the country and could easily be repaired should it be damaged by typhoon.  The walls are made of nipa, a kind of palm, cogon leaves or wooven bamboo.  It has large windows that allow for air to circulate freely and is erected with a cellar underneath where most household chores are done.  Nipa is also used for the roofing. 

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Because of the design and use of light materials of the bahay kubo, it is cheaper to maintain it as an aircon is not necessary.  Bamboo, nipa, and cogon are available at cheap prices and the good news is that they are renewable.  Bamboo and nipa grow abundantly in this part of the world while cogon is a kind of grass that can be found anywhere.

Years ago, I was able to sleep in a bahay kubo though it is big compared to the typical one found in the countryside.  Our family went to a beach resort in Lobo, Batangas and our accommodations for the night was a modern bahay kubo.  Though the windows had screens to ward off mosquitoes, flies and other insects, and somehow block the easy flow of air, we still didn't have the need for an airconditioning unit.  We had a very sound sleep that night.

There will be others who would argue about the bahay kubo in the face of typhoons.  I agree that there might be problems with the kind of typhoons that visit the Philippines regularly.  They had become fierce of late and it might not stand against the wrath of nature.  It just have to be reinforced where needed so it will stand erect and proud even in the middle of a supertyphoon.