Bahay Kubo

A view from the inside of the Kubo with Cindy strumming the ukelele

One of the first structures I built on the farm was a small house made up of native materials. It was to be a house where I could stay while working in the farm especially on weekends. However, as time went by, I realized that there has to be a full time caretaker who had to water the plants everyday and be in charge of the entire place while I was away. So, in the end, the first structure I built became my caretaker's house.

However, by May of 2013, I decided to build another structure which I could use for myself and for my  guests. The structure was to be a kubo. A Kubo is a traditional native Filipino house usually made up of indigenous materials like bamboo and nipa. Instead of making just one Kubo, I made two. One was to be the main house and another smaller one, adjacent to it, was to face the lagoon and was designed like a gazebo.

Another view from inside the Kubo with Gina's silhouette

The design is not your typical Filipino Kubo. I have designed it  incorporating a number of modern elements from windows to furnitures. But despite the integration of these modern elements into the design, the kubo still had a native feel but with a twist. I wanted the view from the main kubo to be panoramic, so I installed large glass panels which allowed a clear view of the trees outside and the beautiful lagoon in front of it. The gazebo was plain and simple. It was situated right in front of the lagoon. Its stark simplicity and openness gives one a completely different feel from that of the main kubo. The gazebo seems to embrace the entire landscape, giving one a sense of space and serenity as only nature could give.

This is the gazebo with us relaxing together

After three and a half years, I finally have a structure where I could rest and find peace and serenity. The view from the Kubo is simply overwhelming. Nature really has its own simple beauty that can  be found nowhere even in some man-made marvels. Now that these structures are finished, I enjoy a beautiful scenery each time I stay in the kubo. The lake is particularly beautiful early each morning, at dusk when the sun is about to set, and most specially during the night particularly during a full moon when the moon's light scintillates beautifully across the entire lagoon.

Many times, I wonder how I could have built this beautiful place. Each time I spend my time in this farm, I just sit on the floor of the gazebo gazing outward into the placid lake. And as the day ends, the entire scenery can just turn mesmerizing, as the vibrant colors of sunset strike the lake. Realizing this wonderful gift given to me from above, I have said so many "thank you" to God when I sit by alone in front of the lake, thanking him for giving me this beautiful gift of the land I call "Sa Kabukiran."