THE MANSIONS OF VIGAN
Old houses reconnect the
present from the past. We make our own
history, what has been is transmitted from one generation to another. Though not all lives are documented, each of
us has a story to tell.
Vigan City is a huge diorama
of Philippine history. Aligned
residential houses and even commercial establishments is a museum in
itself. But there are prominent
personalities from the history of the Filipino people whose lives give interest
to all. And their respective homes will
give us an overview of how they lived.
The scorching sun decided
not to participate in our tour. Drizzles
were our companion as we hopped from one mansion to another. But the raindrops never dampened the
wandering souls of this group of scribblers, photographers and story writers.
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| facade of the Syquia Mansion |
SYQUIA MANSION
“Picture-taking is not allowed.” Oh no! I said to myself without everyone hearing my reaction in exaggeration of the situation. We are here to document and write stories. That was the order of the old man wearing a stern look. He is the caretaker and tour guide for this visit.
And so we complied. The caretaker further added that
picture-taking will be done after the tour. I sighed and declared “the rule is
reasonable”.
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| can you see where the peeping hole is? |
The secret doors of the
mansion and the centuries-back CCTV installation were revealed as we had the
mandatory tour. Back in the earlier
times, the peeping hole in the master’s bedroom was used to view visitors in
the reception area of the second floor before they are allowed to enter the
grand living room. Quite innovate I must say and that was the predecessor of
the CCTV as we are all familiar with in this day and age.
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| the dining area |
The Syquia Mansion is the
ancestral house of the late President Quirino’s wife, Dona Alicia Quirino. But the same has been used as a venue as well
for presidential functions during his administration. The elegant furnishings will give us a peek
on the historical political gatherings and that the antiques displayed are not
only from the Philippines but from various countries all over, mostly European
and China, as the former first lady has Chinese lineage.
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| presenting reproduction of Juan Luna's Spolarium |
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| the main living room |
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| the portrait |
Huge oil portraits of the
family, with three identified as being done by the national artist Fernando
Amorsolo, greets every visitor at the grand sala. A replica of Juan Luna’s Spolarium is also displayed at the reception area of
the second floor. A grand welcome it
was.
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The mansion gives us a peek
of how the wealthy families back then lived.
It surely has a lot of secret doors.
Since the descendants still come to visit the mansion from time to time,
there are modern facilities attached to the mansion as well.
After the informative tour
from the caretaker full of enthusiasm, the photo sessions then commenced.
CRISOLOGO MANSION
“Vigan derived its name from the lush “Bigaa” plant”. The welcome remark of Crisologo Mansion
posted on the door written on a white cartolina says so. Though informative, it
appears off tangent.
Crisologo Mansion is the
ancestral house of the late Floro Crisologo, patriarch of a political clan in
Vigan and a former Congressman. Floro Crisologo was shot in the head by an
unidentified gunman at the St. Paul’s Cathedral. The murder remains unsolved until this
day. It is from that unfortunate event
that the family decided to open their house to the public and convert the same
into a museum.
The ground floor of the
mansion exhibits the bloodied clothing and shoes worn by the late congressman
during that tragic incident. It also
serves as the library and study room of the family, with book collections on
display. As I saw the typewriter and
Legal Digests on one corner, the world became familiar and I begin to remember
my life as a law student. The room was
filled with relative silence and it was a feeling like no one was allowed to
laugh or talk in high volume, to the very least.
Then, a different atmosphere
enveloped us, as we moved to the second floor.
Arranged like a museum, the prized possessions of the family are on display
with name tags attached and that the private rooms are likewise open for public
viewing.
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| wooden refrigerator and the beers centuries-old |
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| the master's bedroom |
ARCE MANSION
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| en route to Arce Mansion |
We rode the kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) as part of
our tour to another Mansion - The Arce
Mansion. Is this related to the ice cream and dairy products brand? No, the caretaker answered me with a
smile. The mansion is owned by the
family of Dr. Alejandro Arce.
The typical Spanish colonial
house opens its grand living room to the public for pictorial purposes. It transforms itself into a photo studio and
that costumes are provided by the caretakers as well. Wanting to be a trader, priest, soldier, a
wealthy or poor Filipino during the
olden times? This is your chance. After all, you can no longer wear these
clothes at Metro Manila on a day to day setting.
The colonial setting is what
Arce Mansion offers to its guests.
BALUARTE
In a modern setting of a
mansion, who would not know Mr. Chavit Singson’s fortress. The well-loved son of Vigan has opened his
private property to the public in the form of a landscaped garden and a
mini-zoo.
We were welcomed by Mr. Chavit Singson himself, as we had our lunch at the Baluarte. Governor Ryan Singson was likewise present on our second visit. Their hospitality was beyond compare and commendable.
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| members of the media with former Governor Chavit Singson |
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| Governor Ryan Singson |
If only the weather
cooperated, then we could have a scenic panoramic view of the West Philippine
Sea, the Abra River and the mountains that surround the multi-storey house of
the former Governor.
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| at the rooftop garden of former Gov. Chavit Singson's mansion |
CASA CARIDAD
Our gracious host for this
tour, business tycoon, Jose “Bonito” Singson, Jr., has likewise opened their
ancestral house to us. The colonial
heritage house of the Singsons has been our home as well during our stay in
Vigan. Named after her mother, Caridad
Crisologo-Singson, the architectural landscape and design of the restored home is
faithful to its original architectural layout.
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| our host, Mr. Bonito Singson giving orientation |
An Academy Award winning film which stars Tom Cruise was filmed on this residential house as well. Go figure the movie.
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| cinematographic bedroom |
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| the rain has stopped and the bright moon appeared |
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| Pinoy Travel Bloggers at Casa Caridad |
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1 comments
wow! ang bilis magsulat. dapat bigyan ka ng award!
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