Badlands Historical Center (Drumheller, Alberta)

Posted on 5 July, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The fascinating, one-storey Badlands Historical Centre, Drumheller’s original museum, was founded in the 1950s. This off-beat museum, with an outdoor dinosaur sculpture & other unique displays, was designed to showcase the rich history and geological significance of the Badlands region.

Located in the heart of downtown Drumheller, this off-beat, community-run local museum is distinct from the larger Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. It features informative displays and exhibits that detail the area’s prehistoric past, including dinosaur fossils and the unique landscape shaped by erosion.

Check out “Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology”

Here, you can learn, in a neat retro setting, about the Valley’s rich history, from dinosaurs to its indigenous peoples, pioneering to coal mining and more. The center serves as an entry point to discover the captivating natural beauty and history of the surrounding landscape.

On display at the main gallery are an awesome Pachyrhinosaurus skull (fondly called Pachioni); tanned horsehides; a statue of Tom Three Persons (rodeo legend) a large coprolite; a half scale, 1927 John Deere Model D tractor; office and home furniture; and old office equipment (National cash register, typewriters, etc.); old photos; old newspaper clippings, and movie posters.

“W.G. Hodgson Juniper Root Carvings” features works of Alberta rancher and self-taught wood worker Wolfgang G. Hodgson.

“Murray Olsen: Artisan” spotlights Murray James Olsen who is often credited, with Tig Seland, with building the various iconic roadside dinosaur sculptures that now decorate the streets of Drumheller.

“Stars in the Valley” features major movies done or partially shot in the unique badlands landscape of Drumheller such as Superman (1978), Unforgiven (1992), Shanghai Noon (2000), Knockaround Guys (2001), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), The Revenant (2015), and Rat Race (2001).

The private collection of pioneer Lawrence A. Duncan includes art (“Art by L.A. Duncan”), frontier antiques (“Curios of L.A. Duncan), regional fossils and indigenous Indian artifacts from the around the Red Deer River valley (“Indigenous Collection of L.A. Duncan”).

The fossil collection of William M. Fulton includes heavily crystallized petrified wood, amber fossils, an oyster shell with crystals, large fossil cones of sequoias, seeds of Carpolithus fultoni bell (gingko), crocodile teeth, a dinosaur toe bone, Tyrannosaurus rex teeth, a dinosaur bone with marrow replaced with crystals, a branch imprint in sandstone, a Champosar tail vertebrae, ammonites, and a dermal scute from an Ankylosaur.

Other informative displays include the “King of the Badlands;” “Dinosaurs;” “Petrified Forest;” “Native Culture;” “Pioneers,” “Badlands Geology,” “Agriculture of the Past,” “C.A. (Charlie) Smith,” “Drumheller First Responders,” “Drumheller the Coal City,” and “History of Oil and Gas.”

Adjoining the main gallery is the dedicated Duncan Room which was named after local resident Lawrence “Larry” A. Duncan, a self-educated and gifted entrepreneur who was active in the development of American and Canadian mining and petroleum services for over 50 years.

Born in 1890 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, he was an Albertan since 1908. He was actively involved in the excavation of dinosaurs, professional photography, the Alpine Club of Canada and the Alberta Mineral Society (formed in 1931). He founded Canada’s oldest lapidary firm as well as the Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club in 1959.

Scaled model of a village, train station and railway tracks

On display here are Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP) uniforms, medals and insignia; a statue of Herman Linder (a Canadian rancher, rodeo promoter and competitor); a bust of politician Gordon E. Taylor (1910-2003); a scaled model of a village, train station and railway tracks; rock samples; firefighting equipment (fire extinguishers, gas masks, etc.); old photos; artwork; and porcelain figurines.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) uniforms and porcelain figurines

A magnificent car, hand-built by Murray Olsen, uses a hydraulic drive and requires no supports of skid drives, defying all logic. The car balances entirely on two wheels and can operate at speeds of up to 5 miles per hour and can take slopes of up to 45 degrees.

The scaled replica of a No. 6015, made by Charlie Smith, has a steam engine that weighs over 400 kgs. and, when running, can carry up to 7 people.

Informative displays include “Baseball in the Valley,” “Drumheller Curling Club 1919 – 2025,” “Hockey in the Valley,” and “Sports in the Valley.”

Visitors can also explore educational resources, participate in guided tours, and learn about the indigenous cultures that have inhabited this area. Its gift shop sells select dinosaur fossils. amethyst and peacock ore (bornite) samples ($20), bags, jewelry as well as other souvenirs.

Badlands Historical Center: 335 1st Street East, Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0. Tel: 403-823-2593. E-mail: badlandshcinfo@gmail.com and badlandshistoricalcentre@gmail.com. Website: www.badlandsmuseum.wordpress.com. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 9 AM to 5:30 PM, and Sundays,10 AM to 5 PM. Admission: $20/person.

Miners Memorial Park (Drumheller, Alberta)

Posted on 3 July, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Miners Memorial Park, a small, quiet parkette in downtown Drumheller, honors the region’s rich coal mining history and the miners who “mined the black” in the local Coal Valley. Unveiled on November 10, 2012 by MP Kevin A. Sorenson, and Mayor Terry Yemen (with Bob Moffatt, representing miners, and Randall Myers, representing families who lost loved ones), it commemorates the opening of Newcastle Mine, the first coal mine in Drumheller, in 1911. In 2025, a new silhouette entrance sign depicting a miner with a headlamp, created by Fred Makowecki of ImageCrafter Signs, was unveiled at the park.

The silhouette entrance sign depicting a miner with a headlamp

A project of the Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society, community members and numerous volunteers, supported by the Building Communities Through Art and Heritage Program, Department of Canadian Heritage, the park grounds features historical information boards detailing the area’s past.

The iron sheave wheel from Atlas Coal Mine #4

The central steel and granite monument, designed by Ontario-based artist James Smith, includes a headframe iron sheave wheel (a large pulley wheel used in mine hoist systems), sourced from the historic Atlas Coal Mine #4 (the last coal mine to close in Coal Valley), that was part of the hoisting system that, in 1979, hauled the last load of Drumheller coal to the surface.

One of a number of historical information boards detailing the area’s past

In 1962, using this same hoisting system, two brothers John and Robert “Babe” Myers were killed when their exit elevator malfunctioned and the brakes did not hold. The 12-ton counterweight hurled to the ground, the cage smashed into the hoist structure then plummeted 400 ft. to the bottom of the shaft instantly killing the two brothers.

The base with a list of the 207 miners killed. Below it is a pair of crossed pickaxes

The base of the monument features a base with a list, laser-etched in black granite, of the names, year of death and the mine locations of the 207 miners killed in Drumheller‘s mines between 1911 and 1980. Below it is a pair of crossed pickaxes.

The original mural of the late artist and former miner Marcel Deschenes

Alongside the monument is a mural, depicting the Coal Valley’s mining heritage, done by artist (a graduate of the Alberta College of Art, now a university) and former miner Marcel Deschenes who lived in East Coulee and passed away in November 2018 at the age of 71. Black-and-white photos of the fallen miners as well as photos depicting life during the mining years are also mounted on wooden fence picket walls.

Photos mounted on wooden fence picket wall

Miners Memorial Park: 236 Centre St., Drumheller, Alberta T0J 3R0.

How to Get There: The memorial park is located near the Drumheller Municipal Building, as well as near the Drumheller Fire Station.

Badlands Interpretive Trail (Drumheller, Alberta)

Posted on 2 July, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

After our tour of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, we tried out the Badlands Interpretive Trail, a 1.4 to 1.6-km. (0.87 mi.) easy loop hiking trail, with about 27 m. (88 ft.) elevation gain, which is used extensively by the museum public and school programs. A trailhead, a few hundred meters east of the museum, marks a 1-km. long loop, where numbered interpretive signs recount the glacial forces that sculpted the badlands from 70-million year-old layers of sedimentary rock.

Check out “Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology”

Visitors can enjoy a self-guided tour through the trail, which is a popular destination for those interested in geology, paleontology, and natural history and suitable for all ages, offering stunning views of the surrounding badlands.

This trail, featuring two stairs, elevated viewing platforms (not fully wheelchair-accessible), and informative signs explaining local fossil history, plants and landscape creation, is part of the Canadian Badlands, an area known for its striking landscapes, including hoodoos, canyons, and coulees. We climbed up the elevated viewing platform just across the museum. Here we had panoramic bird’s eye views of the museum and the eroded valley.

The author and Grace at the elevated viewing platform

The Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology seen from the elevated viewing platform

Taking visitors through Midland Provincial Park and connecting to the Trans Canada Trail, the Badlands Interpretive Trail offer us a chance to explore the unique geological formations and rich paleontological history of the Drumheller region.

Grace, Kyle, Cheska, Bryan and Jandy begin their hike…..

One or two kilometers east of this path is another self-guided tour through the remains of the Midland. After descending the elevated viewing deck, we began our hike on the east side of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology parking lot, staying on the marked golden gravel and paved paths to protect the fragile badlands ecosystem.

Benches, covered with grasses, are formed when sandstone layers are iron-rich, making them resistant to erosion

Small hill full of bentonite clay formed from ancient volcanic ash. Though seemingly harmless, any amount of moisture causes bentonite to swell and become very greasy and slippery.

As it was summer, it was the perfect time to look for tough plants that survive despite the hot, dry, and windy desert-like badlands conditions. They include flowering prickly pear cactuses (which have special stems with thick, waxy skin to trap water and sharp thorns for safety), sage (with strong aromatic leaves, it thrives in dry soil), scarlet mallow (produces bright, hardy flowers during summer months) and small populations of harebell and wild rose which bloom in sheltered or slightly cooler spots.

We also encountered a boulder-size fossil of an ancient giant redwood (Sequoiadendron), dating back roughly 72 million years to the Late Cretaceous period, that has been petrified and remains exposed by erosion. The fossil, existing long before the region eroded into today’s semi-arid badlands landscape, proves the local badlands area once had a warm, moist, subtropical climate comparable to modern-day Florida.

Hoodoos are delicate 5 to 7-m.tall sandstone spires capped with dense rock created by millions of years of wind, water, and frost erosion shaping soft sandstone and shale

If you want a longer walk, the path links up with other trails in the Midland Provincial Park and the wider local river park system. The trail provides educational signage that explains the area’s geology, ecology, and the significance of the dinosaur fossils found in the region.

This channel becomes a rushing, brown-colored torrent during heavy rains, eroding sediment off exposed bedrock surfaces and is ultimately carried away by the Red Deer River

Small metamorphic rock boulders which, unlike the surrounding landscape, do not have their origins in the Late Cretaceous but were carried southwestward, into this area, from the Canadian Shield by the glaciers of the Late Ice Age.

Badlands Interpretive Trail: at 1500 North Dinosaur Trail, Midland Provincial Park, Drumheller, Alberta. Admission is free.

How to Get There: the trail is located northeast and right next to the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

Mactan Newtown (Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu)

Posted on 15 June, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The 28.8-hectare (74-acre) Mactan Newtown, a mixed-use, master-planned central business district, is the first integrated township development built by Megaworld Corporation outside of Metro Manila and the country’s first “Live-Work-Play-Learn” lifestyle township. It caters to facilities and establishments such as condominiums, hotels, business process outsourcing office towers, a convention facility (Mactan Expo Center), a lifestyle mall, schools (Newtown School of Excellence, Global Leaders International School, etc.), groceries (Robinson’s Easymart, Bkue Mart), a bank branch (Unionbank) and a 75-m. wide white sand beachfront (Mactan Newton Beach).

Plaza Magellan, a Megaworld Lifestyle Mall that will face the historical Mactan Shrine, brings to life the “Play” aspect of Mactan Newtown. Aside from housing the finest shopping, dining and entertainment choices, this three-level retail and commercial hub features a Spanish galleon flanked by Spanish steps and arches – reminiscent of the Spanish era in the Philippines.

The Newtown School of Excellence features two buildings with a total of 16 classrooms that can accommodate up to 35 students each; a modern library, school clinic, General Science laboratory, computer laboratory, TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) classroom, playground and a multipurpose gymnasium. It offers programs from Nursery up to Grade 9 levels and boasts facilities that complement children’s academic and extracurricular pursuits.

Global Leaders International School (GLIS) is an accredited Cambridge International School, at Tower 1, Plaza Magellan, offering International curriculum for ages PK–12 that delivers quality education using a progressive teaching approach.

The Mactan Expo Center, a P1.5 billion standalone convention facility developed by Megaworld, has nearly 10,000 square meters of event space and a main hall that can accommodate about 2,500 people, in theater style, or 1,600 guests for banquets. The hall can also be divide into three smaller venues for simultaneous events.

The area features two major, large-scale properties and various private condotels. The 18-storey, 547-room Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, highly favored by business travelers and a certified Muslim-friendly establishment, is the largest on Mactan Island. It features an outdoor pool, a gym, and access to nearby beach frolics.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown”

The 550-room Mercure Mactan Cebu, formerly Belmont Hotel Mactan, is the latest addition to the township. It offers premium meeting facilities, a large pool with cabanas, and a beach bar.

The Mactan Newtown caters to multiple residential developments. It offers a mix of completed and pre-selling condominium developments catering to investors, retirees, and locals. They include:

8 Newtown Boulevard – a Japanese-inspired residential cluster that includes four 18-stories high towers featuring lush garden decks, an infinity pool, and sky gardens.
The three-tower One Manchester Place – located near the Cyberpark and Newtown Beach, this residential complex features executive studios up to three-bedroom units.
One Pacific Residence – located right at the center of the township, it features resort-style amenities, including a lap pool, in-pool lounge, and fitness gym.
The 20-storey The Pearl Global Residences – a tower inspired by the luxury of beachfront living, it offers studio to 3-bedroom configurations that will add 222 units from the Mactan Newtown’s 1,836 existing residential units from its inventory.
The 21-storey Positano Mactan – a residential tower capturing the vibrant Italian resort lifestyle, it features exclusive amenities like an aqua gym, pool deck, and fitness center.
The 20-storey La Victoria Global Residences – a Spanish-inspired condominium that will include 181 units, it blends modern living with the island’s rich historical heritage.

The Mactan Newtown also features a bustling food scene, highlighted by the Mactan Alfresco hawker center and the 8 Newtown Boulevard/Garden Walk retail strips. Dining options range from budget-friendly Filipino street food to casual international restobars. Foodies and diners will have their hands full choosing from some of Cebu’s finest dining establishments. They include:

Choobi Choobi – famous for its “Shrimp in a Bag,” a one pound of fresh shrimp which comes with corn on the bob and sauce options like Butter Garlic, Cajun, Sauteed in Garlic and Spicy Gata. It also serves Filipino comfort food such as Choobi Pata, Lola Pepang’s Fried Manok and Fried Herbed Spring Duck (a free range duck fried with secret herbs and spices).
Chicken & Beer – a highly rated Korean-style restobar, it offers crispy fried chicken and great beers.
Gordon Ramsey Fish & Chips – located at the ground floor of Mercure Mactan Cebu, it offers traditional fish and chips using high-quality fillets (often Alaskan Pollock), shrimp, chicken combos, and fresh-squeezed lemonades.
Kogi-Q – located at 8 Newton Boulevard, it offers a yakiniku buffet experience.
Korea on the Plate – located at the ground floor of One Pacific Residence, it offers unlimited samgyeopsal for 550 pesos plus all Korean side dishes with unlimited refills.
Samurai & Geisha – located inside One Pacific Residence, this popular restobar features both Spanish cuisine and a shisha lounge.
Savoy Café – located inside Savoy Hotel, it serves a mix of Filipino and international à la carte dishes.
Starbucks – located at the ground floor of 8 Newtown Boulevard
Sugoi – Ramen Bar – located at Mangrove Place, it offers budget-friendly Japanese ramen.Zus Coffee

Mactan Alfresco, conveniently placed near the main entrance of Mactan Newtown, is a covered dining strip patterned after Singapore’s famed hawkers centers. This 350-seater food strip is designed to showcase the best authentic Cebuano cooking and cuisine—from a delicious variety of sinugba to Filipino favorites like skewered chicken, fish, shrimp, Cebu’s famous chorizo and the freshest seafood. One of its unique features is the large communal outdoor grill or ihawan.

A perfect way to cook Cebu’s bounty of land and sea, guests can choose from an array of freshly cooked food choices “turo-turo” style or choose fresh meat and seafood and have it cooked according to their preference. Each viand is partnered with puso (rice wrapped in triangular buri leaves) which one eats with their bare hands. Diners here can also enjoy lechon, “the world’s best pig” (as the late Anthony Bourdain puts it) and Cebu’s culinary pride in the most delectable and freshest of ways with its six “lechon pits,” thrilling guests who can now experience lechon roasting on the premises while enjoying the freshest lechon. Stalls include:

Anna’s Lechon – serves delicious lechon paksiw and dinuguan.
Cebu AyerLechon – Cebu’s No. 1 lechon-maker
Cebu’s Original Lechon Belly – try out their lechon belly, which comes in spicy and regular flavor.
Conching’s – a homegrown Cebuano brand, it is among the few places that offer a taste of native Cebu chicken or “Manok Bisaya,” which is best enjoyed grilled.
Hukad Cafe – offers irresistible varieties of sisig to delectable renditions of lechon and pansit.
Lolo Pinoy Grill
Mama Linda Inato BBQ Haus – serves a menu filled with delicious, sizzling grilled food and fresh seafood such as Sizzling Gambas, Beef, Pork, Squid, Seafood and even Chicken Feet. They also have Crab ala King in Chili Sauce, Garlic Shrimp and Garlic Crab, Sweet & Spicy Sugpo, Steamed Lapu-Lapu and Crispy Pata.
Manang Sayong – serves authentic Pinoy gastronomy such as pochero, sinuglaw (a delicious combination of grilled meat and ceviche), along with a variety of seafood, pork, beef and chicken dishes.
Mers Paluto – here you can pick fresh ingredients and have them cooked to order.
Meximama – offers Mexican favorites such as Taco Carnitas, the Costillas de Cerdo or Pork Ribs and for a sweet finish, their Churros con Chocolate.
Muvanz Pocherohan and Seafoods – aside from a great grilled seafood selection, it is known for their rich, savory beef pochero (beef marrow stew), their rich scallops (saltwater clam cooked with cream and butter) and sizzling squid.
Orange Brutus
Orange Karenderia – a Mandaue-based eatery that serves Cebuano favorites and equally delectable exotic dishes and is known for its bestsellers Betsy’s Garlic Chicken, their crispy Tuna Buntot or Pork Barbecue.
Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant – one of Mandaue’s finest dining destinations known for its wide selection of live and fresh fish, crabs and lobster dishes, it offers dishes such as the Halaan Soup, Oysterbay Crab as well as Filipino and Chinese favorites such as lechon kawali, Bicol express, Patatim and other.

McDonald’s and Jollibee are also conveniently located across the highway just outside the main township gates.

Soon to open is the Mactan World Museum, a P1.2-billion cultural landmark that will highlight the historical exchange between the Philippines and Spain, featuring five galleries detailing the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, the Battle of Mactan, and the Manila Galleon trade.

Mactan Newtown Beach, formerly Portofino Beach Resort, was opened in 2020. With its magnificent view of the Hilutungan Strait, it offers a large, 1.5-m. (5-ft.) deep infinity swimming pool (with a covered wading area and a pool bar), private thatched-roof lounging cabanas and shaded lounge chairs situated along the poolside and the 75-m. wide, white sand beach, meticulously landscaped gardens, shops, and a state-of-the-art fitness station and a small, picturesque pier. A variety of water sports activities such as banana boat rides, jet skiing, and parasailing are available. The adjacent boardwalk also serves as a departure point for island-hopping trips to the nearby islands.

Day-use packages typically range from ₱1,088 to ₱1,288, covering beach and pool access, use of cabanas, and a lunch buffet. Guests staying at the Mercure Hotel or Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown usually receive free beach and pool access. Open daily, from 6 AM to 10 PM, on weekends, and 6 AM to 8 PM on weekdays. Swimming is restricted during the later evening hours.

The oceanfront, 150-pax Ceremonial Garden, introduced in 2023, is a romantic outdoor event space facing the sea. It is often used for destination beach weddings, vow renewals, and intimate gatherings and is frequently booked in conjunction with the the 150-pax capacity Grand Beach Tent and the 300-pax Glass Pavilion.

Mactan Newtown has its own public terminal (Newtown Public Transport Terminal), located just outside the township, which caters to the Mactan Newton to Danao City, Danao City and IT Park routes and vice-versa.

Mactan Newtown: Newtown Blvd., Mactan Circumferential Rd., Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu. Mobile numbers (sales and information): (0917) 634-2257or (0998) 312-6276.

Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown: Tel: +032 494-4000. Mobile number: (0917) 868-6746 and (0917) 871-8007. E-mail: reserve@savoymactan.com and info@savoymactan.com. Social Media Pages (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube): Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown | Facebook / @savoymactannewtown / Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown.

Mercure Mactan Cebu: Tel: +32 520-4100. Mobile number: (0917) 861-1019. E-mail: HC586@accor.com. Website:Mercure Mactan Cebu ALL Accor.

Mactan Newtown Beach: Tel: (032) 316 2715. Mobile number: (0917) 704-4893.

Destileria Limtuaco Museum (City of Manila, Metro Manila)

Posted on 3 June, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Destileria Limtuaco Museum, a two-storey wine museum by Destileria Limtuaco, the longest running existing distillery in the Philippines (founded in 1852), chronicles five generations of wine makers and preserves over a century of Filipino craftsmanship and innovation. This museum showcases the process and production of whiskeys and also features a collection of items and liquors dating back to the Spanish colonization.

It is housed in a bahay na bato (stone house), in Intramuros, which reeks of antiquity with its stone walls; baldoza tiles at the ground floor, hardwood plank flooring at the second floor and hardwood stairs. The house was purchased, in 1979, by the Limtuaco family but was only developed, later on, as a museum dedicated to its history.

The museum was conceptualized by Ms. Olivia “Olive” Limpe-Aw, a fifth-generation master distiller, after a visit to a wine museum in Germany where she realized the rich heritage of her family that could be of interest to the public through the museum. In 2020, she was named among Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen, praised for expanding the brand internationally while preserving its 170-year legacy. More recently, in 2024, she received the Outstanding ASEAN Women Entrepreneur (AWEN) Award, acknowledging her contributions to regional business excellence.

Our Roots…. Gallery (The Sioktong Story)

Opened on February 6, 2018, the museum is divided into a number of galleries. At the ground floor is How It Was Before…. Gallery, Our Roots…. Gallery, Our Mini Distillery ….Gallery, Our Process for Making Rum …. Gallery, Our Process for Making Whiskey …. Gallery, Ageing Matters…. Gallery, Signed … Sealed… Delivered…. Gallery, Home is Where the Heart Is … Gallery, Remember This… Gallery, A Matter of Time…. Gallery, Best Foot Forward …. Gallery and Mark It …. Market…. Gallery.

At the second floor is the So They Say…. Gallery, Generational Vibe …. Gallery, Product of Evolution …. Gallery, And the Award Goes To …. Gallery. At the stair landing is The Gallery displaying portraits of four generations of Limtuaco presidents.

The ground floor showcases the traditional distilling process and displays memorabilia steeped in history showing, not only the various products of Destileria Limtuaco; but also a collection of bottles throughout the years; vintage, traditional oak barrels and imported white oak; and the machines they used to produce various spirits (including damajuanas).

Portraits of four generations of Limtuaco presidents at The Gallery

The second floor exhibits company permits throughout the years and even their old cashier, dial-up phones, cameras, cash registers, typewriters and family memorabilia such as old photos; newspaper clippings; furniture (office desk, rocking chair, the wooden dresser of Teh Siu Yong Limpe, grandfather clock, etc.); the paintings of Julius Limpe, Olive’s father; brand evolution booklets (tracing label changes over 166 years); and awards of her lawyer-mother Ms. Lily Cheng-Limpe.

On display outside the house is a dadapilan, a traditional carabao-drawn sugar cane crusher used in the early days of Philippine spirit production. Upon entering the museum, a dedicated corner will introduce you to Tiok Tong (Siok Hoc Tong), the distillery’s flagship product. Introduced, in 1852, by Chinese immigrant Lim Tua Co (who adopted the Christian name Bonifacio Limtuaco), this traditional, bittersweet, medicinal herbal wine, which built the company’s foundation, is popularly known, throughout the country, as Sioktong. Within the display are historical bottles and original brewing herbs.

Visitors can also explore the intricate process of liquor-making and discover the stories, traditions, and people behind its well-loved products. On display are vintage distillation equipment such as mini tanks for fermenting molasses and corn; working distillators and displays on the production processes for rum and whiskey.

You will learn that the concept of the iconic commercial of White Castle Whiskey, one of the most famous brands of Destileria Limtuaco, of a model, traditionally wearing red bikinis, riding on a horse on the beach, which became famous throughout the decades, came to Julius Limpe in a dream and, upon waking, he sketched it and this became the inspiration for the brand’s storyboard.

On display are some of the White Castle Whisky calendars, an iconic Philippine promotional campaign produced by Destileria Limtuaco), that started in 1974. Past models include Evangeline Pascual (1974), Carmi Martin (1984), Maria Isabel Lopez (1988), Lorna Tolentino, Cristina Gonzalez (1990) and Glydel Mercado (1998) while recent models include Ninong Ry (the first male calendar model) in 2021, Sassa Gurl in 2022, Ria Atayde (actress) in 2023, Angelie “Pench” Andanar (a tattoo advocate and model) in 2025, Ashley Rivera (aka internet personality Petra Mahalimuyak) in 2026.

Personally, Olive has also developed her own brands that includes Julius James, a whiskey made purely from corn dedicated to her grandfather and father; as well as liqueurs such as Manille Liqueur Calamansi, Manille Liqueur Dalandan and Amadeo Coffee Liqueur. Today, Clifford, Aaron and Brandon, Olive’s sons, are also helping out as the sixth generation of master distillers, and it’s great that they have this museum, not only to remember, but also to continue sharing with the public the journey of all these iconic Filipino brands.

At the ground floor, you can also have a private dinner for as many as 20 pax, with food paired or even cooked with Destileria Limtuaco spirits. Aside from the rich family history, another thing that makes this museum distinct is that it is interactive. After your tour, visitors can opt for an optional tasting (you have to be over 18 years old), for an additional fee, of a flight of the company’s craft spirits at the Tasting Bar, including unique offerings like sugarcane wine, coconut vodka, premium lambanog infused with regional ingredients as well as the various drinks produced by Destileria Limtuaco (over 40 labels). Aside from White Castle Whisky, they also have Palawan Blanco Rum, Empire Vodka, Empire Gin, Napoleon VSOP Brandy, Maria Clara Sangria and Vigan Basi, among many others in an extensive list.

The company’s spirits have won many awards. At the prestigious World Drinks Awards held in London last June 4, 2025, Destileria Limtuaco was celebrated among the Global Taste and Design winners, with multiple products lauded for their exceptional flavor profiles and packaging that evoke Philippine heritage.

At the same event, the Intramuros Liqueur de Cacao (an all-natural spirit made, with 100% roasted cacao and a rich, velvety chocolate flavor) won the title “World’s Best Chocolate Liqueur;” the Manille Liqueur de Calamansi )an all-natural liqueur made by steeping calamansi rinds in a neutral spirit base with added sugar and no artificial flavors) was a gold winner as “Country Best Fruit Liqueur;” and the famous Amadeo Coffee Liqueur (made with locally sourced barako coffee, it blends four local Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa coffee varieties in a rum base), won the title “Best Coffee Liqueur.” The Cocohogo Coconut Cream Liqueur, a tropical and creamy liqueur which celebrates the flavors of coconut, won a Bronze Award, in the Vegan Alternative Category.

The Destileria Limtuaco logo

Today, Destileria Limtuaco operates three bottling, processing, and aging plants plus warehouses in Metro Manila, headquartered at 1830 E. Delos Santos Avenue, Quezon City. Now, instead of using traditional full-sized oak barrels, they use a specialized stainless steel vat equipped with submerged oak wood. This technique provides the necessary wood interaction to flavor the spirit while virtually eliminating the natural “angel’s share” (the evaporation loss that occurs with porous oak barrels) in the tropical climate.

Specialized stainless steel vat equipped with submerged oak wood

Destileria Limtuaco Museum: 481 San Juan de Letran (near Lyceum of the Philippines and Colegio de San Juan de Letran), Intramuros, Manila, 1002 Metro Manila. Tel: (083) 485 9621 Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission: Regular – ₱100 (regular), ₱50 (students and senior citizens) and ₱200 (Premium, with liquor tasting). This museum can now be visited as one of the five museums that are part of the Intramuros Day Pass, along with Fort Santiago, Baluarte de Santiago Gardens, Casa Manila Museum and Museo de Intramuros.

Manila Metropolitan Theater (City of Manila, Metro Manila)

Posted on 8 May, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

After nearly 13 years, I finally got to see the historic Manila Metropolitan Theater (abbreviated as the MET), a renowned Filipino-influenced Art Deco masterpiece, in its restored state (after surviving the Second World War, it went through periods of disrepair and neglect before undergoing successful restoration), attending the closing and turnover ceremony of the Filipino Food Month 2026 at its ballroom. Located along the Pasig River and in front of the equally classic Manila Post Office, it was recognized as the forefront of the Art Deco architectural style (then a rage in the U.S.A.) in the Philippines.

Check out “Save the Manila Metropolitan Theater!!!“ and “Closing and Turnover Ceremony of Filipino Food Month“

Entrance facade with its proscenium-like central window of rectangular stained-glass panels

Designed by the late National Artist (for Architecture) Juan M. Arellano, its cornerstone was laid in February 1928, with construction by Pedro A. Siochi & Co. as contractors. The biggest in the Far East at that time, the theater was inaugurated on December 10, 1931.

Arellano, known for his Neo-Classical architectural style employed in his design of the Legislative Building and Manila Post Office, departed from this and the Metropolitan Theater marked his departure towards more modern designs. For the structural configuration of the building, Arellano was inspired by the phrase “On Wings of Song,” a rectangular-shaped auditorium flanked by pavilions on either side. Throughout the design, Arellano weaved Filipino decorative elements into the Art Deco style. Philippine Magazine editor A.V.H. Hartendorp described the style as “modern expressionistic.”

During its heyday as the “Grande Dame” of theaters, the Met played host to vaudeville acts, zarzuelas, operas, pageants, Filipino and Spanish plays, and performances by well-known artists such as violinist Maestro Jascha Hefertz and composer/conductor Dr. Herbert Zipper (who conducted the Manila Symphony Orchestra).

On October 21, 1976, the Metropolitan Theater was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and, on June 23, 2010, the National Museum of the Philippines recognized the Met as a National Cultural Treasure under the National Cultural Heritage Act.

National Cultural Treasure Plaque (2010)

Following extensive restoration by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which now oversees the venue, it reopened on December 10, 2021 (the Metropolitan Theater’s 90th anniversary) as a premier venue for arts and culture, including performances and special screenings.

The theater’s still had its exuberant and symmetrical exterior, with its tiara-like pediment with stylized, Muslim-inspired minarets crowning the top of the concave roof (which suggested its status as a theater back in its prime days), plus bas-reliefs with curlicues or mask-like chimeras; whimsical rope designs; friezes; colorful ceramic tiles; intricate grille work at the doors and windows. and is also enhanced by sensuous, exotically-draped female statues, said to be Siamese dancers, done by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti (who lived in Manila from 1930 until his death in 1958).

The façade’s focal point is its proscenium-like central window of rectangular stained-glass panels that corresponds with the shape and scale of the Main Theater inside. The stained-glass marquee, executed by the Kraut Art Glass Company, with the “Metropolitan” label backlit and surrounded by Filipino floral motifs, is highlighted, on both sides, by curving walls of colorful, decorated tiles resembling batik patterns of Southeast Asia. The wall that frames the stained-glass is a segmented arch with rows of small finials on the upper edge.

Above the proscenium arch are eight iconic, original bas-relief figures, by Francesco Riccardo Monti, which were discovered intact, in 2017, after dismantling the anomalous additions from the 1978 restoration, surprising the NCCA who originally intended to reproduce the figures from historical photographs.

The History of Music (Fernando Amorsolo)

There are also moldings of zigzag and wavy lines that go with the sponged and painted multi-colored walls. Capiz lamps and banana-leaf formed pillars, which go alternately with the theater’s entrances, accent the ground level.

At the entrance are elaborate wrought iron gates, patterned into leaf designs and various lines. I accessed the Main Theater through a foyer with a two-storey ceiling. The foyer’s grillwork features a drooping floral balustrade, in a geometric Art Deco style, originally crafted by Arcadio Arellano, the brother and collaborator of Architect Juan M. Arellano.

There were stairways, on either side, leading up to the balcony. By the stairways are the Adam and Eve bronze sculptures also done by Francesco Riccardo Monti. On opposite sides of the foyer are reproductions (since the 1996 foreclosure, the original murals are in the GSIS Museum) of two mural paintings, “The Dance” and “The History of Music,” by the late National Artist Fernando Amorsolo.

The Loge Section and the ceiling of Isabelo Tampinco

The theater used to seat 1,670 (846 in the orchestra section, 116 in loge and 708 in balcony) but, during its 2020 renovation, the capacity of the Main Theater was reduced to 990 and the floor’s elevation was adjusted to comply with safety regulations.

The ceiling is decorated with intricate interior motifs such as Art Deco mangoes, bananas, and tropical leaves bas-reliefs designed by Isabelo Tampinco.

The author (left) with Teddy Pelaez, George Buid, Cris Gadion and Ann Esternon

Metropolitan Theater: Padre Burgos Avenue cor. Arroceros Street, Liwasang Bonifacio (formerly Plaza Lawton), Ermita, Manila (near Mehan Garden and the LRT Central Terminal). Tel/Fax: (02) 8248 3068 or (02) 8527-2192 local 805. Mobile number: 0968 542 8521. E-mail: met.visitorsservices@ncca.gov.ph. Coordinates: 14.5940°N 120.9806°E.

Goldenberg Mansion (City of Manila, Metro Manila)

Posted on 30 April, 2026 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

Fifth Part of NCCA Heritage Tour

The historic Goldenberg Mansion, a stately 19th-century residence nestled in the heart of Manila, beside the Teus Mansion, stands as a timeless symbol of elegance, boasting a rich historical background. This beautifully restored ancestral home now serves as a venue for cultural events, art exhibitions, and official receptions. This heritage house’s grand architecture, intricate details, and rich legacy offers a glimpse into the opulence of the colonial era while continuing to play a vibrant role in the country’s contemporary cultural landscape.

Check out “Teus Mansion“

It was built in the 1870s by the affluent Eugsters, a Spanish merchant family who owned the trading company Eugster, Labhart y Cia. It was later purchased by Spanish lawyer, writer, and colonial official (he previously served as the Oidor de la Audiencia or Hearing Officer of the Real Audiencia of Manila) Jose Moreno Lacalle who revamped it, heavily incorporating Moorish Revival style into the design and infusing elements of his native region of Granada.

Philippine Historical Committee plaque (1957)

Constructed using indigenous materials such as Philippine hardwood, alongside European materials such as pre-fabricated steel from Belgium, Italian marble, and bricks and tiles from Spain, the mansion showcases window sashes using capiz shells, an arcaded veranda, a paved courtyard, and a splashing circular fountain.

Over the course of the next 53 years, the house underwent several changes in ownership, being leased to various government and military offices. Between 1897 and 1898, it was rented to the Spanish Navy, serving as the residence for Admiral Patricio Montojo, its commanding officer, and housing the exclusive Spanish Navy Club’s headquarters.

After Admiral Montojo’s defeat at the Battle of Manila Bay and the surrender of Manila to the Americans under U.S. Navy Commodore George Dewey, it became the residence of Gen. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur), the battalion commander, until his appointment, in 1900, as Military Governor of the Philippines, after which, he moved to Malacañang Palace. Responsible for maintaining public order of the city of Manila, Gov. MacArthur Jr. established the Metropolitan Police Force of Manila in 1901, with himself as its inaugural chief, and the police force was initially stationed on the mansion’s grounds.

The year 1903 marked the mansion’s initial role as a museum when it functioned as the office of the Philippine Preliminary Exposition to the International Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, exhibiting artifacts before their transfer to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904. Before shipping the items to the United States, the mansion hosted the first public exhibition of Philippine art, featuring works by Felix Resurreccion-Hidalgo, Fabian dela Rosa as well as Juan Luna’s famous The Blood Compact, which now resides in Malacañang Palace’s collection.

Glass chandelier bordered by intricate wooden fretwork

In 1908, it was the inaugural location of the Philippine School of Commerce (now the Polytechnic University of the Philippines) and, by 1915, the property was acquired by Ricardo Esteban Barretto, whose family established the San Miguel Brewery. On October 16, 1916, it hosted the first session of the Senate of the Philippines. In the 1930s, it also housed the Adamson School of Industrial Chemistry (the present Adamson University main building, in San Marcelino, was inspired by the mansion’s architecture).

Intricate wooden bas-reliefs at the walls

During World War II, it served as the residence of a Japanese general. After the war, it was converted into the Ye Olde Mansion, a restaurant-nightclub for American troops. In 1950, the mansion was acquired by cosmetic magnate, businessman and philanthropist Michael Goldenberg (1889–1963), an American of French-Jewish descent, who initially arrived in the Philippines as a young boy in 1896 (he personally witnessed the execution of National Hero Jose Rizal in Bagumbayan).

The main hall with checkerboard tile pattern

Amassing his wealth in retail, Goldenberg founded the Goldenberg Department Store situated in Escolta and held exclusive distribution rights, in the Philippines, for distributing Helene Curtis Shampoo Plus Egg beauty products.

Receiving area with wooden parquet flooring

A keen stamp collector and a trailblazer in organized philately in the Philippines, Goldenberg amassed a collection of over 4,000 books, journals, maps, old photographs, pamphlets, and other ephemera on the Philippines and, subsequently, established the Goldenberg Filipiniana Library, a private institution dedicated to the study of Philippine history and culture. As a consequence, the mansion came to be known as the Goldenberg Mansion.

In 1966, following Goldenberg’s death in 1963, the Goldenberg Mansion was acquired, from his heirs, by First Lady Imelda Marcos as one of the Marcos mansions. Subsequently, it became the offices of the Marcos Foundation and, after undergoing extensive restoration and renovation of the interiors by National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin, served as the office and guest house of the Marcos Foundation and renamed Ang Maharlika.

As a guesthouse, it hosted notable dignitaries such as King Hussein and Queen Alia of Jordan; Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sofia (later King and Queen) of Spain; Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India; Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada; UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim; celebrated American pianist Van Cliburn and renowned ballerinas Dame Margot Fonteyn and Alicia Markova.

Sculpture of a reclining nude female figure

After the People Power Revolution of 1986, ownership of the Goldenberg Mansion and other properties within the Malacañang Palace complex transferred to the Government of the Philippines, with restricted public access. From 2022 to 2023, following the initiative of First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, the Goldenberg Mansion underwent renovation to be made into a cultural center and events space. A glass house, designed and conceptualized by Jonathan G. Matti (an in-demand interior designer with a background in architecture), was also added on the grounds of the Goldenberg Mansion. The mansion was reopened to the public as a cultural center and events space.

On May 12, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos issued Executive Order No. 26 to conserve and protect cultural heritage sites around Malacañang Palace, including the Teus Mansion and the Goldenberg Mansion. The supervision of these properties was transferred, from the former Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration, to the Social Secretary’s Office.

In April 2023, the Goldenberg Concert Series, part of the “Konsyerto sa Palasyo,” was launched. In March 2024, Araneta Marcos’ inaugural concert, starring the Manila Symphony Orchestra musicians, was held there. The Series, featuring exceptional Filipino performing artists, especially the youth, was the brainchild of Stella Goldenberg Brimo (daughter of Michael Goldenberg). In April 2024, Indak ng Musika, a piano concert, was performed by alumni of Santa Isabel College’s Conservatory of Music. In the fourth event violinist Adrian Ong and pianist Jet Chong performed for former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and her sister-in-law Irene Marcos-Araneta.

In addition to the Goldenberg Mansion’s library, the mansion housed Imelda Marcos’s extensive art collection and a significant collection of oriental ceramics and artefacts, including Chinese jade furniture, excavated porcelain and pottery, and Ban Chiang pottery from Thailand.

Its interiors features a living room with wood filigree arches and chandeliers; tapestries depicting Diana the Huntress; a “Della Robbia” style mirror (which once belonged to Catherine de Medici); several paintings by the American artist Grandma Moses (forfeited, in 2019, by the Sandiganbayan in favor of the Government); a 16th-century European devotional altar adorned with ivory figures depicting the life and martyrdom of Catherine of Alexandria; and Persian rugs adorning the floors.

Goldenberg Mansion: 838 Gen. Solano St., San Miguel, Manila. Tel: (02) 8249 8310 local 8188. E-mail: goldenbergevents@op.gov.ph. Wensite: www.goldenbergmansion.gov.ph. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM to 6 PM. Coordinates: 14°35′30″N 120°59′22″E.

How to Get There: The mansion can be visited, by the public, upon reservation, via socsec@malacanang.gov.ph.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA): NCCA Bldg., 633 General Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, 1002. Tel: (632) 8527-2192. E-mail: info@ncca.gov.ph. Website: www.ncca.gov.ph.

Teus Mansion (City of Manila, Metro Manila)

Posted on 30 April, 2026 by Benjie Layug — 2 Comments ↓

Fourth Part of NCCA Heritage Tour

The stunning, Spanish-Era, Neo-Gothic-style Teus Mansion (beside the Goldenberg Mansion), preserving the legacy of Philippine leadership by displaying rare portraits and historical memorabilia of the nation’s 17 Philippine presidents (that were previously shown in the Kalayaan Hall Presidential Museum and Library), takes its name from Valentin Teus Yrissari (1832-1909), a Spanish businessman, of Basque descent, from Navarra (at the foot of the Pyreness), who arrived in the Philippines in 1847 at the age of 15.

Check out “Goldenberg Mansion“

In 1856, Teus acquired a local distillery in Hagonoy, Bulacan, owned by Elias Menchatorre. Later, he merged his operations with Ynchausti y Cia, a company supplying equipment and abaca rope (for ship’s rigging) for steamships, which evolved into the renowned Tanduay Distillers.

In 1871, Valentin became alcalde primero of the Ayuntamiento (City Council) de Manila and, the following year, was honored as Comendador de la Real Orden de Isabela la Catolica. He later married Teresa Ferrater Ponte (1847 – 1892), the niece of the capitán general. Following Ponte’s demise, Valentin, now 62, married Maria Dolores Menendez Valdes de Cornellana Ferrater, Teresa’s 20-year old niece, at San Miguel Church. They had 4 children: Valentin Jr. (who died young), Concepcion (known as Concha), Valentin III (or Tito), and Dolores (affectionately called Lolin).

Busts of presidents lining the main hall

Initially residing in Binondo, Valentin, in a gesture of affection, surprised Dolores with Teus Mansion in the 1890s, a new residence, in the fashionable arrabal of San Miguel, built on the ruins of an older convent probably destroyed during the 1880 earthquake. He and his family would occupy this residence in Manila but, periodically, every five years, Valentin would journey to Spain. In 1909, Valentin unexpectedly died, leaving Dolores to manage the household and the family affairs. After Dolores’s own demise, the family eventually relocated to Spain by selling their interests there.

Presidential staff assistant Mr. Ronnie W. Balastigue touring media guests around the museum

The mansion was inherited by Concepción Teus, the eldest child, who rarely visited it, leaving an old man as caretaker. The once proud mansion deteriorated. The kitchen roof fell in and the attic became home to a bat colony. In 1974, Concepción opted to sell the mansion (none of her 7 children and 48 grandchildren were interested) to First Lady Imelda Marcos. In 1975, she engaged British interior designer Ronnie Laing and antique dealer Viring de Asis to renovate the Teus Mansion as a guest residence, becoming one of the Marcos mansions.

The former dining room was made into two bedrooms and partitions, in another bedroom, were taken down to create a spacious living-dining area. Bathrooms and closets were cleverly added, their entrances cleverly camouflaged behind aparador (cabinet) fronts. The original downstairs carriageway now serves as an entrance hall. The rest were transformed into 12 bedrooms which, with the existing five upstairs, gave the old home a total of 17 bedrooms. Notable guests at the Teus Mansion included the Italian-American socialite Cristina Ford, who was close associate of Imelda.

After the People Power Revolution of 1986, the Teus Mansion, and other properties within the Malacañang Palace complex, became possessions of the Government of the Philippines but was left unused and remained closed to the public.

On May 12, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos issued Executive Order No. 26 to conserve and protect cultural heritage sites around Malacañang Palace, including the Teus Mansion. That same year, the Teus Mansion underwent renovations, overseen by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, to house collections from the Presidential Museum (formerly located in Kalayaan Hall). The supervision of these properties was transferred to the Social Secretary’s Office from the former Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for General Administration.

The rooms were transformed into galleries exhibiting artifacts, personal belongings, clothing, souvenirs, gifts, photographs, and memorabilia of Philippine Presidents, from Emilio Aguinaldo to Rodrigo Duterte. One or two rooms is devoted to each president,. Wall text and photographs sustain the main narrative. Memorabilia from government collections and loans or gifts from presidential families include medals and decorations, commemorative coins, and miscellanea like eyeglasses, a golf club, chess pieces, automobile license plates, a buntal hat and a cap, flyers from long-ago elections, souvenirs of EDSA I, and sculptures like one of President Ramos’ head puffing on a cigar.

Suits of Emilio Aguinaldo and Manuel L. Quezon

Barong tagalog of Jose P. Laurel and suit of Sergio Osmena

The Osmeña Room has a Philippine flag signifying that the Republic was then at war, with the red section above the blue. Barong Tagalog and/or suits of most of the presidents, on mannequins, provide an unintended history of Philippine men’s fashion. The main hall is lined with busts of presidents and there is also a gallery with portraits of First Ladies.

Suits of Manuel A. Roxas and Elpidio Quirino

Casual attire of Ramon Magsaysay and suit of Carlos P. Garcia

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The two-storey façade, with Neo-Gothic windows (flanked by paired and single flat pilasters), on the upper floor, and quadrilateral windows, on the ground floor, features a protruding central section, topped by a triangular pediment (flanked by 8-petalled finials and topped by an acroterion), holding the porte cochere below. Below the windows are grilled ventanillas. The massive wrought iron gate of the mansion opens up to a stone courtyard with a circular fountain.

Grand piano at the main sala (living room)

The Osmena flag with the red section above the blue signifying that the country was at war.

Teus Mansion: Gen. Solano cor. J. Nepomuceno (formerly Tanduay) Sts., San Miguel, Manila. Tel: (02) 8249 8310 local 9009. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 AM to 6 PM. Admission is free. E-mail: tours_mht@op.gov.ph. Website: www.teusmansion.gov.ph. Coordinates: 14°35′30″N 120°59′22″E.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA): NCCA Bldg., 633 General Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, 1002. Tel: (632) 8527-2192. E-mail: info@ncca.gov.ph. Website: www.ncca.gov.ph.

Bahay Ugnayan (City of Manila, Metro Manila)

Posted on 30 April, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Third Part of NCCA Heritage Tour

The Spanish Colonial-period Bahay Ugnayan (Tagalog word for “connection” or “relationship”), formerly a compound for priests, was built around the 1800s though not much is known about it. Located meters away from the Teus Mansion, it was donated to the government, by the Madrigal family, shortly before World War II, making it one of the first, if not the first, of the mansions outside the Malacañang complex that came into government possession.

Check out “Teus Mansion“

For many years, it served as a government office, for various agencies under the Office of the President (such as the Presidential Complaint Center and the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center), until May 12, 2023, when President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. issued Executive Order No. 26 to conserve and protect cultural heritage sites around Malacañang Palace, including the Bahay Ugnayan, Teus Mansion and Goldenberg Mansion. That same year, the mansion underwent renovations, overseen by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos.

Check out “Goldenberg Mansion“

Presidential Staff Assistant Mr. Ronnie W. Balastigue (upper left, facing camera) touring media guests around the museum

Bahay Ugnayan, reimagined as a dynamic museum, has been designated as a “changing” museum, which would showcase the life and accomplishments of the current president, in this case that of the “Road to Malacañang” exhibit of Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.. which houses memorabilia from his childhood to his 2022 campaign.

Exhibit of photographs and the president’s childhood toys

Items in its carefully curated displays and artifacts include the red Ford F-150 pickup he frequently used during the campaign period; copies of the original documents submitted during his electoral protest against former Vice-President Leni Robredo after the 2016 elections (the Supreme Court junked Mr. Marcos’ electoral protest against Robredo in February 2021) and a piece of barbed wire tied with a yellow ribbon, a prominent symbol during the People Power Revolution that led to the ouster of the President’s father and namesake in 1986.

Exhibit of photographs of father and son and desk name signs

Whoever succeeds Marcos Jr as president in 2028 will be showcased in the Bahay Ugnayan venue by then, while the memorabilia of Marcos Jr. will be moved to the Teus Mansion. As it stands, the Bahay Ugnayan not only showcases the life of the current president but also serves as a political statement of sorts.

Apart from the campaign materials used during the elections, one can find the certifications about Marcos Jr.’s college education (a controversial topic that props up from time to time) as well as a section dedicated to his electoral protest which came about after his loss in the vice-presidential race in 2016.

Ford F-150 Pickup the president used during his 2022 campaign

Bahay Ugnayan: Jose P. Laurel Sr. St., (fronting Gate 2 of the Malacañang Palace), San Miguel, Manila, 1005. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 AM to 4 PM. Admission is free. Website: www.bahayugnayan.gov.ph. For private guided tours, please email to arrange separately tours_mht@op.gov.ph.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA): NCCA Bldg., 633 General Luna St., Intramuros, Manila, 1002. Tel: (632) 8527-2192. E-mail: info@ncca.gov.ph. Website: www.ncca.gov.ph.

Namba Jinja Shrine (Osaka, Japan)

Posted on 1 April, 2026 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

We were now on our last day in Osaka and we still had time to explore the city as our Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila was still in the late afternoon. After breakfast at the hotel, my nephew Miguel, who was proficient in Japanese, offered to tour us around before returning to Kyoto to work and study. We decided to walk to the nearby Namba Jinja Shrine. It was rainy that day.

Nestled along Midosuji Avenue in Osaka’s Chūō Ward, the tranquil, restored Namba Jinja Shrine complex was said to have been founded in the 5^th century by Emperor Hanzei, who established Shibagakinomiya Shrine in Matsubara City, Osaka Prefecture, to enshrine his father, Emperor Nintoku.

It holds the weight of ancient Imperial reverence and civic memory and stands as a historical anchor amid the city’s pulse. The shrine was later moved to Hommachi, Tennoji Ward, and then moved to its current location in 1583 (Tensho era) after Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Osaka Castle.

It was named “Kami-Namba Shrine” after the area and, later, adopted its current name in 1875 (Meiji era). During the Edo period, with the rise of Inari worship, the Inari Shrine, a branch shrine within the grounds, commonly known as “Bakuromachi no Oinari-san,” became more famous than the main shrine. Uemura Bunrakuken opened a puppet theater troupe within the shrine grounds in 1811 (Bunka era 8). Destroyed during World War II, the shrine was rebuilt in 1974, with reinforced structures that echo its pre-war architecture.

Passing through the sturdy stone torii, we were welcomed by a sacred courtyard framed by modern buildings yet rooted in centuries-old tradition. Today, it has three different shrines with different deities, offering a gentle yet powerful pause with the rustle of leaves, flicker of lanterns, and soft murmur of prayers—a tender heartbeat within Osaka’s fast rhythm.

Known for its lion-dog (komainu) and fox (kitsune) statues and cherry blossom gardens, the shrine is also home to a scorched but unbowed and majestic 400-year-old camphor tree, one of the oldest in Osaka, whose trunk radiates quiet resilience and offers visitors a moment of grounding in the midst of urban haste. There is a belief that if you touch it, you will receive the “power” to rejuvenate yourself.

Revered within Settsu Province’s Soja shrine network, Namba Jinja Shrine invites prayers for health, prosperity, and protection from calamities. At the beginning of the Meiji era, when Bunrakuken moved to the new development in Kujo, the “Hikorokuza” troupe opened on the site.

Each summer, the Himuro Ice Festival, held every year from July 20 to 21, visitors and worshippers are cooled by being given crushed kachiwari ice, a charming ritual reminding us of ancient ways to beat the heat. It is said that if you eat this ice, you will not be defeated by the summer.

Namba Jinja Shrine: 4 Chrome 1-3 Bakuromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0059. Tel: 06-6251-8000. Fax: 06-6251-5110. Website: www.nanba-jinja.or.jp. Open daily, 7 AM – 6 PM. Admission is free.

How to Get There: Osaka Metro Midosuji Line “Shinsaibashi Station” Exit 3. It is a 5-min. walk from Exit 13 of Osaka Metro Hommachi Station.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.