I am not so much of a history buff, but is just simply fascinated with ancestral houses. It's got this mysterious and nostalgic feel to it, that everytime I step inside one, it seems like I once lived there. It may be because of my love for all things vintage and neoclassical architectures, that I always crave to discover places where the once affluent people lived and curious to know the history behind it.
Taal is tagged as the "Vigan of the South" due to the historic old churches and heritage houses that could be found here too. Once you have passed the town's welcome arch, you will be greeted by the old houses that are still occupied by the locals. Most of which are made of wood and the windows made of capiz shells are still intact. It is really reminiscent of Vigan, but a bit more laid-back.
*Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures of the Taal Town, but enjoy the snaps of the places we visisted. :)
Where we stayed
Originally, we're just planning to have a short vacation somewhere in the south, but ended up staying overnight at the lovely Paradores del Castillo. I just came across this property when I was browsing for hotels to stay in Batangas. This two-storey Bed and Breakfast Hotel, built in the early 1900's, is located at Calle Dr. H. Del Castillo and according to their website, this was originally a large home of the family of Dr. Hermenegildo “Didong” del Castillo and his wife Leonor Inumerable Sanchez. I believe that the original structure of the house was kept, which is a mixture of Spanish and Filipino styles. This is also few steps away from ancestral houses that you could pay a visit to, so this is very perfect for the not-so-adventurous people like us.
How to get there: VIA COMMUTE: From Buendia, we took a JAM Liner bus going to Lemery and asked to be dropped off at Mahabang Ludlod (Shell Gas Station is the landmark), then rode a tricycle going to Paradores del Castillo.
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| The back of the hotel. |
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| Our very comfy bed. |
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| Even the faucet and shower have a vintage touch to it. |
Upon arrival, we were given welcome drinks by the staff, our room key, itinerary and a map of the Taal Town. I was actually not expecting that there were a lot of heritage houses around the area, and are close to one another. We just freshened up, left our things in the room, then proceeded to do our own walking tour. After visiting a few houses, we had our early dinner at Don Juan BBQ Boodle House, then went back to our hotel to rest for the night.
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| Stairwell going to the garden – my favorite place in the hotel as it has a sight of the Taal Town. This also leads to the hotel's patio (topmost photo). |
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| Vintage sala set at the second floor. Unfortunately, you cannot bring or eat your food here due to sanitary reasons. |
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| Vintage rocking chairs located at one of rooms on the second floor. |
HERITAGE HOUSES
FIRST STOP: Casa Villavicencio (Casa V)
Probably one of the grandest houses in Taal Town – a guided tour is provided here for only Php100, which starts with a 10-minute video narrating the life of Doña Gliceria Marella and is also inclusive of snacks.
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| According to the tour guide, Andres Bonifacio frequented this place as this house was used as a secret meeting site for revolutionary leaders. |
Left: Utensils at the dining table, I was not able to ask the tour guide if these are made of gold (they look like one!).
Right: Old plantsang de uling used as a door stopper.
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| We did not get an eerie feeling in this house at all. :) |
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| The kitchen area. The tour guide mentioned this was already restored; the old kitchen is an open area, but they followed the original arrangement. |
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| The parents' room. |
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| What I thought would be a perfect / dramatic angle. :) |
SECOND STOP: Galleria Taal
An unassuming ancestral house containing Manny Inumerable's impressive collection of vintage cameras. From accordion style cameras, TLRs, and even Leica's – you name it, they probably have it.
Left: One of the most expensive cameras ever sold by Nikon – it is made of gold and lizard skin.
Right: An old accordion style camera.
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| One of the most expensive camera brands in the world: LEICA. It was actually the first time we've heard of this brand and apparently, they also have the best lenses. |
THIRD STOP: Agoncillo-Mariño House
The former house of Marcela and Felipe Agoncillo, the principal seamtress of the original Philippine flag and First Filipino Diplomat respectively. This house is already under the administration of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), with the purpose of memorializing the contribution of the couple to our country's history.
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| A bronze statue of Marcela Agoncillo by Florante Caedo. Unfortunately, this is the only picture I took of this house as there isn't much to see inside. The second floor is still under renovation when we got there. |
There are a lot more houses that we're unable to visit as they were closed at the time we went to Taal. A few on my to-vist list are the Villavicencio Wedding House, Villa Tortuga and Agoncillo Mansion. I am planning to go back to Taal sometime this year, hopefully, the weather still permits, so we'd be able to also peep into the lives of the people who once occupied these beautiful homes.
Jovel | JUSTJVL
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