Category Archives: Ancestral Houses

Adaptive Reuse in Silay City (Negros Occidental)

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Victor Fernandez Gaston Heritage House (Balay Negrense)

Most of the heritage houses in Silay City are still residential homes, lived in by the descendants of the original owners or bought by others who continue to live in them and not open to the public. However, a few of  them have been converted to museums, a bakery, restaurants, shops or city government and private offices in an action called adaptive reuse, referring to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for.

Check out “Silay City’s Ancestral Houses“

Hofilena Museum (Manuel Hofilena Ancestral House)

Three ancestral houses have been opened for visitors – the Victor Fernandez Gaston Heritage House (Balay Negrense), the Manuel Severino Hofileña Heritage House (visits by appointment) and the Bernardino and Ysabel Lopez-Jalandoni Ancestral House (a lifestyle museum, commonly called The Pink House). The first two are located along Cinco de Noviembre Street while the latter is along Rizal Street.

Check out “Balay Negrense,” Ramon Hofilena: The “Father of Heritage Conservation” in Silay City and the “Bernardino-Ysabel Jalandoni Museum”

Bernardino-Ysabel Jalandoni Museum

NOTE:

A number of ancestral houses have also been converted into bed and breakfasts. On June 11, 2016, the charming, two-storey German Unson Heritage House was opened as a bed and breakfast with four spacious rooms – German-Fe Room, Lourdes Room, Rene Room and the Carmen-Cristina Room. The house was built in 1938 and was restored in its original design in mid-1970s. On April 6, 1993, it was declared as a heritage house by the National Historical Institute.

The Generoso Reyes Gamboa Twin House, owned by Generoso and wife Olympia Severino, both heroes of Cinco de Noviembre, was built for their sons Ernesto and Generoso Jr.  In 2020, the present owners have now converted the house into the 1898 Casa and Restorante, a bed and breakfast with 5 bedrooms on the ground floor and a main dining room at the second floor. It is considered to be the first twin house in the Philippines, with both houses (the one beside it) being mirror images of each other.  The house is embellished with beautiful, ornamental Art Nouveau pierced screens or “calados” (ornately carved room dividers depicting stylized flowers, lyres and anahaw leaves) and cast-iron brackets.

 

Generoso Gamboa Twin House

Two ancestral houses, along Generoso Gamboa Street (formerly Plaridel Street), were bought by the Silay City government and were converted into offices – the Angel Araneta Ledesma Ancestral House (now the Arts and Culture Office) and the Benita Jara Ancestral House (now the Sangguniang Panglungsod building). The former, a Colonial Plantation-style heritage house called the Green House (Balay Verde) by the locals, was built in the 1930s and features American clapboard with material sourced from the Araneta family’s lumber business.

Benta Jara Ancestral House (Sanggunian Panglungsod)

Also along this street is the Alejandro Amechazura Heritage House, now the office of Celsoy Agro-Industrial Corporation. This simple and graceful house, built between the 1920s and 1930s, is a good example of American Period architecture. It has an entrance porch with double columns on a concrete base.  Repetitive pointed arches on the lower floor hints at a Neo-Gothic influence. 

Maria Golez Ledesma Ancestral House

A lot of adaptive reuse can be seen along Rizal Street, the city’s main road, where a number of ancestral houses were converted to commercial establishments. The regal Maria Ledesma Golez Ancestral House, an excellent example of adaptive architectural reuse, was purchased by Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) in 1992.  RCBC remodeled the interiors while the exterior was preserved. The first floor was converted into their Silay branch while the second floor is used as a storage area.  Embellished with masques, caryatids and lion heads, Art Deco elements are prevalent, especially in the archways and corner entrance.  On April 6, 1993, it was declared as a Heritage House by the NHI.

Lino Lopez Severino Ancestral House

Another heritage structure that has been converted for commercial use is the Lino Lope Severino Building, the first department store in Negros. This Art Deco structure is now owned by two separate individuals, the left wing of the building, rented by a religious group, was bought by an Indian businessman while the right wing, a pension house (Baldevia Pension House) with function rooms available for rent at the second floor, was bought by the Baldevia family.

NOTE:

In 2013, a MacDonald’s Fries and Sundae Station was opened in the building (now called the Baldevia Building).  Also on the ground floor are a pawn shop outlet, a drug store and a Chooks-to-Go branch.

 

Antonio Novella Sian Heritage House

The Antonio Novella Sian Ancestral House, at cor. of Rizal and Zamora Streets, features traditional media agua (canopy over a window) and sliding ventanillas on the second floor, also has a suite of shops at the ground floor – barber shop, convenience store (Mayflor & Me Minimart) and a bakery.

NOTE:

In October 2019, a MacDonald’s branch was opened at the Antonio Novella Sian Ancestral House

 

El Ideal Bakery

The Cesar Lacson Locsin Ancestral House is home to El Ideal Bakery which started operations in 1920, making it one of the oldest bakeries in the country. It specializes in homemade breads (pan gasiosa), biscuits (quinamoncil, biscocho prinsipe, broas, sinambag, favorita, lubid-lubid, quinihad, etc.) fresh lumpiang ubod (made of fresh young coconut trunk sauteed in pork, shrimps and hard boiled egg, and wrapped with a flavorful garlic sauce) and cookies (angel cookies) as well as pastries such as guapple pie (a combination of apple and guava pie) dulce gatas (Silay City’s version of the pastillas, made with carabao milk and sugar) and the traditional piaya (a type of flat bread). Ms. Maritess Villanueva Sanchez, its current proprietor, is the granddaughter of Cesar.

Check out “Restaurant Review: El Ideal Bakery”

 

Kapitan Marciano Montelibano Lacson Ancestral House

The Kapitan Marciano Montelibano Lacson Ancestral House, at Rizal cor. Zamora Streets, Brgy. II, is home of New City Cafe (Kapehan Sang Silay).  The lower floor of the Josefita Tionko Lacson Ancestral House has a branch of 7-11.

Josefita Tionko Lacson House

German Unson Heritage House Bed and Breakfast: 5 Zamora Street.  Tel: (034) 432-2943.  Mobile number: (0921) 762-2359. E-mail: guheritagehouse@gmail.com.

1898 Casa and Restorante: 960 Zamora cor. Cinco de Noviembre Street. Tel: (034) 485-5566.  Mobile number: (0951)) 769-3655.

El Ideal Bakery: 118 Rizal cor. Eusebio Streets.  Tel: (034) 495-4430.

Bernardino-Ysabel Jalandoni Museum: cor. Rizal and Severino Sts..  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM-5 PM.  Admission: PhP50.  Tel: (034) 495-5093.

Balay Negrense: Cinco de Noviembre St., Brgy. III.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM-5 PM. Tel: (034) 714-7676 and 495-4916.

Manuel Severino Hofilena Heritage House: Cinco de Noviembre St..  Visits are by appointment.  Tel: (034) 495-4561.

Silay City’s Ancestral Houses (Negros Occidental)

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Calle Rizal

Another reason for my visit with my family to Silay City, aside from visiting my mom’s hometown and attending the 8th Locsin Family Reunion, was to see for myself Silay’s ancestral houses.  Silay, founded in 1760, became prosperous in 1846 with the cultivation of sugar cane and its new-found wealth translated into the construction of many opulent ancestral homes, located mostly along Calle Rizal.

The two-storey Antonio dela Rama Locsin Heritage House, dating back to the Spanish Colonial Period, is said to be the oldest house in Silay. This was the house where the late Architect Leandro V. Locsin (National Artist for Architecture) grew up. The house has capiz sliding windows and ventanillas.

Silay is the second city in the Philippines, after Vigan City (Ilocos Sur), to be named a museum city, making it one of the country’s top 25 tourist destinations.

The Soledad and Maria Montelibano Lacson Ancestral House, with its American-inspired look, features windows with glass panes and a galvanized iron sheet media agua, a secondary roof that helps protect windows from rain. The second floor still retains its sliding capiz windows and ventanillas.  When coming from Talisay City, this is the first ancestral house that will greet you.

Most ancestral houses in the city are named after their owners while other more famous houses are known for their unique characteristics or colors (Twin Houses, Green Hose, White House, Pink House, etc.).

The ancestral house of Jose “Pitong” Ledesma, along Cinco de Noviembre Street, was built in 1917.  It was the home of the renowned Silaynon pianist, conductor and philantrophist who was known for his sonata Tanda de Valse.” Ledesma also brought operettas de zarzuelas from Europe to Silay. The present owner of the house is Magdalena Locsin-Ledesma, piano accompanist of opera singer Conchita Gaston.

A total of 31 (some well-preserved) have been identified by the National Historical Institute (NHI, now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) as National Treasures.  Nine of them are Level 1 (Declared):

  • Carlos Arceo Ledesma Heritage House
  • Antonio de la Rama Locsin Ancestral House
  • Delfin Ledesma Heritage House – 28 Generoso Gamboa Street
  • Juana Coloso Ledesma House
  • Amelia Hilado Flores House (owned by Jison-Alano)
  • Arsenio Lopez Jison Ancestral House – Rizal Street
  • Antonio Novela Sian House – cor. of Rizal and Zamora Streets
  • Manuel de la Rama Locsin Ancestral House – Rizal Street
  • Josefita Tionko Lacson Ancestral House

The two-storey Teodoro Morada Ancestral House, also called the “White House, was built in the early 1990s. A fusion of Spanish and American colonial architecture, this beautifully restored heritage house exudes a genteel Neo-Classical liner. It has a grand double winding staircase on the ground floor, glass paned windows, and a second set of Persiana windows behind them. Now the home of Rene and Jessica Velez Dimacali, is the favorite house in Silay of Liza Macuja.

Sadly, three Level 1 houses have already been demolished.  They are the Augusto Hilado Severino House (bought by the Iglesia Ni Cristo), the Claudio Hilado Akol Heritage House (bought by the Locsin Genealogy Foundation – balcony has been retained) and the Modesto Ramirez Hojilla (Carlos Javelosa Jalandoni) Ancestral House.

The two-storey Modesto Ramirez Hojilla Ancestral House, a Beaux Arts-style house currently owned by Carlos Javelosa Jalandoni Sr., was built in the 1920s. It is an example of an American Era adaptation of the classic bahay na bato which was influenced by 19th century “salt shaker” houses, with their wooden horizontal clipboard facades. Currently dilapidated, it is notable for its adaptation, introduced by the Americans, to Filipinos living on the ground floor.

Nineteen others are Level 2 (With Marker).  My grandfather’s house, built in the 1930s and locally called Balay Daku or “Big House, is one of these.   The others are:

  • Victor Fernandez Gaston Heritage House (Balay Negrense) – Cinco de Noviembre Street, Brgy. III
  • Alejandro Amechazura Heritage House – Plaridel Street, now the office of Celsoy Agro-Industrial Corporation
  • Manuel Severino Hofileña Heritage House – Cinco de Noviembre Street
  • Bernardino and Ysabel Lopez-Jalandoni Ancestral House – Rizal Street, Brgy. II, a lifestyle museum, commonly called The Pink House
  • Jose “Pitong” Ledesma Heritage House – cor. Jose Ledesma and Teodoro Morada Streets
  • Kapitan Marciano Montelibano Lacson Heritage House -Rizal cor. Zamora Streets, Brgy. II, home of New City Cafe (Kapehan Sang Silay)
  • Vicente Conlu Montelibano Heritage House – Zamora Street
  • Maria Ledesma Golez Heritage House  – Rizal Street, now RCBC Silay branch
  • El Ideal Bakery (Cesar Lacson Locsin  Ancestral House) – 118 Rizal Street
  • Jose Benedicto Gamboa Heritage House – Roque Hofilena Street, the Oro, Plata, Mata” (1982) house
  • Angel Araneta Ledesma Heritage House  (Culture and Arts Office of Silay) – Plaridel Street, commonly called The Green House
  • Teodoro Morada Heritage House – cor. of Cinco de Noviembre and Zamora Streets
  • Digna Locsin Consing Heritage House
  • Generoso Reyes Gamboa Heritage House (Twin Houses) – 960 Zamora cor. Cinco de Noviembre Streets
  • Soledad and Maria Montelibano Lacson Heritage House – Rizal Street
  • German Locsin Unson Ancestral House – 5 Zamora Street
  • Severino Building/Lino Lope Severino Ancestral House – cor. Rizal and Burgos Streets.
  • Benita Jara Ancestral House (ancestor of Nicolas Armin Jalandoni- last owner) –  Generoso Gamboa Street, now Silay City Sangguniang Panlungsod Building.

Check out “Jose C. Locsin Ancestral House,” “Balay Negrense,” Ramon Hofilena: The “Father of Heritage Conservation” in Silay City and the “Bernardino-Ysabel Jalandoni Museum”

The two-storey Digna Locsin Consing Ancestral House, across the Teodoro Morada Ancestral House, is also called the “Red House.” Now the home of Judge Reynaldo Alan, this heritage house displays American-Period horizontal clapboard sidings with Art Deco grillework.

There are also a number of ancestral houses that have not been declared as Heritage Houses.  They are the Felix Tad-y Lacson Ancestral House (sadly, demolished 2014), the Antonia de la Rama Locsin Ancestral House, the  Aguinaldo Gamboa House (house where Gen. Douglas MacArthur stayed), St. Theresita’s Academy and the Locsin House (Freedom Blvd, Brgy.Mambulac).

The Josefita Tionko Lacson House, the only heritage house in Silay with an elevator, has a Nativity scene show every December featuring Belen characters purchased during her many travels in Europe. Her house, propped up by Classical columns, allows the public to remain under shade.

Silay City Tourism Office: Sen. Jose C. Locsin Cultural and Civic Center, 6116 Silay City.  Tel: (034) 495-5553.  Fax: (034) 495-0848.  E-mail: silaycity_tourism@yahoo.com. Open Mondays to Fridays, 9 AM – 5 PM.  Coordinates: 10.79907,122.97658.

Jose C. Locsin Ancestral House (Silay City, Negros Occidental)

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Jose C. Locsin Ancestral House

This wouldn’t be the first time I would be visiting Negros Occidental, having visited Bacolod City during a GPS mapping tour, but this would be the first time I would be visiting Silay City, hometown of my late mom.  With me was my wife Grace, my son Jandy and daughter Cheska.  Arriving at the New Bacolod-Silay International Airport, via a Cebu Pacific flight from Manila, we would be attending the 8th Nationwide Locsin Family Grand Reunion to be held from April 9 to 10.

Check out “New Bacolod-Silay International Airport”

Historical plaque installed by the National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines) in 1995

Upon arrival, we were picked up at the airport by my cousins (both a generation younger than me) Neil Solomon “Solo” and Lorenzo “Enzo” Locsin.  After a short 15min. (11.2-km.) drive, we arrived at Silay City.

The living area

Upon arrival, Solo billeted us at the one-storey house of the late Tita Conchi Locsin, my mom’s first cousin and sister of the late Philippine Free Press editor Teodoro M. Locsin Sr. (father of Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin Jr.).  Solo now resides here.  Just across is the 80 year old, two-storey ancestral house of my late maternal grandfather Dr. Jose Corteza Locsin.

Portrait of Sen. Jose C. Locsin

Born in Silay on August 27, 1891 in Silay, Jose Corteza Locsin was the third child among the five children of Domingo Locsín and Enriqueta Corteza, devout Roman Catholics who were originally from Molo, Iloilo but resettled in Silay, acquired lands there and engaged in sugarcane farming.  After finishing his primary education in Silay, José C. Locsín was sent to Manila to study, first at Liceo de Manila, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907, and afterwards at the Universidad de Santo Tomas where, at age 21, he graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, receiving the honor “Meritissimus.”

Starting his medical profession in Silay, he established the Maternity and Children’s Hospital (later the Silay General Hospital) and was also responsible for the establishment of a Rest and Resettlement Center for Tuberculosis in the mountain barangay of Patag. He also organized several women’s clubs to run puericulture centers  and was also responsible for the establishment of the Negros Occidental Provincial Hospital (and, later, its School of Nursing). He was named representative of the Social Welfare Commissioner in Negros Occidental, elected president of the Negros Occidental Medical Association and, in 1938, he became president of the Philippine Medical Association (reelected in 1939).

Although a medical practitioner, he had an inclination for politics and, because of his service to the people of Silay, he decided to run for public office and was elected as Municipal Councilor . After that, he was elected Provincial Board Member of Negros Occidental and, in 1925, became Governor of the Province of Negros Occidental, building roads and bridges throughout the province, establishing a waterworks system and, together with the Provincial Board, initiated the construction of the Provincial Capitol building. Placing a high priority in improving the province’s educational system, he was responsible for having had more schools built during his term than all the governors before him combined.

After his three year term as governor, he ran for Congress and, in 1928, was elected Representative of the 1st District of Negros Occidental, a district whose primary means of livelihood rely on the sugar industry. He worked for the modernization of sugar centrals, increased the share of sugarcane planters in the sugar produced, and raised the wages of farm laborers. As Chairman of the Committee on Public Instruction for three years, he worked on the establishment of schools in remote barrios and well as plazas in towns to promote cultural events.

As a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention, he was chairman of that body’s Committee on Nationalization of Natural Resources where he advocated safeguards to protect the national patrimony. He was responsible for the inclusion of social justice in the Constitution’s declaration of principles. He was a member of the Philippine economic mission headed by Senator Laurel which worked for the Laurel-Langley Trade Agreement of 1945.  From 1945 to 1946, Dr. Locsín served under President Sergio Osmena as Secretary of the Department of Health and Public Welfare to help people recuperate from the ravages of World War II.

From 1951 to 1957, he served the country as a senator and was chairman of two Senate committees: Account and Health as well as a member of other Senate committees. As Chairman of the Health Committee, he worked for the approval of various measures to ensure and promote the health and safety of people through the establishment of Rural Health Units, the standardization of hospital services, and the National Campaign Against Tuberculosis. In addition, he also secured appropriations for the construction of new hospitals, health centers, clinics and other health care facilities and, at the same time, worked for the improvement of salary levels of public health care personnel, especially doctors. As Chairman of the Committee on Accounts, in order to prevent any deficiency during his term, he strived to maintain the annual appropriation.

As a senator, his other achievements include sponsorship of the Rural Banks Act; authorship of the Flag Ceremony Law (which gave importance to recognizing and respecting the Philippine flag); increase of the salary of public school teachers; and passage of a measure to celebrate the centennial of the birth of Dr. Jose Rizal in an appropriate manner.  It was during his term as senator that Pres. Carlos Garcia signed Republic Act 1621 in June 12, 1957 making Silay the second town in Negros Occidental to become a city.

His greatest contribution to the upliftment of the Filipino people was during his term (from 1958 to 1961) as Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC, now the National Economic and Development Authority, or NEDA) when he authored the bill popularly known as the “Filipino First Policy,” which gave impetus and encouragement to agro-industrial development, resulting in the establishment of more cement factories, flour mills, and FILOIL–the first of the Filipino-owned gasoline companies.

It also led to the banning of importation of plywood, the financing of irrigation and fertilizer programs, the construction of artesian wells and hydro-electric power plants in different parts of the Philippines, and the development of new industries through the Industrial Dispersal Program, and the program for social and economic development of the Mindanao Region.

At the same time that he was Chairman of NEC, he headed the National Productivity Board of the Philippines, contributing to the establishment of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) of which he was unanimously elected its first Chairman in May 1961 during its inaugural meeting in Tokyo, Japan, an honor not only to himself but to the Philippines which he represented.

In 1961, when his term as NEC Chairman ended, he was appointed as Acting Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources where he had the licensing of forest concessions investigated which led to a marked reduction in the granting of such licenses and the filing of legal cases against illegal logging in the country.

As a staunch member of the Nacionalista Party, Dr. Locsín was a dedicated advocate of its principles and a loyal supporter of its members, supporting Ferdinand Marcos’ candidacy for president in 1965 after he switched allegiance and ran under the Nationalista Party. However, when Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972, he was disheartened and regretted having given his support to Marcos’ presidency. Although no longer active in politics during the time of Martial Law, Dr. Locsín wore a black ribbon, even on his deathbed, as a sign of protest against Marcos symbolizing his mourning of the death of democracy.

In 1974, Dr. Locsín suffered a stroke (which some say was brought about by his frustration with not being able to directly do anything about abolishing Martial Law) and, from then on, underwent several surgical procedures due to problems with his gallbladder and prostate.  In 1976, because of complications brought about by old age and his illnesses, he became bedridden and, on May 1, 1977, he died at the age of 88.

He married the former Salvacion Locsin Montelibano and had eighteen children with her (one of whom, Julio Cesar, died of typhoid at the age of four). In 1959, he experienced another loss when his wife died of cardiac arrest at the age of 61. In 1962, at the age of 70, he remarried. His second wife, Delia Ediltrudes Santiago, a social worker from Bacolod, bore him a son (Popeye) and a daughter (Marla).

 

Salvacion and Jose Locsin

Built in in the 1930s in the Art Deco style of architecture, the house, fondly called Balay Daku (“Big House”), is beautifully preserved and one of the biggest in the city.  It has been named as a Heritage Houses of the Philippines by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on April 6, 1993 and an NHCP marker, installed in 1995, can be found outside the front door of the house.

AUTHORS NOTES:

The central façade has a Spanish Mission Revival style, with arcades (a series of arches supported by columns) on the ground floor entrance porch and the second floor balcony with its projecting vigas (exposed beams). Arches are also seen in other windows as well as moldings above the windows.  Elsewhere in the façade are huge French windows with sliding wood and glass and persiana panels, below which are grilled ventanillas with sliding wooden panels for added ventilation.

Now resided in by my elderly aunt Rosario “Charet” Locsin (sister of Conchi), it still retains most of the original furniture of the house (upright piano, aparadors, china cabinet, solihiya chairs, etc.),  baldosa (tilework) and hardwood flooring.

There were portraits of the late senator’s parents, painted by Fernando Amorsolo (National Artist of the Philippines for Painting in 1972) as well as photos of the senator with different Philippine presidents.

On the steps leading up to the second floor of the house is a haunting bronze bust of four-year-old Julio Cesar created by sculptor Guillermo Tolentino (National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture in 1973).  At the informal dining area is a spiral staircase with exquisite fretwork patterns.

The exquisite spiral staircase

During our stay in Silay, Solo would sometimes invite us to have our breakfast there or for snacks of homemade Silaynon delicacies such as tsokolate (made from round cacao tablets and fresh carabao’s milk), bizcocho (thin slices of toasted bread much like the biscocho, but without the butter and sugar), the sweet and decadent dulce gatas (a mixture of fresh carabao’s milk and muscovado sugar reduced to a thick caramel-like concoction) and meringue prepared by my Tita Charet.

The informal dining area

L-R: Cheska, Grace, Solo and Jandy

Jose C. Locsin Ancestral House: Juan Valencia cor. J.Pitong Ledesma Sts., Silay City Heritage Zone, Silay, Negros Occidental Philippines. Coordinates: 10.7981254, 122.9741791

Ramos Ancestral House (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

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Ramos House

After the tour of the Provincial Capitol Grounds, Jandy, Cheska, Janet, Katrina and I proceeded to the restaurant of nearby Hotel Consuelo’s for lunch (Janet’s treat).

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Hotel Consuelo Resort and Chinese Restaurant“

After lunch, we visited the restored ancestral house of AFP chief-of-staff and 12th Philippine president (1992-1996) Fidel V. Ramos and his sister, the former Sen. Leticia Ramos-Shahani.  The Ramoses weren’t around and the gates of the house were closed, again it being a holiday.

The house is a January 1995 re-construction of the original, which was destroyed during World War II. However, some of the furniture and family memorabilia have been saved and is now displayed in the restored house. That done, we returned to the resort, dropped off Janet and Katrina and proceeded on our way back to Manila.

Historical plaque

Ramos Ancestral House: Primicias St., Lingayen, Pangasinan.Tours of the Ramos ancestral house can be arranged through the Tourism Office at the Provincial Capitol Building.

The City of "Angels" (Angeles City, Pampanga)

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Angeles City

After the culmination of Clark’s Hot Air Balloon Festival, Jandy and I drove on to Angeles City for a walking tour of the City of Angels.  Many know Angeles City only as a rest and recreation area frequently visited by the U.S. servicemen from nearby Clark Air Base.  Even with the base’s closure, Angeles is still home to a large colony of expatriates as many Americans chose to permanently settle in city, particularly in the Balibago District.  They were just about everywhere I looked in the city.  However,  not many people know that, on March 17, 1899, Angeles was briefly made the capital of the First Philippine Republic by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.  In fact, the first and only anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence (June 12, 1899) was celebrated here.  Upon its capture by the Americans on November 5, it was made the headquarters of Maj.-Gen. Arthur MacArthur (father of Douglas).  Angeles, once just a jungle clearing and a northernmost barrio of San Fernando called Kuliat (after an indigenous vine that grew abundantly in the area), soon grew rapidly around the former Clark Air Base and was made into a chartered city on June 22, 1963 by virtue of Republic Act No. 3700.

Holy Rosary Cathedral

Many relics of the city’s Spanish and American era past still exist, all within the Sto. Rosario Historic District and all within walking distance from each other. My walking tour started at the Holy Rosary Cathedral (where I parked my car), along Sto. Entierro corner Sto. Rosario St.

Check out Cathedral of the Holy Rosary

The Holy Family Bldg., the former convent, was used by the U.S. Army from August 1899 to December 1900 as a military hospital and by the Japanese Army as a troop barracks, officers’ quarters and arsenal in early 1942.

Angeles Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center

Adjacent to the cathedral is the 2-storey Museo Ning Angeles, the former City Hall built in 1922.    This museum, opened on December 8, 1999, now showcases Kapampangan lifestyle and culture.

Check out Museo Ning Angeles

The Angeles Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Center, now a center for polio and stroke patients, was first built in 1899 as the deposito for religious statues and carriages used in religious processions.   From 1899 to 1901, it was utilized by the U.S. Army as a jail  for recalcitrant U.S. troops and, from 1946 to 1947, as headquarters of U.S. Army 11th Film Exchange.  From February 6, 1967 to 1986, it was  the City Post Office.

Bale Matua

The oldest building in the city is Bale Matua, also known as the Founder’s House.  It was built in 1824 by Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda, the former gobernadorcillo of San Fernando, and his wife Doña Rosalia de Jesus.  Together, they founded Angeles in 1796.  On December 8, 1829, the barrio was separated from San Fernando and was renamed Angeles in honor of Don Angel and the town’s patron saints, the Holy Guardian Angels (Los Santos Angeles de los Custodios).  To build Bale Matua, Angel used materials salvaged from their older house built around 1811. The house was later inherited by their only daughter, Doña Juana de Miranda de Henson.  It has high stone walls and an ornate gate and was declared as a Historical Site by the National Historical Institute.

Nepomuceno Ancestral House

The Nepomuceno Ancestral House, along Sto. Rosario St., was the home of Don Ciriaco de Miranda, the first gobernadorcillo of Angeles. Built in 1840, it was inherited in 1868 by Don Ciriaco’s niece, Doña Agustina Henson de Nepomuceno.  A restored grain storehouse (kamalig), along Sto. Rosario St., between these two old houses, was also built in 1840 by Don Ciriaco. In 1980, it was restored by Armando L. Nepomuceno and is now home to Armando’s Pizza and the Camalig Restaurant.   Bale Herencia, at the corner of Lakandula and Sto. Rosario Sts., was built in 1860 by carpenters from Vigan (Ilocos Sur). Said to have been built for the mistress of a parish priest, the current owners now use it as a banquet hall.

Bale Herencia

Ancestral Houses of Boac (Marinduque)

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Once settled in our suite at Villa Carlos Resort, we prepared breakfast at the balcony, cooking (not allowed though) canned food which we brought along for the trip using my portable stove.  That done, we now left the resort to explore Boac in detail.  The town proper had many large, high-ceilinged Spanish and American-era ancestral houses, some well-preserved and others dilapidated and in need of repair.  Many have capiz windows, ventanillas and double roofs with unusual braces reminiscent of braces used to prop up windows in nipa houses.

Boac town proper (notice the braces used to prop up roofs)
The Trivinio Ancestral House

Aguinaldo Shrine (Kawit, Cavite)

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After bringing my son Jandy to school, I decided, on a whim, to do some sightseeing outside Metro Manila, motoring all the way, via the Cavite Coastal Rd., to Kawit in Cavite where I plan to visit the Aguinaldo Shrine, the birthplace of Philippine Independence.  Upon arrival at the shrine, I met up with Mr. Alvin Alcid, the shrine curator, who toured me around the mansion.

Aguinaldo Shrine

The stately, 6-storey (including a mezzanine) Aguinaldo’s house started out in 1845 as a wood and nipa thatch structure before being rebuilt in 1849 as a bahay na bato with a stonewalled ground floor and a wooden second floor with banks of capiz windows.  Emilio Aguinaldo was born (according to his mother) here on March 22, 1869 (March 26 according to his partida de baptismo or parish records).

The Independence Balcony

The mansion underwent another facelift from 1919 to 1921.  To commemorate the “original” Independence Day (albeit on a personal basis), Aguinaldo added the elaborate, cannon-capped “Independence Balcony” to replace the bank of capiz windows at the living room. The Philippine sun, stars and foliate patterns decorate its eaves.  The balcony is now used during June 12 Independence Day celebrations.

The watchtower

Before his death on February 6, 1964, at the venerable age of 94 (our oldest president), Aguinaldo, in a fitting, final gesture, turned over his home and a portion of the gardens to the government on June 12, 1963 to “perpetuate the spirit of the Philippine Revolution of 1896.”   Four months later, on June 18, 1964, the mansion was declared a National Shrine and a National Treasure, by virtue of Republic Act No. 4039, and placed under the management of the National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines).

Aguinaldo’s bedroom

The architecturally-inclined former president also added a family wing of children’s bedrooms; a gabled, 3-storey, spired watchtower (Aguinaldo’s favorite spot for viewing, on a clear day, the skyline of Manila) on top of the mansion (designed to match a 200-year old tamarind tree, since felled by lightning), and below it, a bedroom called the Tower Suite, his favorite retreat in his later years.

Today, the entire house uniquely blends Rococo, Baroque and Gothic architectural styles characteristic of the Spanish and American colonial period.  The entire ground floor, formerly the zaguan or grain storage area, was converted into a revolutionary-theme museum.  On exhibit are Aguinaldo’s personal memorabilia and uniforms, dioramas of the Battle of Zapote River, the Battle of Binakayan and Aguinaldo’s oath-taking as president, an exhibit of prominent Cavite revolutionary heroes, historical relics and weapons.    There is also a chess set and a bowling alley.

Aguinaldo had a very inventive and secretive mind. The antique, mostly Philippine hardwood furniture done by skilled native woodcarvers, some designed by the general himself, includes an armoire, inlaid ivory love seats, four-poster beds, China cabinets and Vienna rocking chairs.  Some chairs and cabinets have secret compartments to hide important documents or even weapons.  Ingenious sliding wall panels, along the narrow stairways to the upper rooms and in the bedrooms, are used as secret storage areas large enough for two people to hide.

The Dining Room

There are also camouflaged secret passages made just for the general.  The one leading to his second floor bedroom is concealed by a wall of shelves at the main stair landing.   Below the ground is a stone air raid shelter concealed under the kitchen’s wooden dining table top.

The decorated dining room ceiling

On the second floor are the general’s bedroom, the grand hall, conference room, dining room and kitchen and the azotea.  The rectangular grand hall is a visual showcase of Aguinaldo’s nationalistic fervor.  On the walls and pillars are recurring flag patterns done in polished wooden mosaic. The floor, a waxed-and-polished jigsaw puzzle of flags, is a mosaic of wooden trapezoids.  The decorated ceiling, which commemorates the events of August 30, 1896 (the start of the revolution), features Inang Pilipinas (Mother Philippines), an eight-rayed sun representing the first 8 provinces to rise in revolt, and the furled flags and dove of the pre-World War II League of Nations (symbolic of Aguinaldo’s aspiration for Philippine recognition in the League of Nations).

Corridor leading to children’s bedrooms

At the end of the hall are the historic windows and the added “Independence Balcony.”  The dining room ceiling is a gallery of soaring symbols featuring a bas-relief map of the country with Cavite (site of his glorious victories) painted red to symbolize war.   Overlooking the grand hall, like an alcove or balcony, is the mezzanine library.   A corridor leads to the mansion’s eastern wing where Aguinaldo’s daughters used to live with their families.

Children’s bedrooms

Another flight of stairs lead me to the Ambassador’s Room, the former study of Ambassador Jose Melencio, Aguinaldo’s son-in-law.  Above it, through a narrow stairway, is Aguinaldo’s Tower Suite.  In it are a brass bed and a large roll-top escritorio.  To reach the spired tower, the general’s favorite retreat, I had to climb a foot-wide, almost ladder-like stair.  Here, I had a bird’s eye view of the town and Aguinaldo Park (Liwasang Emilio Aguinaldo).

Check out “Liwasang Emilio Aguinaldo“

Aguinaldo Park
View of town from Tower Suite

At the garden behind the house is Aguinaldo’s marble tomb, facing the river whose waters often served as a secret escape route.

Aguinaldo’s marble tomb
Aguinaldo Shrine: E. Aguinaldo Highway, Kawit, Cavite. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 8 AM-4 PM.

Florestida Estrella and the House of Dakay (Ivana, Batanes)

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Posing beside the House of Dakay

During my 1.5-hr. tour of Batan Island with my 2 guides Ms. Joy Gabaldon and Mr. Jose “Boging” Astudillo and Toyota Revo driver Mr. Luciano “Anong” de Guzman, we passed by many of the Ivatan’s small, quaint, squat and low but ingeniously designed and typhoon-resistant houses, liken to those in the Scottish Highlands or France’s Provencal region. Locally called sinandumparan, these squat, low, solid stone and lime cottages are found all over the province and nowhere else in the country, as the lowland bahay kubo simply could not survive the harsh Batanes environment.

Ivana

First built around 1795 by imported stonecutters, masons and carpenters from Cagayan, they have meter-thick lime and stone walls (sometimes with wood reinforcement for earthquake resistance), are built directly to the ground and are laid out on narrow, cobbled streets that follow the contour of the land.  They are cool during the warm season and warm in the cold months.  The gabled roofs have foot-thick cogon (which keeps the house cool in the hottest weather) tightly bound and woven together to make it water proof and fastened with reeds to sturdy wooden rafters.  The roof is held down by a panpet (a thick rope roof net) fastened to strong pegs on large, half-buried stones. The small, narrow door faces the east or northeast, away from the worst typhoon winds.  The tiny, square windows are located on three walls only.  The wall that doesn’t have it faces the direction of the strongest winds during typhoons.

Sinandumparan ceiling

We made one long stopover at one such house, the Vahay ni Dakay (House of Dakay).  The oldest sinandumparan in Batanes, it is included on the UNESCO Heritage Building list and expected for grading.  Now resided in by octogenarian Florestida Estrella, it was built in 1887 by Elena Estrella, cobbled together with corals washed from the shore and stones that are abundant in the coastal town of Ivana.  Elena later bequeathed it to her nephew Jose Dacay (Florestida’s grandfather).  This traditional house withstood the September 13, 1918 (one of only 5 houses that survived in Ivana) and the July 16, 2000 (magnitude 7) earthquakes.

Lola Ida

The friendly Florestida, fondly called Lola Ida, has an easy smile and weather-beaten face.  She was formerly only used to a quiet village existence. During the early years, her family moved the Visayas, returning to the area when she was 12.  She had stayed ever since, never marrying and many of her childhood friends have since died. Now, her tiny world has been opened to many foreign (including Australians and Canadians) and local tourists who give her donations and take her picture (she is the most photographed Ivatan in Batanes), making her the subject of many articles, postcards and promotional calendars. These same tourists also urge authorities to help preserve her house. Lola Ida keeps a blue logbook containing the names of visitors (mine now included) over the past years.  Like Lola Ida, the Ivatan’s tiny world may soon be open to tourism.  Let’s just hope it doesn’t destroy the very character that made it known in the first place.

Jose P. Laurel Museum and Memorial Library (Tanauan City, Batangas)

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From the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Jandy and I moved on to the nearby Jose P. Laurel Museum and Library, the home of Jose P. Laurel, the president of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic (October 14, 1943-August 17, 1945).  Laurel was born here on March 9, 1891.  The Laurels, being a prominent family, built their residence just walking distance from the cathedral and town hall and 100 m.  from the national road. 

Jose P. Laurel Museum and Memorial Library

Built in 1880, this ancestral house was restored by Jose P. Laurel’s son Mariano and daughter-in-law Alicia on March 9, 1964 and was donated to the national government to serve as a public library.  It also houses Jose P. Laurel’s memorabilia.  The 2-storey house has a ground floor of stone and an upper level of wood with wooden posts, sliding capiz windows and a floor of brightly polished wooden planks. 

The dining room
The living room
Laurel’s office

It was a holiday (Labor Day) during the time of our visit but the caretaker gladly allowed us free rein to tour the areas of the house – the living room (with its prominent bust of Laurel), dining room (with its 8-seater dining table and mounted photo of Laurel delivering a speech) and Laurel’s bedroom (with its antique 4-poster bed) and office (with Laurel’s desk and chair).    Beside an oil painting of Laurel is a wooden harp.  Outside the house is an antique church bell.

Laurel’s bedroom
A wooden harp
The old church bell

Jose P. Laurel Museum and Memorial Library: A. Mabini Ave, Poblacion, Tanauan City, Batangas. Open daily, 8 AM-5 PM.

Stopover at Carcar City (Cebu)

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The cake-like kiosk

Another long stopover, for merienda, was made at a Jollibee in the  junction town of Carcar, 40.3 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cebu City. It just rained, but this didn’t stop me from exploring Cebu’s version of a “heritage town” in detail. Just outside, a wonderful round kiosk from the American era greeted me, valiantly standing proud, amid large offending billboards, at the center of the Carcar Rotunda. It is one of the best surviving examples of its genre in the country.Carcaranons engage in blacksmithing and the making of footwear and native delicacies such as ampao (sweetened and crispy rice crunchies), bucarillo (colored coconut candy) and chicharon (pork skin cracklings). Tacoy (sweet pomelos) are also grown here.

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

The town’s affluence during the Spanish colonial era is still evident in its sprawling plaza and its surviving large and small intricately decorated antique manors. Carcar is noted for its striking examples of preserved colonial architecture, both from the Spanish and American eras. The most notable structure is the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

Church interior

Its lovely and massive Graeco-Tuscan façade has a strong Muslim influence as seen from its double recessed arched main entrance (similar to an iwan of a Middle Eastern mosque).

The church patio, surrounded by a low fence of coral stone and wrought iron, has statues of the 12 Apostles, all painted white, except for that of Judas (standing all alone on a pedestal in front of the convent), which is painted black.

St. Catherine’s Dispensary

On the same hill as the Church are the American-era Carcar Dispensary and St. Catherine’s Academy (founded in 1923). The façades of both are decorated with carved wooden gingerbread fretwork, cut out in the manner of Victorian houses and all looking as delicate as fragile heirloom lace that could flutter even with a slight breeze. At the foot of the hill is a small but imposing plaza decorated with statues.

Mercado Mansion

Within the town are 46 quaint and antique ancestral houses called balay na bato (stone houses), some decorated with intricate lacy (calado) woodwork from the 1920s. This calado architecture, prevalent in Carcar, is unsurpassed in the country. A number of old houses, some older than the church, are found at the foot of the hill.