Eirenne Phae R.

Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

1. The Syquia Mansion

http://www.lakadpilipinas.com/2014/09/syquia-mansion-vigan-city-ilocos.html

The mansion is typical of the many ancestral Bahay na Bato in Vigan City; thick stone
walls on the ground level, painted wood on the second. It is however, quite noticeably, larger than
any average ancestral house, spanning almost a whole city block.

One can still see a carriage parked at the lower level of the house, typical of Bahay na
Bato structures of olden days. The floors are made of huge stone slabs called piedra, which came
all the way from the Chinese merchants who used them to weigh down their empty ships before
loading in the goods coming from Vigan City.

1 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

But the real story behind the Syquia Mansion lies at its second floor. Upon ascending its wide
wooden staircase, a golden vase entwined with dragons greets you. This is the most precious
artifact the museum has.

It is interesting to note that while this is a former presidents house, the place is dubbed not
after his name, but that of his wife.
The story goes that in the olden days, when a guy marries a woman, the family of the latter
gives a dowry to the former. So technically, the mansion is aptly named after all to the Syquias,
which has ancestors rooted to China. Point in fact; their surname is a conversion of Sy Kia. A Chinese
family name converted into a Hispanic one.

2 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

The Syquia familys social standing were quite high during those times. And one can actually
see how opulent their house was through the numerous paintings hanging on their walls. There are
three original Amorsolos and a replica of Lunasobra, Spoliarium, done by his sister, gracing the
walls of the house.

Stepping through the mansions living area, one will immediately be transported to Vigans
bygone era; foot-wide hardwood planks, antique furniture, glass chandeliers and
draped capiz windows.

3 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

Leading to the outer wall of the Syqiua Mansion, there is a passageway used by servants to
get from one room to the next without being seen by house guests.

The houses dining hall is equally grand as the living area. A long table dominates the
room, with a couple of drapes hanging over it. These drapes are used as fans, manually operated by
servants for the diners. The room also served as a meeting place for Quirinos cabinet members during
his presidency.

4 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

But Syquia Mansions most interesting rooms are its sleeping quarters. Besides the secret
passageways installed along its walls, its beds are one of a kind.

These beds, which are called Atays, are named after a Chinese artisan from Vigan City. These
finely-carved four-poster wonders are the basis for some of the beds in Vigans bedrooms,
including those found in Hotel Felicidad.

5 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

The whole mansion wraps around a central courtyard found, not on the ground floor, but at the
second floor of the house. I havent seen anything like it on any ancestral house Ive visited. A true
testament at the grandness of Vigans Syquia Mansion.

2. The Rizal Shrine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Shrine_(Calamba)

The Rizal Shrine is a reproduction of the original two-story, Spanish-Colonial style

house in Calamba, Laguna where Jos Rizal was born on June 19, 1861. Rizal is regarded as
one of the greatest national heroes of the Philippines. The house is designated as a
National Shrine (Level 1) by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and is
located along Mercado Street and Rizal Street in Calamba's Poblacion 5. It is in close
proximity to St. John the Baptist Parish Church and the City College of Calamba.
The Rizal Shrine is a typical rectangular bahay na bato, reminiscent of upper-class
Filipino homes built during the Spanish Colonial era. The lower portion is made of adobe
stone and brick, while the upper portion consists of hardwood. The original interior

6 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

flooring of the house was discovered during reconstruction and utilized. It has sliding
windows made of capiz shells, the exterior walls are painted green (originally white) and
the roof is constructed of red ceramic tile. In June 2009, the National Historical Institute
(now National Historical Commission of the Philippines) ordered the Shrine's repainting to
highlight the meaning of Rizal's surname.
The ground floor of the house historically served as a stable for horses and carriages. It
contains several exhibits on Rizal's childhood, including exact copies of Rizal's writings,
drawings and original baptismal certificate. The upper floor served as the family's living
quarters and consisted of: the living room, dining area, bathroom and library.
Containing more than 1000 books, acaida serves as Francisco Mercado's library, the largest
private library in Calamba at that time. Adjacent to the library is the family's formal dining
room, where Rizal's parents hosted guests and other prominent members of the
society. The caida is connected to asala, which leads to three bedrooms: the boys' room
(for Jose and Paciano), the girls' room for his 9 sisters and the master bedroom. The
biggest among all the rooms, the master bedroom contains the four-poster bed where
Rizal was born. Going beyond the sala is an informal dining room or comedor. Prominent
in this room is the punkah, a large rectangular Indian fan. Next to the comedor and the
azotea is an old well, one of the only surviving features of the original house.

7 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

Built in 1997, a gallery, library, audio-visual room and shop of Rizal memorabilia reside
adjacent to the Shrine. The Shrine has a large lawn with a replica of the nipa hut and a statue
depicting young Rizal with his dog. The statue was constructed in 1996 by Dudley Diaz for the
centennial celebration commemorating. Rizal's death. The remains of Rizal's parents, Francisco
Mercado and Teodora Alonso, are also located in the shrine.

3.

House of Dakay
http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php/House_of_Dakay

The House of Dakay is the oldest surviving house in the town of San Jose de Ivana
in Batan Island, the largest of the 3 inhabited islands of the Batanes island group that lies
off the coast of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. It is a traditional structure with thick
walls made of stone and lime and with a roof thatched with cogon grass. Named
after the family that owned it, it is known as Vahay ni Dakay in Ivatan. It has been declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Building.

8 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

A small house, the House of Dakay has been designed and constructed in the
traditional style that is distinctive to the houses of Batanes, called vahay in Ivatan. The
house is typical of the architectural style of Batanes that emerged with the coming of the
Spanish missionaries around 1795, replacing the indigenous wooden huts of the natives. It
features 2 stories, lime and stone walls that are as much as a meter thick, and cogon
roofs that are about 1/3 of a meter thick. Stone cutters and masons and carpenters
were imported from Cagayan to help in the construction of these houses. It is designed to
be durable and to provide shelter from the strong winds of the island, which lies along a
typhoon belt.

4. Sanson y Montinola Mansion

http://iloilo-travel-guide.blogspot.com/2014/05/sanson-y-montinola-antillan-house-in.html

One of the most attractive yet very elusive ancestral houses in Iloilo is the Sanson y
Montinola Mansion also known as the Antillan House. Located in the so-called
Millionaire's Row
in the district of Jaro beside Colegio de San Jose, this mansion patterned after the
homes in the Antilles in the Caribbean is a sight to behold inside out.
The first level houses the receiving area with closed rooms.

The hallway leads to a large garage with walls and windows that reminds me of
churches - thick windows, large rectangular grilled windows and some circular
windows. It served as both a bodega (there was even a large tabungos) and garage for
the kalesa back then and later to some vintage cars.

9 | Page

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

It was probably the main entrance as the grand staircase faces that direction.

The stairs had elaborately carved hardwood "handles", ornate ceiling arch dividers those three arches that separate the hallway to the veranda-like living room which is the
most prominent part of the house seen from the outside.

Hardwood floor stretch all the way and around up to the living room. Each
room/segment of the house has a pattern for the wooden floor - a long and continuous
X-shaped middle wood then the spaces in the X's are horizontally lined from the center.
It maybe more than design for it could have made the structure a lot stronger.

10 | P a g e

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

The sala has almost an al fresco feel if all the windows are opened and even more if
the ventanillas are too. Opening on three sides to the outside, this part of the house seems
to be the showcase of the mansion inside out.

From below looking up, the windows and ventanillas seem to be like doors welcoming
everybody to the house.

11 | P a g e

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

12 | P a g e

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

Spiraling up to the third level, the iron staircase takes the corner spot which blends in the design of the
room, yet having its own distinct presence.

Machuca tiled rooftop balcony having a 360-degree view of the vicinity.

13 | P a g e

Eirenne Phae R. Vista

Spanish Houses in the Philippines

August 8, 2016

5. Casa Bizantina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Bizantina

The Don Lorenzo del Rosario House, also known as Casa Bizantina, is a heritage
house museum originally located at San Nicolas, Binondo, Manila. It was transferred and
reconstructed in 2009 at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bagac, Bataan. It was designed by
a Catalan architect Joan Josep Jose Hervas y Arizmendi, in 1890. It is the only existing
building designed by the Architect Arizmendi in the Philippines. In addition to that, it was
cited by Tribune magazine in 1939 despite its neglected state.
Don Lorenzo del Rosario House is a three-storey mixed-used structure used as
commercial and residential space. It has been called Casa Bizantina because of
its Byzantine ornamentation such as a half-moon opening above the large entrance with
grill works, arches above the windows of the third floor, engaged columns, and appliqued
carvings. However, the house reflects more of the Neo-Mudejar or Spanish-Moorish
architectural style. A balcony, or mirador, crowned the roof above the interior's stairs with
turned balusters. The stairs lead up to the second and third floors and provides access to
both wings of the house.
The house was built with a chamfered corner, in compliance with the municipal
building regulations before. The streets at the commercial concentrations at Binondo and
San Nicolas districts in Manila were narrow; thus, corner buildings were mandated to be
built with a chamfer or chaflan in 1869. This regulation led to the creation of eight-sided
open spaces, or plazoletas, at every street corner.
The house was occupied by a succession of tenants during the 20th century. It was the
first home of the University of Manila in 1914. The nearby community decayed after the
World War II and the land reclamation for the North Harbor. The old houses became
tenements and were torn down to make way for commercial buildings. Casa Bizantina was
in miserable condition by 2000. After eight years, the house was declared structurally
unsound. Despite its condition, more than 20 families still occupy the house. In 2009, the
Don Lorenzo del Rosario House was sold, dismantled, and brought to Bagac, Bataan.

14 | P a g e