Marinduque Ancestral Houses by Dennis Villegas

The historic Lardizabal-Trivino house in Boac

In the town of Boac, municipal officials and private individuals have taken renewed interest in the preservation of ancestral houses. These houses have created lasting impressions to those visiting this historic town.

So far, the best blog I have read, with some photos on this subject, is one by Dennis Villegas. Villegas is a prolific blogger, one of whose blogs (PilipinoKomiks) was awarded Grand Prize Winner for Best Filipiniana Blog at the Philippine Blog Awards in 2009.

Writing about his Marinduque experience, Villegas said “I have to make this blog entry and hope that this contributes to an awareness that our rich heritage of houses be preserved.” To echo his sentiments, said article is reproduced here in full with some of his photos, in the hope that many more would be inspired to take part in preservation and awareness efforts, not only in Boac and Mogpog but in all of the Marinduque towns.

Marinduque Ancestral Houses

by Dennis Villegas

"One of the lasting impressions Marinduque has given me is its magnificent old houses, ancestral homes of some of its old ilustrado residents. Throughout my sojourn in this province I have collected quite a good number of photographs that until now remains unpublished.


The Alino house in Boac

"I am very fascinated with antiquities, and old houses are rich in them. I have been fortunate to get the permission of many ancestral home owners in Boac to enter their homes and document their unique heritage in photographs.

"Many of the old houses are in a sad state of delapidation that needs expert restoration. Some of the houses are already due for demolition to give way to more modern houses. These houses stood the test of time and the elements: typhoons, fire, and earthquakes. They have done so for a hundred years. In 1912, a great fire gutted many of the old houses in Boac, yet the owners managed to build their old houses again. And as such they still stand up to this day.

The Boac Fire of 1912


"I am a very conservative person when it comes to old things, and I wish them to remain intact as they had been for so many years. But I guess some people, especially the younger generation, do not care for the old things. They want modernity in their living and are quite ashamed of their antique furnitures. They did not understand that these old houses are not just antique dwellings, they are part of their local history and culture.

The De la Santa house in Boac.


"Fortunately, some ancestral home owners care for their heritage. Some are very protective of their houses, and even though they had been offered considerable sums to sell their homes in order to make them into commercial spaces, many refused to do so. In this particular, the Alino House in Boac is a shining example. The Alino family was very protective of their house. A rich merchant has already offered to buy it at double the market value--in order to transform it into a bank--but the Alino family refused to sell their old house--and their heritage. Now, the Alino house is one of the truly well-taken cared of houses in Boac. The narra plank floor is given a wax treatment everyday, always very polished--it looks like a mirror--and you may be ashamed to step on to it with your shoes.

The Deogracias House in Mogpog


"I have to make this blog entry and hope that this contributes to an awareness that our rich heritage of houses be preserved. For the time being, many of the old houses still stand to this day, but no one knows if in the future they will be demolished.



Other old houses in central Mogpog



See link on this page for more on Dennis Villegas' website.