Ancestral houses of the Philippines or Heritage Houses are homes owned and preserved by the same family for several generations as part of the Filipino family culture.[1] It corresponds to long tradition by Filipino people of venerating Ancestors and Elders. Houses could be a simple house to a mansion. The most common ones are the "Bahay na Bato". 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 of utmost importance as some ancestral houses have come into danger due to business people who buy old houses in the provinces, dismantle them then sell the parts as ancestral building materials for homeowners wishing to have the ancestral ambiance 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]
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]
Bahay na bato ancestral houses being used for commercial purposes.
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] many are of Bahay Na Bato architecture.
In Central Luzon, There are two historical town centers declared by National Historical Commission of the Philippines as historic town centers in the region namely the Malolos Heritage Town in Bulacan[14] declared on August 15, 2001 and City of San Fernando Heritage District in Pampanga declared in 2004.[15]
Hizon-Singian House in San Fernando, Pampanga (2003-01-27)ancestral houses in Taal, Batangas
Lazatin House in San Fernando, Pampanga (2003-01-27)
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]
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.
Pedicabs or pedal cabs crossing a street near Manalang Gloria Ancestral House
In Tabaco City, the Manalang Gloria Ancestral House, formerly the Smith, Bell and Company HouseSmith, Bell and Company House is a prominent heritage house.
Region VI
The Western Visayas region contains the largest number of ancestral homes in the Philippines.
The Ruins in Talisay, Negros Occidental
Bacolod
Generoso Villanueva House, known as "Daku Balay" (Big House), is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the Philippines from the 1930s.
Mariano Ledesma Lacson known as The Ruins (mansion) is the remains of the ancestral home mansion. The mansion was built in early 1900s and inspired by Italian architecture.
General Aniceto Lacson house in Hda. Matab-ang, is a fine example of a bahay na bato built in the 1880s that has a balcony that wraps around the entire 2nd floor giving a panoramic view of the surrounding hacienda as well as having its own chapel at ground level.
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