3 Filipino Superstitions to Remember When Getting a House
Picture this: a family gathers around the newly built frame of their dream home, a priest sprinkling holy water, incense burning, and elders whispering reminders.
“Wag kang magpatayo sa may punso,” or “Make sure your stairs don’t end in mata.”
In the Philippines, homebuilding isn’t just about blueprints and budgets but about attuning yourself to the big picture and channeling that energy into your new home.
Long before the rise of property developers and sleek condominium towers, Filipinos have always believed that luck and harmony could be built right into the walls of a home.
For many, superstition isn’t simply irrational fear but a kind of cultural wisdom passed down in whispers and rituals, a way of keeping both body and spirit safe.
Whether it’s avoiding an unlucky number of stairs or steering clear of the unseen dwellers beneath the earth, each act carries centuries of meaning.
This article explores three enduring Filipino beliefs that continue to shape how we build and choose our homes today: the cautionary reverence for dwarf mounds, the rhythmic counting of Oro, Plata, Mata, and the harmonious balance brought by Feng Shui.
Each one offers a glimpse into how Filipinos blend the mystical with the material, a reminder that for us, a house isn’t just a structure. It’s a living promise of safety, prosperity, and peace.
Because in a country where faith and fortune often meet under the same roof, sometimes the key to a prosperous home is as simple as believing.
1. The Dwarf Mound
In Filipino folklore, the earth is never truly empty. Every mound of soil, every grove of trees, is said to be alive with unseen dwellers. These are the nuno sa punso, dwarf-like spirits who guard their land with quiet power.
To disturb their home is to invite sickness, misfortune, or a sudden streak of bad luck. Thus, whenever someone passes or builds near a mound, they whisper the time-honored phrase, “Tabi-tabi po,” a respectful plea for safe passage.
In rural areas, construction plans have been halted because of a punso found on-site. Workers might choose to reroute a foundation or build around it entirely.
Beyond its mystical veneer, the nuno sa punso belief teaches a subtle but profound truth: respect for nature and for the spaces we alter. It reminds us that every plot of land carries a story and spirit.
In a time of rapid urban development, this old superstition becomes a quiet call for humility, an echo from the earth saying, “Build, but do not forget to respect.”
2. Oro, Plata, Mata
If you’ve ever watched a Filipino family count the steps of a new staircase aloud, you may already have heard of the superstition of Oro, Plata, Mata.
Derived from Spanish words meaning “gold, silver, death,” this old counting ritual dictates that staircases must never end on Mata, the unlucky step symbolizing death and misfortune.
The rule is simple: count each step from the bottom, Oro, Plata, Mata, and ensure the top step lands on Oro or Plata. Builders, homeowners, and even architects sometimes pause mid-measurement just to make sure the last step doesn’t fall on the last word.
While some treat it as a cultural nicety, others swear that violating it brings years of financial struggle or family discord.
Even modern designers nod to this belief, not just to appease clients, but as a gesture of harmony, which serves as proof that Filipino homes are built not only with concrete and calculation, but with careful attention to unseen balance.
In the end, Oro, Plata, Mata is less about fear and more about rhythm, a cadence of hope embedded in every upward climb.
3. Feng Shui
While nuno sa punso and Oro, Plata, Mata stem from local and colonial roots, Feng Shui arrived through centuries of Chinese trade and integration, weaving its way into Filipino culture like silk through bamboo.
It is less superstition and more philosophy, a system of harmony that guides how energy, or chi, flows through a space.
For believers, everything in a home matters: the direction of the front door, the placement of mirrors, the alignment of furniture, and even where the kitchen stove faces.
A misplaced mirror might deflect fortune; a doorway facing the wrong direction might welcome illness or loss. Meanwhile, an open pathway and sunlight-filled entry promise abundance and peace.
Unlike other superstitions, feng shui offers principles that align closely with good design, observing balance, openness, and flow. Even skeptics find themselves following its logic because it feels intuitively right.
And for those who blend faith with practicality, feng shui becomes a quiet invitation for great fortune to settle in, whether it’s for the health of the family, the peace of the household, or a little extra luck the next time you and your friends gather for a round of tongits at home.
It’s a belief that, even in a modern skyline, ensures every space feels alive with intention.
Building with Belief
Whether you count each stair with care or align your doors to the morning sun, these superstitions share the same goal: providing you peace of mind as you settle into your new abode.
They remind us that every wall we build carries not just structure but also story, the history of our people’s quiet conversation with the unseen.
Superstitions may evolve, fade, or modernize, but they endure with a desire for balance between humanity and the world around us.
Perhaps that’s why many Filipinos, even in an age of data and design software, still light incense, count steps, or whisper “tabi-tabi po.” Because belief, after all, is a form of architecture, one that shapes not only our homes but our hearts as well.
