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Sunday, February 06, 2005
Nipa huts to go, please
Bahay kubo, kahit munti…can fetch a hefty price, as Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano finds out.
These gazebos remind us of those days when the nipa hut (bahay kubo or payag) defined Philippine architecture.
It was in these lightweight, perishable structures where most Filipinos lived in the past. They also defined the simple laid-back lifestyle. As times changed, light materials like bamboo and amakan, soon gave way to the more permanent and durable concrete house. But what has been deeply-rooted as a part of our national identity was hard to erase. The nipa huts are also made of cogon as an alternative shield from heat and rain.
They evoke images of the almost forgotten bayanihan spirit Filipinos are known for. These native gazebos can now be found displayed along highways for anywhere between P15,000 to P25,000, depending on the size.
Traveling the road going north, one can spot these at Consolacion and Lilo-an where the sources for its construction are still in abundance. There are also similar ready-made huts sold in Mactan.
At their current selling price, ironically, only wealthy patrons can afford them- using the huts as functional hang-outs and as decorative accents for their villas and gardens.
(February 6, 2005 issue)
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