Living Large In Tiny Houses

A gateway to the Sierra Mountain range

Seven years ago, businessman Jaime Lazatin and his family went camping near the mountains of Sierra Madre. “We were on our way home, and saw several rainbows. We pulled over the last one, sat down by the road, and enjoyed the view. Since then, we dreamt of having our own farm.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jaime Lazatin

In 2021 they finally found and bought a small parcel of land in Tanay, Rizal, and while they were fixing it up to turn into a food forest filled with native hardwood and fruit-bearing trees, they realized they needed a shelter to stay in as well. “That time there were a lot of fallen trees from typhoon Ulysses, and we decided to use them to build a tiny house,” Jaime shares.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jaime Lazatin

After an extensive research online, Jaime went for a 12 x 10 ft. A-frame cabin. Not only was it easy to install, it was perfect for the off-the-grid camping theme he was going for. While he doesn’t see him and his family living there permanently, their tiny house serves as a happy place to connect with nature, and appreciate the simple beauty of life.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jaime Lazatin

Since he’s there mostly on weekdays, he thought of listing it on AirBnb so that other people can experience it too.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jaime Lazatin

On what people can look forward to, should they book his place, Jaime says: “closeness to nature, a sense of adventure, and a gateway to the beauty of the Sierra Madre mountains.”

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Glamping and Digital Detox

A vacant land that was sitting idle at Magallanes, Cavite inspired businesswoman and video editor Ailette Ogot to build a tiny house. “Even before the pandemic, my father and I were keen on using the 5,000 sqm. farmland for business. That time, staycations and glamping were trending, so I pitched it to my dad and he agreed,” she says.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ailette Ogot

Ailette’s DIY skills were honed when she and her husband put up and designed their Instagram-worthy “beef pares” eatery in Bicutan, so she was up for the task in making a tiny house. “I did everything DIY. Browsed photo pegs on Google and Instagram, grabbed screenshots on Facebook. My dad helped in looking for materials,” Ailette shares.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ailette Ogot

Though the completion of the project took longer than what she intended (it took a year!), the “finished product” more than made up for the delay. The result is a small, yet very easy-on-the-eyes loft-style modern white house. “We were emulating those white houses in America. But instead of using regular plywood, we used panels, which is more expensive, but entailed less labor.” By painting the walls and the panels white, the 18 sqm. interior looked bigger. Besides the modern and minimalist interiors, a great attraction of the space is its custom Intex pool made of PVC panels.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ailette Ogot

Though the pandemic was largely the reason why the construction had been delayed, ironically, it’s also the reason why a lot of millennials and young families are booking Ailette’s tiny house for some R and R.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ailette Ogot

“We know how millennials are. They get stressed a lot because of work. To cope, they look for a place they can unwind, relax, and do digital detox, somewhere far away and off-grid. They return to the city as changed people.”

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Where kids can roam free

The series of constant lockdowns and restrictions had been hard on Filipino families, especially the kids, who were forced to stay indoors. It was unsettling, and parents couldn’t help but be worried over their children’s development. “When the pandemic started, we had a five-year-old and a two-year-old who suddenly lost the right to play outside,” shared Haydee Bellen-Serrano, a TV scriptwriter, who admitted she resorted to buying more toys to try to compensate for the dire situation. Since Haydee and her husband had been planning to buy land out-of-town as an investment, the pandemic became a catalyst for them to actually push through with it. In January 2021, they purchased a lot in Alfonso, Cavite. There, they happily removed their masks, pitched a tent, enjoyed the scenery, and played to their hearts’ content. Eventually, they thought of building a tiny house so they could live more comfortably.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Haydee Bellen-Serrano

Like Jaime and Ailette, Haydee and her husband googled like crazy. They looked for pegs and fell in love with the A-frame cabin design, which has a unique feature of a side panel being propped up to make the space look larger. The house’s main frame is steel, while the roof and the sides were galvanized iron. Haydee adds, “The side panel's roofing is made of polycarbonate roof sheets, so it also doubles as natural lighting. We also have an L-shaped patio or deck with palochina wood flooring.” As for the interior design, they kept it simple and functional, with a pullout sofa bed and an IKEA queen-sized bed. To give it a rustic look, they added in some decors like a native-style lamp, a banig floor mat, and wooden wall accent. “We also built a gazebo outside which doubles as our kitchen and dining area. So basically, the cabin is just for sleeping and hanging out!”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Haydee Bellen-Serrano

Haydee’s long-term plan is to save up, build a “bigger” tiny house, and settle in Alfonso for good. Compared to living in the city, Haydee feels her kids can grow happier and healthier here. Would she recommend it to other families? Haydee says, “Definitely! But I know it’s not for everyone. It’s quite a huge adjustment and we’re still slowly getting the hang of it.” But living in a tiny house does teach you hefty lifelong lessons that kids can benefit from. For Haydee and her family, “you can also adjust your mindset and not view success as something determined by the mansion that you will buy or build, or the number of cars you own. You can live in a tiny home but be richer than most people--maybe not financially speaking, but definitely in terms of mindset, you can be a winner.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Haydee Bellen-Serrano