Ancestral houses of the Philippines

The ancestral house of Emilio Aguinaldo, declared a National Shrine in 1964

Ancestral houses of the Philippines are homes owned and preserved by the same family for several generations as part of the Filipino family culture.[1] Houses could be a simple house to a mansion. Some houses of prominent families had become points of interest or museums in their community because of its cultural, architectural or historical significance.[2][3] These houses that are deemed of significant importance to the Filipino culture are declared Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), previously known as the National Historical Institute (NHI) of the Philippines.[4] Preservation is an utmost importance as some ancestral houses have become in danger because of corrupt business people who have no regard for preservation, buy old houses in the provinces, dismantle them then sell the parts as ancestral building materials for homeowners wishing to have the ancestral ambience on their houses.[5] These ancestral houses provide the current generation a look back of the country's colonial past through these old houses.[6]

National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009

In 2009, the Congress of the Philippines passed the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 or Republic Act. no. 10066 to further the protection the cultural treasures of the country which include houses under Built heritage. Ancestral houses that are declared Heritage House by the NHCP are still owned by their owners. The government is only declaring the heritage value of the structure, provide funding for its protection and preservation.[7] Ancestral homes that have figured in an event of historical significance like the Bonifacio Trial House in Maragondon, Cavite,[8] or houses of national heroes of the Philippines like the Juan Luna Shrine[9] in Badoc, Ilocos Norte are included among the categories National Shrines or National Historical Landmarks.[10][11] Historical markers are placed on the houses by the commission to indicate their significance.[12] The Philippine Registry of Cultural Property registers all cultural properties of the country.[11]

List of Heritage Houses of the Philippines

Partial list of ancestral houses declared as Heritage Houses by the NHCP, some with declaration dates, grouped according to the regions in the country.[13]

Rows of ancestral homes from the Spanish Colonial period in the historic city of Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Region I

In the Ilocos Region the historic city of Vigan is the best preserved Spanish Colonial settlement in the country. It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Region III

In Central Luzon, There are two historical town centers in the region namely the CMalolos Heritage Town in Bulacan[14] and City of San Fernando Heritage District in Pampanga.[15]

Malolos Heritage Zone

San Fernando Heritage Zone

The Henson-Hizon House in San Fernando, Pampanga completed 1883.

National Capital Region

The central part of Metro Manila was heavily bombed in World War II destroying historical structures and homes. Somes pockets of old homes can still be found in Binondo and Quiapo which were not affected by the war.[16]

Region IV-A

In the CALABARZON region, the center for ancestral houses can be found in the streets of Taal, Balayan, and Calaca, in Batangas and Sariaya in Quezon provinces. The town center of Pila, Laguna, with its Spanish and American-era houses, was declared a National Historical Landmark in 2000.

Further information: Pila Historic Town Center

Region IV-B

Declared Heritage House in MIMAROPA region.

Region XVIII/NIR

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental in the Negros Island Region, is the provincial capital and contains a number of fine ancestral homes.

Daku Balay:Ancestral home of Don Generoso Villanueva, Bacolod City (Photo by:Wilfredo N. Lumagbas, Jr.)

Silay City

Silay City, Negros Occidental in the Negros Island Region has the most number of declared Heritage Houses in the country.

The Balay Negrense in Silay City, Negros Occidental, built in 1897, the ancestral house of the Gaston Family turned museum by the Negros Cultural Foundation

Other Heritage Houses in Region XVIII/NIR

Region VI

Heritage Houses in Western Visayas region:

Region VII

Heritage Houses in Central Visayas region:

Region VIII

Heritage Houses in the Eastern Visayas region:

Region X

Heritage Houses in the Northern Mindanao region:

National Shrines and National Historical Landmarks

Partial list of ancestral houses declared as National Shrine or National Historical Landmark by the NHCP:[10][13]

The Quema House in Vigan, Ilocos Sur before renovations, built in the 1820s by the Quema Family

Other ancestral houses

References

  1. "Filipino Culture". Filipino Planet. Retrieved on 2011-10-26.
  2. "Best Filipino Ancestral Houses". Traveler on Foot. Retrieved on 2011-10-17.
  3. Tacio, Henrylito D. (2010-10-12). "Ancestral Home in the City". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved on 2011-10-26.
  4. "Republic Act No. 10066 - National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009". Ivan about Town. Retrieved on 2010-10-27.
  5. Henares, Ivan (2006-07-19). "Stop the sale of ancestral homes!". Ivan about Town. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.
  6. 1 2 "Villavicencio's Ancestral House: Taal's Gift House". Lantaw. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.
  7. (2010-09-03). "No ownership change in ‘RA 10066 declaration’". Inquirer.net. Retrieved on 2011-10-26.
  8. "Bonifacio Trial House". National Historical Commission. Retrieved on 2011-10-27.
  9. "Juan Luna Shrine". National Historical Commission. Retrieved on 2011-10-27.
  10. 1 2 "Shrines and Landmarks". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved on 2011-10-26.
  11. 1 2 Bonvito (2010-04-23). "Text of the Philippine National Cultural Heritage Law". Time Traveling. Retrieved on 2010-10-26.
  12. "Touring the Ancestral Houses of Silay, Negros Occidental". Travelog Philippines. Retrieved on 2011-10-26.
  13. 1 2 (2010-04-01). "Philippine Registry of Cultural Property - Built Heritage". Ivan About Town. Retrieved on 2011-10-26.
  14. http://nhcphistoricsites.blogspot.com/2011/10/town-center-of-malolos.html?m=1
  15. 1 2 (2005-04-15). "San Fernando: a city rich in architectural heritage". Indung Kapampangan: Preserving our Kapampangan Heritage. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.
  16. Gardner, Robert (2006–04). "Philippine architecture from bahay kubo to bahay na bato". derkeiler.com. Retrieved on 2011-10-29.
  17. Philippine News Agency (2011-09-11). "Historical marker on Aquino ancestral house in Tarlac unveiled". News 5 InterAksyon. Retrieved on 2011-10-27.

External links

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