IVATAN TRADITIONAL /
VERNACULAR HOUSES

When you speak of Batanes, this is what comes to mind to most. The traditional houses throughout the islands are not seen anywhere else in the Philippines. They

Jinjin or Chivuvuhung. This house, mainly used as human dwelling, derived its name from the walls made of cogon, reeds, and logs that enclose the entire floor space on all sides. The living and kitchen areas are clearly defined. One end of the house is the living area used to receive visitors during the day and for sleeping , the other end consists of the rapuyan (stove).  A variation of this house is called rahaung used mainly as storeroom or workshop. This type of structure is now chiefly found in the farms, although few are occasionally found in the remote barangays of Sabtang and Itbayat.

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Mayhurahed. A house similar to the jinjin but has a stone base between the ground and the cogon wall called hurrahed. This type of Ivatan house is called mayhurahed (having a hurahed). If not used as dwelling, it functions as storeroom for farm produce, farming and fishing tools or implements. Like the jinjin, this type is now chiefly found in the farms and few in the poblacion in the remotes barangays of Sabtang, Itbayat and in Sitio Diura (or the Fishermen’s Village) in Mahatao.

 

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Sinadumparan.  This type of house is the common two-sloped roof. It is made of lime – and – stone with thick thatched cogon roof. The house in picture A is typical in the Batan and Sabtang Islands where cut stones are used . Like most Ivatan houses, a blank wall faces the direction where strong winds originate during typhoon. The house in picture B is typical in Itbayat. The absence of regular-shaped stones in the island is evident as houses are made with extremely  irregular and rough pieces of rocks (lagat and pilñit). As in other types, the cogon roof usually lasts up to 25-30 years with minimal repair.  

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Maytuab. This type of house has stone and lime walls with a distinct four-sloped roof. Lime plaster on the exterior surface of the walls has been noted in some houses. This type of house is mainly used for dwelling and is considered to be the most labor-intensive among all the Ivatan vernacular houses. It also requires huge volume of cogon. The thick roof (about a yard when new) provides it excellent thermal characteristics: cool during the summer months (April – June) and warm during the winter (December – February).

Like the sinadumparan, the typical maytuab house has narrow doors and windows with wooden shutters and often secured by a wooden bars (usually a meter and a half long) during typhoons or windy days. Both types often have two floors, the upper for human dwelling and the lower floor that houses domesticated animals during inclement weather. A roof net (called panpet) made of large ropes is thrown over the entire roof and fastened to strong pegs, large stones or sturdy trees to secure the roof during strong typhoons. Both types may still be found in all the municipalities in Batanes although less of these types may be found in the capital town of Basco.

Source:    Hornedo, F.H., Taming the Wind, UST Publishing House. Pages 73-79

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Sinawup. A cogon house also similar to the jinjin except that the structure‘s interior walls are made of wooden planks, the outside wall is covered with cogon.