Page 123 - Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines

4. TANONG : Nandito ba ang nanay mo?
SAGOT : ________.

5. TANONG : Ano ang yari ng sahig ng bahay mo?

SAGOT : Yari sa kahoy ang sahig ng bahay ko.

6. TANONG : Saan yari ang computer mo?

SAGOT : Yari ang computer ko sa ________.

7. TANONG : Sino ang may gawa ng ________ mo?
SAGOT : Gawa ng ________ ang ________ ko.

8. TANONG : ________?

SAGOT : ________.

9. TANONG : ________?

SAGOT : ________.

10. TANONG : ________?
SAGOT : ________.

Mga Tala Sa Kultura

One can learn a lot about Filipino geography and history by studying Filipino
houses. Let us consider two houses: the bahay kubo (literally, cube house) and the
bahay na bato (stone house.)
The bahay kubo is made of bamboo and nipa, which are abundant in the
Philippines. It is raised so that animals cannot easily come into the house, and so
that the family can use the area below the house for storage. It has a sloping roof
and large windows to better cope with the tropical heat. Thus, it is a house that takes

into consideration the geographical characteristics of the Philippines.
The bahay na bato became popular during the Spanish colonial period (1565–
1898). It is a two-story house made of stone and wood, but the living quarters are
mainly in the upper floor. The living room/dining room is an open space usually
surrounded by the bedrooms. Like the bahay kubo, it has large windows but the
popular material for these windows are wood and capiz shells. The bahay na bato
became a symbol of affluence during the Spanish colonial period, thus emphasizing
the economic gap between the land-owning Spaniards and few wealthy Filipinos
and the indios, the latter term referring to native Filipinos.