A trip to the old world

VIGAN, Ilocos Sur – People travel far and wide to be able to see marvelous relics of the past. However, one does not need to travel far to get a glimpse of the "old world." All one needs to do is to take an hour trip by plane to the tip of Luzon in order to visit a town where time has stood still for more than three centuries.

This quaint little town called Vigan in Ilocos Sur, stands out among the other cities in the Philippines because the entire town is a living museum in itself. The sight of old, run-down houses, cobblestone streets, baroque churches, and even people, still making a living from industries that flourished during the Spanish times such as weaving and pottery.

In 1572, a Spanish conquistador named Juan de Salcedo, a nephew of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, organized a settlement and modeled this after his own hometown in Spain. He built a central plaza which he surrounded with several buildings such as a school, municipal hall and most importantly a church. This pattern became a model for other Spanish settlements in the country.

This young man was so devoted to his encomienda that upon his death, he willed his encomienda to the Ilocanos who worked on his land.

Vigan is the best preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, and from China and Europe to create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Vigan is one of the five UNESCO World Heritage Sites found in the Philippines.

Like the shop houses in Asian trading cities like Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, the Vigan house was built on a larger scale than its Asian counterparts.

The Vigan house has evolved from the pre-colonial "bahay kubo" of bamboo with roofs of nipa palm or cogon grass to the two-storey structures, built in masonry on the ground floor and timber on the second floor.

The Syquia Mansion is a prime example of this type of house, a "bahay na bato at kahoy." It was built in 1830 by Justo Angco and given as a gift to his daughter Estefania when she wed Gregorio Syquia in 1875. The Syquias’ were considered a genteel family who had extensive business interests and vast land holdings. Their house was proof of this.

One of the daughters of the Syquia clan, Alicia Syquia, was married to President Elpidio Quirino in 1922. From being a congressman, senator, Cabinet member and Vice President, Quirino was catapulted to the Presidency in April 15, 1948 due to the sudden death of President Manuel Roxas.

The layout and partitioning of the Vigan house were designed for specific purposes. One enters the "puerta" (main door), which is wide enough to accommodate the width of the "caruaje" (horse drawn carriage) and high enough for the "carroza" (shoulder-borne carriage mounted for religious images), into a "zaguan" or hall on the ground floor. The inhabitants of the house can let visitors in by pulling a string from the second floor to open a "puertita" (smaller door) hinged to the main door. Horses for carriage were tethered in the "caballozera" (horse stable) at the rear of the ground floor. Shops and "bodegas" (storage rooms) take up the rest of the space on the ground floor.

The grand staircase has two sections, a few steps leads to where ordinary visitors are received then a long flight of staircase to the second floor. More important visitors were received in the "caida" or "antesala" where informal entertaining are held. The "sala," the biggest and most important part of the house was used for family gatherings and for important occasions.

As in the pre-colonial "bahay kubo," families slept together in two to three large "cuartos" (bedrooms). Either located at the end of the "sala" or separated by the "comedor" (dining room) which leads to the "cocina" (kitchen). Adjacent to the "cocina" is the "cobeta" (toilet) which is a separate structure that was built at a later stage when sanitary toilets were introduced in the late 1800s. The "azotea" (open terrace) is an extension at the back of the second floor where residents and guests gathered to cool off and enjoy the view of the stars after dinner.

The large "ventanas" (windows) which provide a maximum of ventilation are of two layers of sliding panes: An inner pair of sliding windows made of translucent capiz shells (of Chinese and Japanese origin) that permit natural sunlight to enter into the house; and an outside pair of sliding wooden storm shutters. Below the "ventenas" are smaller windows of sliding wooden panels called "ventanillas" that are protected by wooden balusters. Children can safely watch the street scene below through the balustered "ventanillas." Tiled roofs extend to the street to prevent rain from entering the inside of the house. "Calados" (cutwork friezes) decorating the top portion of the internal wooden partitions permit breeze to waft through.

An excellent showcase of artifacts and the ethnic arts of Tinggians can be found at the ancestral house of Padre Jose P. Burgos. Aside from the memorabilia of the priest, it also has archaeological and ethnographic treasures, antique collections, dioramas of local historical events and a Hall of Fame of Ilocano heroes and achievers. A priceless collection of 14 Esteban Villanueva canvasses depicting the 1807 Basi Revolution is exhibited on the upper floor of the museum.

Meanwhile, in Badoc, Ilocos Norte is the restored house of the famous Luna family. Among the memorabilia featured are the paintings of Juan Luna including a reproduction of his masterpiece, the Spolarium.

Juan Luna was born in the said house on Oct. 23, 1857. The Luna brothers were active in the revolution against Spain in the 1980s. His younger brother, Antonio, was a military revolutionist during the Filipino-Spanish War and was an outstanding writer for La Solidaridad – a Filipino newspaper established to aid the cause of the revolution.

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos, who is said to be a descendant of the older brother Dr. Jose Luna, restored the house in 1977.