Category Archives: Ancestral Houses

Jaro District (Iloilo City)

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After breakfast at the hotel, Charlie and I started our GPS mapping of 3 of Iloilo’s 5 nearby districts – Jaro, La Paz and Molo (the others are Arevalo and Mandurriao, the site of the airport).  All 5 were incorporated to the city in 1936 by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 158 and each has its own plaza and church.

Jaro Cathedral

We first proceeded to Jaro District, an elite residential center located just 4 kms. from the city proper, and drop by its Gothic-style Jaro Cathedral (officially the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candles).  Located just across the street from the plaza, it is the seat of the Jaro Archbishopric. Mass has just been finished when we arrived.

The cathedral’s separate bell tower

The cathedral was first built before 1726 by Fr. Bernardino Alisen.    The present structure was built in 1874, upon the orders of Most Reverend F. Mariano Cuartero, O.P., first bishop of Jaro.  It was damaged during the January 5, 1948 earthquake and reconstructed, in 1956, under Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco.  Its separate 3-storey, 25-m. high, red brick belfry was built by Fr. Juan Aguado, restored, from 1833 to 1835, by Fr. Jose Alvarez and was ruined during the 1948 earthquake.  St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary, located near the cathedral, was where famous propagandist, orator, journalist and local son Graciano Lopez-Jaena went to school. 

Iloilo City’s Stately Ancestral Houses

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The stately Lizares Mansion

Iloilo City is one of the best places to observe American-era architecture, notably its ancestral houses. The stately Lizares Mansion, in Brgy. Tabuc Suba, is probably the most elegant and most opulent of the old houses and the most accessible.  Built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares, it was converted into the headquarters of the Japanese Army during World War II and, in 1962, became the school chapel of the Dominican-run Angelicum School.  This building, fusing American and Spanish architecture, has a spacious lawn.  

Nelly’s Garden

The imposing, Beaux Arts style Nelly Gardens Mansion, along E. Lopez St., was built in 1928 by Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva and his wife Dona Elena Hofilena y Javelona.  Standing on a 4-hectare property with a beautifully manicured lawn, it was was named after their eldest daughter Nelly, who liked gardens.    

National Museum (Vigan City, Ilocos Sur)

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It was now  late in the afternoon and I still had time for a visit to the 2-storey, 422-sq. m. National Museum, formerly the Ayala Museum and Library.  This house, built in 1788, was the former birthplace and colonial residence of martyred priest Fr. Jose A. Burgos.  At its ground floor is a Hall of Fame of Ilocano heroes and achievers, dioramas of local historical events (Tobacco Monopoly in 1782, Paoay Church Construction in 1704, Gomburza Execution, Battle of Tirad Pass, etc.), Filipiniana costumes, and Tingguian, looms for abel weaving, farming and fishing implements and Ilocano ethnic arts and crafts (burnay products, etc.).  There are also scaled models of two trading ships.  The first, a pichili trading junk, also called the Shantung junk, is regarded as the oldest type of Chinese sea junk used in fishing and trading.   Its actual length was 150 ft. and it stood 14 ft. high.  The second was that of a Japanese vessel that trade in Luzon from 1596 to 1615.  Around the models are trade ceramics.

National Museum
Upstairs are antique collections and memorabilia of the Burgos family such as Vienna furniture (beds, mirrors, divans, dining chairs, pianos, etc.) plus an old harp, gramophone, old telephones and other period pieces and heirlooms. On the walls are a priceless collection of 14 Esteban Villanueva canvasses. Esteban Villanueva was a businessman and unschooled painter from Vigan who depicted bloody events of the 1807 Basi Revolt in 14 36 by 36-inch frames.  At one time they were owned by Buenaventura Bello, a former president of the Ilocano Historical Association.  Until a few years ago, the paintings remained unrestored but a contemporary artist was commissioned to retouch them.  In spite of this, the painter’s original style is noticeable: details of costume and face, lack of perspective, the composition of the groups, ominous comets and even the little horse.  All were signed “E. Villanueva.”

I made it back to the inn before nightfall, joining Grace and Jandy for a sumptuous dinner of crispy okoy (flaky shrimp cakes) and pansit at the inn’s coffee shop.  Once filled, I finally decided to hit the sack for a well-deserved shuteye.

National Museum: cor. Plaza Singson Encarnacion and Burgos St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.       Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8:30 to 11:30 AM and 1:30 to 4:30 PM.  Weekend and holidays are by appointment.  Admission: PhP10 per adult and PhP5 for children (12 years and below).

Our First Visit to Vigan City (Ilocos Sur)

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I, together with my wife Grace and my kids Jandy and Cheska plus my brother Frank, sister Tellie and their families were planning to go on vacation at Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte.  However, we didn’t go all the way there, opting also to stay overnight at Vigan City.  We left Manila by 2 AM, April 3, the week prior to Holy Week (to avoid the traffic). By land, it is no easy feat getting to Vigan City and we made the 437-km. long haul drive in about 10 hrs., including breakfast and nature calls, with me and Grace taking turns driving.  The kids were mostly asleep the whole time.   Our arrival at the beautiful Quirino (Banaoang) Bridge heralded our entry into Bantay and Vigan City.

Quirino Bridge

Upon our arrival at Vigan City, we parked our Toyota Revo somewhere near the narrow Mena Crisologo St. as cars are now allowed along this street to protect the cobble stones and preserve the ambiance of the place.  This street, located south of Vigan Cathedral, was the Chinese mestizo quarter, popularly known, in the olden days, as Kasanglayan.  We checked in at Cordillera Inn, one of many ancestral homes in the city turned into cozy hotels and pension houses. Our group occupied 3 (out of 23) airconditioned family rooms with private bath and cable TV (PhP1,500).

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Cordillera Inn“

Cordillera Inn

After settling in at Cordillera Inn, we all left to join the others for a late lunch at nearby Cafe Leona, walking along the length of cobblestoned Mena Crisologo Street to get there, passing some of the country’s best remaining colonial architecture.

Check out “Restaurant Review: Cafe Leona“

Leona Florentino House

Café Leona, as well as the Provincial Tourism Center and the Vigan Heritage Commission, are housed at the Leona Florentino House.  Built in 1797, it is the former home to one of the country’s first woman playwrights and poets to gain international recognition.  One of her 5 children, Isabelo de los Reyes, would later become a writer like her as well as a champion of the Philippine labor movement and a senator.

Cordillera Inn: 29 Mena Crisologo cor. Gen. Luna Sts., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Tel: (077) 722-2526. Fax: (077) 722-2739 & 722-2727.  Mobile number: (0927) 313-5616.
Cafe Leona: Mena Crisologo St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur. Tel: (077) 722-2212.  Fax: (077) 722-3089. Mobile number: (0920) 906-8144.  E-mail: cafeleona@yahoo.com.

Casa Punzalan and the Taal Heritage Foundation (Taal, Batangas)

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We decided, due to the late hour, to spend the night in Taal.  Driving back to the municipal hall, we stopped at nearby Casa Punzalan, Taal’s first pensionnne. The ancestral home of the prominent Punzalan family, it was leased by Mr. Jesus Samala Punzalan, Jr. and Capt. Nieto Punzalan, at no cost, to the Taal Heritage Foundation.  We were welcomed by Ms. Betty Lualhati, a U.S. balikbayan and one of the foundation’s members.

Jandy at Casa Punzalan

The foundation was, together with the Department of Tourism and in close coordination with the municipal government, in the forefront of Taal’s recent failed campaign to be included in the World Heritage List of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).  They also organized the Taal Heritage Tour (or Taal Walking Tour), an educational, enriching and entertaining guided tour that allows the visitor to experience the lifestyle of the town; its culture, arts, crafts and the warm hospitality of the people.

It just so happened that we were the only boarders at Casa Punzalan for the night, and I not only got the feel of Taal’s 19th century lifestyle, but also a tingling feeling one gets when one stays alone in a old, haunted house.  The inn has 7 rooms, all named after owners (Graciano and Juliana) and their children; 5 of them fan-cooled (PhP600) and 2 airconditioned (PhP1,00-1,200), all accessed by a grand staircase.  It also has common baths (mens and ladies), a living room (sala), a coffee shop and a gift shop.  We opted to stay at the corner and well ventilated Graciano Room with its excellent view of the basilica and park from its capiz windows.  After a well-deserved bath at the modern-looking common bathroom, we retired to an uneventful sleep.

Graciano Room

We were awaken at 6 A.M., stirred by the sound of crowing roosters, packed our bags and were off, after an early breakfast at Lemery, to Cuenca and its stately 1,145-m.  high guardian, Mt. Makulot.

Casa Punzalan: cor. C. Ilagan and P. Gomez St., Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas.  Tel: (043) 408-0084.

Taal Heritage Foundation: Casa Punzalan, Taal, Batangas. Tel: (043) 421-3034, 421-1053 & 421-1071.  Fax: (043)  408-0577.

Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument (Taal, Batangas)

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Later, accompanied by the HME Embroidery Store caretaker, Jandy and I crossed the street to the 2-storey Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument, birthplace of Felipe Agoncillo, the husband of Marcela  who was appointed by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo as ambassador to the U.S. to campaign for recognition of Philippine independence.  He is considered as the first Philippine diplomat.  In the well-manicured front garden is a prominent brass statue of Felipe.

Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument

Known as the White House, this mansion is also known as the Don Gregorio R. Agoncillo (nephew of Felipe) Museum and is now a National Historical Landmark.  As we were accompanied by the store caretaker, we were allowed passage.  On the second floor are Edwardian and Spanish-inspired antique, 1800s to early 1900s furniture and choice period items plus busts of the Agoncillo ancestors.

Agoncillo Mansion dining room
Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument: J.P. Rizal St., Brgy. Poblacion 13, Taal, Batangas

HME Embroidery Store (Taal, Batangas)

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From the Leon Apacible Museum and Library, Jandy and I proceeded to the HME Embroidery Store, one of the town’s pioneers in the now dying art of fine needlework of hand-embroidered, semitransparent pina (made from pineapple fibers) cloth which is usually done by women in their homes and sundried around the market.    

HME Embroidery Store

The store is located within the Art Deco-style ancestral house (also called the “Pink House”) of Ramon and Jovita Estacio, built in 1918 with narra and molave shipped all the way from Mindoro.  We were shown around the second floor by Mrs. Ofelia Estacio, the wife of Honesto Estacio, the current owners, where we appreciated its antique furniture. I bought barong cloth for PhP600 at the ground floor store.

HME Embroidery Store: J.P. Rizal St., Brgy. Poblacion 13, Taal, Batangas

Leon C. Apacible Museum and Library (Taal, Batangas)

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Returning to our car, I drove further up the street, across Taal National High School, to the Leon C. Apacible Museum and Library, ancestral house of Leon and Matilde Apacible.  Leon Apacible, son of Don Vicente Apacible and Catalina Castillo, was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo‘s finance officer and was a delegate to the Revolutionary Malolos Congress of 1898.  This extremely well-preserved bahay na bato home to 4 generations of Apacibles, was remodeled twice, in 1870 and from 1938-40.  It was recognized as a National Historical Landmark and was donated to the government on December 6, 1976 by former town mayor (1975-80) Mrs. Corazon Apacible Caniza, daughter of Leon Apacible, Jr. and Consolacion Noble.  It is now managed by the National Historical Institute with Mrs. Annie Marie Moreno as curator. 

Leon Apacible Museum and Library
Upon entering the house’s foyer, the first thing you would notice is a karitela (horse carriage) restored by the NHI on August 1992.  We were toured by Mr. Oprenilo Canoza.  Below the stairs are displays of old documents, faded photos, a chart showing the family’s genealogy and a 400-year old gallinera said to have been used as a coop for the master’s (and his friend’s) fighting cocks. Upstairs we were shown the house’s extremely well-preserved American Art-Deco interiors with details carved and inlaid into the floor and door trims.  Display cases exhibit the hand-painted fans of Dona Matilde, lace veils, the fans of Corazon when she was five years old, embroidered camisa blouses, and the children’s clothes she wore.

On display at the dining room are blue and white Ming Dynasty Chinese pottery, gilded Florentine wine decanters and a gilt-edged and hand-painted Venetian dinner service. The kitchen, which is still being used by the adjoining house of Mrs. Caniza, is closed to the public.  The family collection of fine antique furniture includes an 18th century hand-carved mahogany divan.  Inside the 2 bedrooms are 19th century vanity tables adorned with 4 oval mirrors inlaid with a hundred tiny circular mirrors; a beautiful carved wooden cabinet with two big mirrors; an early 19th century mahogany cabinet with 3 big mirrored doors;  an 18th century writing desk; a massive escritorio displaying Dr. Galicano Apacible’s 19th century medical equipment and 4-poster beds.   A piano, made in 1870 by M.F. Rachals of Hamburg, Germany, still works.  On the ceiling above the stairs is an 18th century chandelier.   There are also a 16th century statue of the Virgin of the Holy Rosary and 17th century ivory santos.

On the enresuelo (ground floor) are old documents showing Don Leon’s involvement in the revolutionary movement; a 1880 laminated photo of 16-year old Jose Rizal, Don Leon and younger brother Don Galicano as members of Intramuros’ Artist Club; pictures of Don Leon and his family and paintings of the Don Leon’s ancestors.   Underneath the azotea (court garden) is the aljibe (cistern) where rainwater is stored. Also on display are an old cannon, a stone water purifier, horse and cow brands, rice and corn grinders and other artifacts.  

Leon Apacible Museum and Library: M.M. Agoncillo St., Brgy. Poblacion 4, Taal, Batangas.  Open daily, 8 AM-5 PM. Admission is free. 

Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument (Taal, Batangas)

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The first ancestral house Jandy and I visited was the 2-storey Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument, ancestral home of the wife of Aguinaldo’s first Secretary, Felipe Agoncillo, and the country’s equivalent to America’s Betsy Ross.  While in exile in Hongkong with husband Felipe, Marcela sewed, with the assistance of her daughter Lorenza and Herbosa de Natividad (National Hero Jose P. Rizal‘s niece) and in the tradition of Taal’s fine embroidery, our first Philippine national flag

Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument

The house was built in the late 17th century by Marcela’s grandfather, Andres Marino, making it one of the oldest, if not the oldest structure in the town.  Don Felipe and Dona Marcela had six offspring, all daughters who never married. Like most Spanish-era ancestral  houses, the main living quarters were located on the second floor which still has its original wooden floorboards.  The antique furniture, arranged in the Louie XVI (Luis Quince) and Charles XII (Carlos Trece) style, are mixed with Viennese bentwood pieces.

The garden with Marcela’s statue

The house is now managed by the National Historical Institute with Ms. Estela Atienza as curator.  We were toured by Mrs. Sylvia Alvarez who showed us the house’s antique period furniture, a chart showing the family’s genealogy, the library of old Tagalog, English and French books; portraits of Don Andres, Doña Marcela and Don Felipe in the chapel-shaped drawing room (with its carved ceiling and four corner angels), capiz windows and a display of the different flags of the revolution at the basement.  Beside the house, and accessible by a steel gate from the street, is a garden with flagpoles displaying the Katipunan and revolutionary flags as well as a bronze statue of Dona Marcela presenting the new flagsculpted by Florante Caido and inaugurated on February 14, 1985.   

Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument: M.M. Agoncillo St., Brgy. Poblacion 4, Taal, Batangas. Open Mondays-Fridays, 8 AM-5 PM, admission is free.

The Ancestral Houses of Taal (Batangas)

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After exploring the town’s plaza, Jandy and I proceeded by car to M.M. Agoncillo St., the town’s main street and site of many of the town’s large, well-appointed and well-preserved bahay na bato (stone ancestral houses).   Most were built by the immensely rich and aristocratic illustrado merchant class   who made an economic windfall in 1841, planting Mexican coffee beans which flourished in the rich and fertile volcanic soil of Taal.   However, the town’s role as the province’s premier commercial hub declined in the 1890s due to a coffee disease caused by the bayombong worm.  Many of the prominent Taalenos actively participated in the revolutionary struggle.

Marcela M. Agoncillo Street

These massive and stately, 200-year old mansions, with their carved wooden eaves, solid stone foundations, “kissing”  balconies and brick roofing, exude Moorish influence.  They include the Felipe Agoncillo Mansion and Monument, the well-preserved Ylagan-De la Rosa Ancestral House (registered with the National Historical Institute in 1998), the Gliceria Marcela de Villavicencio Ancestral Home (33 Parella cor. Del Castillo St., not open to the public)and the Ananias Diokno Ancestral House (the former home of revolutionary general Ananias Diokno,  it now houses the totally inappropriate Powerhaus Fitness Clinic).

Ylagan-De la Rosa Ancestral House

A number have been been converted to museums managed by the National Historical Institute (Marcela M. Agoncillo Museum and Monument and Leon Apacible Museum and Library) while Casa Punzalan has been converted into a pension house, Taal’s first. The Eulalio Villavicencio Ancestral House is now a boarding house.  Casa Calanog and Casa Montenegro, both facing the basilica, feature copious and superbly rendered capiz windows, all having cloud-shaped capiz transoms.

Ananias Diokno Ancestral House

Ananias Diokno Ancestral Home: 2 R. Diokno St., Taal, Batangas

Casa Calanog: Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas

Casa Montenegro: Brgy. Poblacion 7, Taal, Batangas

Gliceria Marcela de Villavicencio Ancestral Home: 33 Parella cor. Del Castillo St., Brgy. Poblacion 2, Taal, Batangas

Ylagan-De la Rosa Ancestral House: Brgy. Poblacion 12, Taal, Batangas.