When it was first built, relatives of this homeowner called his house a payag—the Visayan term for a crude hut. No more than 20 square meters, it looked like a tribal Ifugao dwelling, with a steeply sloping nipa roof, and a silong underneath the elevated floor. It stood on a lot adjacent to his relatives’ houses in a subdivision in the outskirts of Iligan, a small city in northern central Mindanao. He built it in 1997 when he worked mostly in Metro Manila, going home to this province only occasionally.
But when his stays in Iligan became more frequent, he found time to improve the hut little by little. This sculptor, previously a photographer and filmmaker, now creates busts, reliefs, and figure studies. These have found their way to various nooks inside and outside his house. His home showcases his taste for the unconventional and unexpected, reflecting his artistic sensibilities.
For virtual tours of similar homes, check out these links on FN:
- Pinoy Eclectic Style: That '80s Home
- Pinoy Eclectic Style: Practical Magic
- Pinoy Eclectic Style: Selling Drama
- Pinoy Eclectic Style: Cabin Fervor
- Pinoy Eclectic Style: Designer's Haunt
(First published in Real Living Magazine, Real Home section as "Boho Kubo" in January-February 2005; photos by Anton Sheker; adapted for use in Female Network)
