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Where Old Rich Ilonggos Lived: Here Are 6 Heritage Houses in Iloilo That Used to be Mansions
Look at beautiful tourist attractions and ancestral houses in Iloilo City.
By: Hyacinth Bangero | June 23, 2023
Step into the charm of the past in these heritage houses in Iloilo City!
Image: Angelicum School Iloilo Facebook page
Iloilo City is a haven of beautiful ancestral and heritage houses in Iloilo City, which used to be the mansions of immensely rich Ilonggos. Below are some old mansions in Iloilo open for visitors for photographs and, sometimes, for events.
1. Lizares Mansion
Address: McArthur Drive, Tabuc Suba, Jaro, Iloilo City
The Lizares Mansion is the Spanish-American white house of Iloilo.
Image: Angelicum School Iloilo Facebook page
The first in our list of heritage houses in Iloilo was built in 1937. Lizares Mansion is a Spanish-American-inspired house considered one of the most beautiful heritage and ancestral houses in Iloilo. It is a testament to the hard work of Don Emiliano Lizares of Jaro, a sugar baron. The mansion was sold to the Dominican Order and was converted into a school. This heritage house in Iloilo now serves as the grounds of Angelicum School Iloilo, a private Catholic school.
Christmas is the best time to visit this heritage house in Iloilo. Aside from being open for simbang gabi (dawn mass), it is also converted into a Christmas attraction, with the school administration putting up lights and decorations.
2. Yusay-Consing Mansion (Molo Mansion)
Address: Molo, Iloilo City
The renovated mansion in Iloilo is now a place for history and food.
Image: Image: Nikki Del Rosario Peralta
The Yusay-Consing Mansion is one of the heritage houses in Iloilo that was built in 1920. This ancestral house in Iloilo, located across from St. Anne Parish Church in Molo, Iloilo City, is one of the most beautiful houses ever built in the City of Love. For about a century now, this old mansion in Iloilo has continuously stunned locals and tourists. In 2015, it was renovated to cater to visitors during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meetings.
Whenever tourists and locals visit this heritage house in Iloilo, they can taste blue ternate (butterfly pea) and flower ice cream at Table Matters.
3. Nelly’s Garden
Address: E. Lopez Street, Jaro, Iloilo City
Nelly’s Garden is a popular choice for garden weddings.
Image: Nelly Garden & Tours Services
The Beaux-Arts mansion, owned by the Hofileña-Lopez family, built in 1928, is one of the first heritage houses in Iloilo City. Don Vicente Lopez and Donya Elena Hofileña’s ancestral house in Iloilo is now open to the public for photoshoots, receptions, and even tourism events.
If you plan to hold a scenic and historical event in Iloilo, Nelly’s Garden can accommodate around 100 people in the main house and about 150 to 500 people at the estate. The Hofileña-Lopez Mansion is a heritage house in Iloilo accessible 24/7 and just along the Jaro district’s main street.
The tour booking should be made at least three days before the visit date.
4. Ledesma Mansion
Address: Washington St., Benedicto St., Brgy. Benedicto, Iloilo City
Ledesma Mansion, the forgotten palace of Iloilo City.
Image: Ryan Mark
If only this heritage house in Iloilo had been restored, Ledesma Mansion might be the most beautiful place in the city.
A few have entered this old mansion in Iloilo by Don Joaquin Ledesma and Donya Pilar Arguelles. Many have utilized the palatial ancestral house in Iloilo as a venue for horror video shoots.
The Ledesma Mansion is one of the heritage houses in Iloilo, located at the corner of Seminario Street, Jaro, Iloilo City. It is within walking distance of Jaro Cathedral, one of the notable churches in Iloilo to visit. Also known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles, it houses the Jaro Cathedral belfry.
5. Casa Mariquit
Address: Jaro, Iloilo City
People can have their family portraits and pre-nuptial photos taken at Casa Mariquit.
Image: Constantine Agustin
Jaro is one of the oldest districts in Iloilo City. Thus, this 200-year-old heritage house in Iloilo, owned by the wife of former Vice President Fernando Lopez, has now become one of the main tourist attractions in Iloilo. The ancestral in Iloilo was built in 1803, known by its popular name Casa Mariquit. It is flanked by a banyan tree at the entrance, making the place magical and intriguing.
Today, this heritage house in Iloilo has almost become a museum because most of the memorabilia of Vice President Lopez is contained there.
6. Camiña Balay nga Bato
Address: 20 Osmeña Street, Sta. Felomina, Arevalo, Iloilo City
One can experience Ilonggo culture and tradition at Camiña Balay nga Bato.
Image: Camiña Balay nga Bato in Iloilo Facebook page
Last on our list of heritage houses in Iloilo is the Camiña Balay nga Bato (Stone House) has been turned into a museum that contains antiques and memorabilia reflective of Ilonggo traditions and culture. Its difference from the other refurbished old heritage houses in Iloilo is that it also caters to the gastronomic needs of its visitors.
Today when you visit the ancestral house in Iloilo, you won’t only enjoy parcels of Iloilo’s rich history. You will also experience the rich culture and tradition of the Ilonggos, which were somehow left behind at this heritage house in Iloilo because of modernization. When you visit this old mansion in Iloilo, you can see where the Ilonggos dined long ago and even touch the utensils they used.
You may only get the liberty to visit some of the mansions listed above. Nevertheless, even if you only see two or three, you would already know how people lived at this heritage house in Iloilo when there was no Wi-Fi, internet, high-rise buildings, flyovers, traffic, and shopping malls in Iloilo City.
Visit Yoorekka Magazine to learn and learn more about the best places in Iloilo City!
Stay safe as you travel! Make sure to follow social distancing protocols and observe health precautions. For now, keep safe!
This article was initially published in Yoorekka on October 08, 2018.
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About Hyacinth Bangero
She is a young broadcast journalism professor and marketing officer of the University of San Agustin. She's a proud volunteer of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. Hyacinth is geared to educate, experience, and explore.
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