ANCESTRAL HOUSES OF GAPAN CITY
The
oldest town in Nueva Ecija is Gapan and likewise one of the oldest in the
Philippines. The ancestral houses
aligned are the living testament of its preserved cultural heritage.
Known as the “Footwear Capital of the North”,
it is unfortunate that we were unable to visit the manufacturers for time
constraints but the short stint made us discover the town on foot.
Our
shuttle van provided by Microtel Cabanatuan was parked at the biggest and
oldest church in the province of Nueva Ecija.
The Parish of Three Kings was built in the 1800s by the Augustinian
Friars under forced labor, said to have withstood major natural and man-made
calamities including the 1896 Philippine revolution, World War II and the 1990
earthquake. For a few minutes, we were
at the church marveling at its façade and interiors. A mass was about to start during that time.
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| THE FACADE OF THE PARISH OF THREE KINGS |
The
church’ façade include a belfry with four huge bells casted as early as the
1800s summoning its patrons from a distance.
The church was indeed familiar as I recall a Filipino top-grossing
horror film engaging the church and belfry in an important scene. The movie centers on a Filipino superstitious
belief regarding marriage. The Taong-Putik Festival, an important
festival in Nueva Ecija was likewise featured in that film. We came a week earlier for the festival. We have always planned to attend the same but
to no avail due to work commitments.
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| THE BELFRY |
Then
we walked towards a street adjacent to the church. Spanish colonial houses of capiz-shell windows came into view. Locals and tricycle drivers loitering outside
the church were proud to declare that from the aligned houses were ancestral
houses of notable Filipino personalities like Eula Valdez, Nida Blanca and Jay
Taruc.
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| THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF EULA VALDEZ |
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| THE CORNER LOT |
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| JAY TARUC'S HOME |
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| INTRICATE CARVINGS |
As
we pass by one house to another, the architectural details were indeed
intricate. The wooden materials of these
Spanish-inspired residential houses stood witness to the history of the
province. Some of the houses are already
abandoned, others are manned by caretakers whose owners left the province for
abroad while a few are still occupied by local residents in search for a
tranquil surroundings of a provincial set-up.
Many of the ancestral houses are well-maintained with well-manicured
gardens and statues fronting the yards.
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| ANCESTRAL HOUSE OF NIDA BLANCA |
Gapan,
being an inseparable part of the Rice Granary of the Philippines, walking
through the home of the hacienderos, is inevitable in getting to know the city.
1 comments
Very rustic and charming houses. We fervently hope they will be preserved for years to come.
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