HANDOUT 2

• Abaca (Manila Hemp)


  Native to the Philippines, a species of banana with inedible fruits. It is the source of fiber widely used in the country since pre-Hispanic times. The largest fibers are used to make rope. The abaca stalk is used for baskets and furniture. Sinamay is a fine textile derived from superior quality abaca fiber. This fiber is said to be three times stronger than cotton and silk and can last several years. High grade abaca is used as packaging material, teabags, surgical masks, orthopaedic materials, and insulation for computer chips
• Adobe


  A tuff similar to the Tuscan tufo employed by the Etruscans, and consists of consolidated volcanic ash. Cut into thick large bricks, adobe is used for fences as well as for the lower parts of the bahay na bato. Some churches were also made of adobe tuff. The binding material was a mixture of stone, sand, molasses and egg whites
• Akasya (Raintree, Acacia)


  A wide-canopied tree with a large symmetrical crown native to the Tropics; the leaves fold in rainy weather and in the evening, hence the name "rain tree" and "five o'clock tree". It is a durable and naturally resinous hardwood used to make fine natural furniture and tableware
• Almagre


  Reddish painting material made by dissolving earth into water
• Amakan


  A local walling or fencing material of woven bamboo strips often done in a diamond pattern
• Argamasa


  Mixture of lime and sand used as binding material for adobe
• Bamboo


  In tropical Asian countries, it has been used as inexpensive source for housing materials, furniture, handicrafts, musical instruments, fish pens and traps, kitchen utensils and water containers. The young shoots of certain species are also edible. Over 62 species of bamboo are growing in the Philippines, 21 of which are endemic. Most endemics are climbing and are used almost exclusively for basket and fence-making. The erect type is of commercial and economic importance for construction material. Due to industrial development, a number of novel materials produced to replace wood came from bamboo, such as: bamboo particle boards, parquet blocks, ply board and panel board to name a few
• Capiz


  A material made of the outer shell of an edible bivalve. Capiz is also the name of a city on the island of Panay where it is particularly abundant; the Spaniards named the settlement from the local name of the mollusk, kapid. Framed in wooden latticed panels, capiz shell was used extensively for the windows of bahay na bato. It has also been used for centuries for ubiquitous outdoor lanterns hung in gardens and on verandas. Boxes, frames, tabletops, and small objects are also made with capiz, utilizing a variety of different finishings
• Cogon Grass (Kugon)


  Cogon has been used to cover roofs of houses. Extremely inflammable, cogon roofing was limited by several ordinances of the Spanish Government and finally forbidden when corrugated iron sheets became easily available. Recently, it has been rediscovered by eco-friendly Filipino architects and is used profusely in trendy country houses and resorts. Modern construction techniques, however, often involve separating the external covering from the internal matting and adding insulating materials for extra safety
• Crisalida


  A palm native to Madagascar and introduced in the Philippines in the 1990's
• Dao (New Guinea Walnut, Pacific Walnut)

  Grows in all locations with high rainfall such as India, southern China, Philippines and Papua New Guinea; this tree belongs to the family which also includes cashew nut and pistachio. The edible fruit opens up to attract bats that are instrumental in the propagation and dispersal of seeds. The bark is used in popular medicine as a remedy against dysentery. The timber contains wavy streaks of green to dark brown, with pinkish to pale yellow heartwood. Dao wood is used in veneers, furniture, plywood, and interior trimming and framing, as well as plain firewood
• Dungon


  The hard, strong timber of dungon is valued for mast-making. It is used to make canoes, joists, boat ribs and firewood. In the past, it was frequently used for the main posts of the bahay na bato. Presently, having become rather rare, it is mainly used in cabinet making to reinforce the borders of tables and large pieces of furniture
• Hierro Galvanizado


  Galvanized iron sheet; iron or sheet coated with zinc to protect it from rust
• Ipil (Borneo Teak, Moluccan Ironwood)


  Ipil wood has a yellowish color when freshly harvested and turns dark brown with age. Architecturally, this miracle plant was used primarily as strong wood for house posts and floorboards, but also found its way into the studios of furniture craftsmen. Ipil leaves and fruits are employed in decoctions to treat diarrhea, asthma and arthritis; and the seeds make an excellent insect repellent. The bark yields tannin; the wood produces a dye of yellowish color
• Kamagong (Mabolo, Velvet Apple)


  The mabolo, a fruit native to the Philippines gives off a pungent odor like the illustrious durian. Based on folklore, ghosts and monsters like the tikbalang are said to lurk the tops kamagong trees. Despite the foul odor and the tikbalangs, the kamagong yields the most prized ironwood in the archipelago. It is timber which confers a special luster to Filipino furniture as a whole. Kamagong is extremely dense and has two varieties: an extremely dark color like true ebony and a "tiger" or striped variety. Both are used to craft prized furniture, and also small objects such as desk ornaments, beads, necklaces, billiard cues, gun and knife handles, martial arts batons, walking canes, and musical instruments. It is considered as an endangered tree species and is protected by Philippine law. It is illegal to export kamagong timber from the country without special permission from the Bureau of Forestry, but finished products can easily be taken from the country with proper documentation
• Molave (Philippine Teak)


  Molave used to be the preferred timber for house posts, beams and all exposed parts of houses, such as windows and frames. It was also used for the construction of railway sleepers. Once polished and waxed, it has a golden yellow color and is far more attractive than common teakwood. Most of the molave available today is recycled
• Narra (Burmese Rosewood)


  Now nearing its extinction across Southeast Asian forests, due to high demand during the American occupation, most of the available wood comes from recycled logs. One of the rarest and most valued wood products in the world and is ideal for quality cabinet-making. Narra is considered the national tree of the Philippines
• Nipa


  The long, feathery leaves of the nipa palm are used in the Philippines as roof material for thatched houses or dwellings, most specifically in the bahay kubo. The leaves are also used in many types of basketry and thatching. The flowers, which grow in inflorescences, are tapped for sugar and the production of vinegar and alcohol
• Pandan


  A species of screw pine, the leaves of which are used in the manufacture of mats, baskets and bags
• Philippine Mahogany


  Mahogany is often found in Filipino export catalogues and commercial listings to identify any semi-hard and valuable wood. This usually refers to different species of wood that have a reddish color, including the ones on the market as tanguile, meranti, and lauan. The best- quality furniture made in the American colonies from the mid-18th century standards was made of mahogany, when the wood first became available to American craftsmen. Other woods of similar look but inferior quality were largely imported from the Philippines during the American occupation; to make them more acceptable to buyers, they were called "Philippine Mahogany"
• Piña (Pineapple)


  Spanish nuns taught Filipinos how to extract, weave, and embroider piña, and the local products were exported to Spain and around the world, and they were highly prized. The most common use for piña fabrics was to make formal shirts and barong tagalog for men and the elegant ladies' dresses called mestizas. A partially reviving successful industry of piña cloth is in the province of Aklan- and subsequently other provinces such as Antique, Guimaras and Puerto Princesa. Recently some Manila designers have started to use piña cloth to produce various home decoration items, such as pillow covers, runners and the like
• Rattan


  A climbing palm with numerous thorns or spines, hairs and bristles scattered all over the plant. Rattans grow throughout the country. For centuries, rattan has been extremely important to the economy of small-scale farmers and forest dwellers who are involved both in the harvesting and handicraft production of innumerable items used in everyday life
• Salirap


  Woven coconut fronds
• Sasa


  Split bamboo tubes made into flattened poles
• Sawali


  A coarse mat of woven bamboo strips that is used for walling of houses or as mats for drying grains under the sun
• Tindalo / Balayong


  Tindalo is a medium-sized deciduous tree found in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Tindalo is widely distributed across the archipelago. A prized timber used for church furniture due to its fine straight grains which makes it manageable for carving. It is also known as balayong or Palawan cherry
• Yakal


  This hard timber is endemic to the Philippines and Malaysia. Because of its hardness, it used to be one of the preferred construction and shipbuilding materials in the Philippines. It is now listed as "critically endangered"
• Yantok


  The rattan palm; stems or strips of rattan used in making wickerwork baskets or used in tying
• Balayong


  Another name for Palawan cherry, a type of wood with fine straight grains that makes it manageable for carving
• Yakal


  A hard timber endemic to the Philippines and Malaysia, used for construction and shipbuilding but now listed as critically endangered
• Yantok


  The rattan palm, stems or strips of which are used in making wickerwork baskets or for tying
• Alero


  Eaves projecting from the walls, from the Spanish word ala which means with wings
• Aljibe


  A water cistern that collects rain water from the roof
• Altar Mayor


  The main altar, located at the end of the nave
• Arrigues


  Thick wooden house posts
• Atrio


  A garden enclosed by a pathway inside the house
• Azotea


  An open, elevated terrace usually situated at the back of the house adjoining it, and fenced with low balustrades
• Azulejos


  Glazed tiles, the fabrication of which was and still is an important industry in Spain, Portugal and Mexico. They were used for floors, walls, and as street signs, mostly in shades of blue
• Baldosas


  1. An earthenware floor tile, generally square in shape; 2. Paving stone, much larger than the floor tile, and generally of granite; often referred to as piedra china
• Bandehas


  Wood planks oriented horizontally to serve as walls