Ancestral houses of the Philippines are homes owned and preserved by the same family for several generations as part of the Filipino family culture.[1] Houses could be a simple house to a mansion, 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] Ancestral houses provide the current generation a look back at the country's colonial past through these old houses.[4]
Some ancestral houses in the Philippines are in danger because of some enterprising businesses who have no regard for preservation, buy old houses in the provinces, dismantle them then sell the parts as ancestral building materials for homeowners wishing to have the ancestral ambience on their houses.[5]
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In 2009, the Congress of the Philippines passed the National Heritage Act of 2009 or Republic Act. no. 10066 further protecting the cultural treasures of the country which include houses under Built heritage. Ancestral 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 of the Philippines.[6] The citizen retains the ownership of the house, 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]
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]
In the Ilocos Region, the historic city of Vigan, is the best preserved Spanish Colonial settlement in the country. It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
In Central Luzon, one of the historical center of the region is the City of San Fernando Heritage District in Pampanga province.[14]
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.[15]
In the CALABARZON region, the center for ancestral houses can be found in the streets of Taal in Batangas and Sariaya in Quezon provinces.
Declared Heritage House in MIMAROPA region.
Silay City, Negros Occidental in Western Visayas region has the most number of declared Heritage Houses in the country.
Heritage Houses in Central Visayas region:
Heritage Houses in the Eastern Visayas region:
Heritage Houses in the Northern Mindanao region:
Partial list of ancestral houses declared as National Shrine or National Historical Landmark by the NHCP:[10][13]
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