museums « Valerie Caulin – freelance writer

Archive for the ‘museums’ Category

Marcos Museum in Sarrat

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

We headed off to Sarrat to visit Sta. Monica Church but along the way, we spotted a Marcos Museums and we didn’t hesitate to stop and check it out. In Ilocos Norte, there are many Marcos Museum and this is just one of them.

This museum which opens everyday from 8am till 5pm is just along the highway and it is easy to spot. This museum is the ancestral house of the Edralin, which is Ferdinand Marcos’s maternal side of the family.

Family portrait of the Marcos family

The president was born and lived here until they moved to Batac City when he was eight years old. His parents, Mariano and Josefa Edralin Marcos were all schoolteachers. The house is a traditional bahay na bato, a 2-storey structure with the ground floor for storage while the upper level is reserved for living quarters.

The old kitchen

There are many items on display some taken from the Malacanang Palace Museum as well as from the Malacanang of the North in Paoay. There are many old photographs of the family as well as documents and furniture.

The president with his nanny

Surveying and studying all the things you see in the Marcos Museum, you will learn that Ferdinand Marcos who was named after the Spanish king Ferdinand VII came from a well to do family. And it is not something new that he entered politics for his ancestors were already serving in politics and active in many revolutions.

Dona Joesfa and the president's youngest sister who is the grandmother of actor-host Paolo Bediones

The caretaker who also acts as a curator

The caretaker was very friendly and explains everything on display and what he knows about the Edralin-Marcos family. Renovated by Imelda Marcos for her husband’s 60th birthday, it was left abandoned during the fall of the Marcos Family.

Now, the Marcos Museum in Sarrat is one of the attractions in Ilocos Norte.

Tags: Marcos Museum, Marcos Museum in Sarrat, Sarrat Ilocos Norte
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Malacañang of the North

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

malacanang of the north

Malacañang of the North or Malacanang ti Amianan in Ilocano is always present in everyone’s itinerary when planning or visiting the northern province of Ilocos Norte. Dubbed as “Marcos Country”, Ilocos Norte is home to many remnants of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos and of one these is Malacañang of the North.

The living room in the second floor

Built in 1977, construction started two years before that and was said to be one of Imelda Marcos’ “projects”. She wanted to build this lavish structure for her husband who was turning 60 that time as well as to have another venue to entertain and host the most affluent personalities in politics and the whole society..and where did she get the funds? hmm…

the grand staircase

The Malacañang of the North is one of the 29 houses that the Marcos regime was able to build during its two decades of power. As it name suggests, this house served as the official residence of the First Family during that time whenever they are in Ilocos. The Marcos extended their reception for their guests both local and foreign in this house.

Marcos must have found solitude and stillnes as he gaze upon this lake

Marcos must have found solitude and stillness as he gaze upon this lake

The lobby in the second floor. I imagine mighty people partying or discussing their next plans in this place

Malacañang of the North is within a 5-hectare property and it overlooks the calm waters of Paoay Lake. The main lobby and terraces of the house faces this famous lake in Ilocos where guests can do some watersports during their visit.

The room that then presidential daughters Irene and Imee shared

one of the two dining halls in the house

There are 9 spacious and luxurious rooms for both the family and their guests. We saw the bathroom of Marcos and we didn’t bother to take a shot, we might see something paranormal..:-) There is also a swimming pool that already dirty, too bad.

See how wide the floor panels are? I learned that such width shows the wealth of the builder..do I really need to mention this?

Aside from one of the local residences of the Marcoses during this reign, this house is truly impressive. It combines both the Ilocano and Spanish architectural designs. Like other structure in Ilocos, one of the main materials are baked bricks along with hardwood from its staircase to its floors. Its sliding windows are of capiz shells and it has the a terraces or azoteas in each floor that overlooks the lake.

For those who have visited the Malacañang of the North before and will visit again these days, you might notice that the memorabilia are lesser now. My husband for one, visited this place 10 years ago and he said it seemed empty compared to his last visit. Some of the items in this house turned museum were transferred to other museums like the ancestral house turned museum of the Marcos family in Sarrat which I will blog soon.

Now managed by the Department of Tourism, entrance fees are 20 pesos and 10 pesos for adults and children respectively. It is open from 9am-11:30am and 1pm-4:30pm daily except on Mondays.

Tags: Ilocos, Ilocos Norte, Malacañang of the North, Paoay, Paoay Lake
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Museum It Akean

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

aklan museum

Touring around Kalibo, it is a wise stop to visit their museum especially if you want to kill sometime while waiting for your flight after a getaway in Boracay. After all, musuems are great places to get to know a certain town or city –it’s like checking your date’s dental records. .

I have been in Aklan many times particularly Kalibo and I felt that I betray this quiet and unassuming province whenever I bypassed the Museum It Akean. Finally with a deadline for my writing gig ticking, I finally visited Aklan’s Musuem.

: What remains of the original structure

Museum It Akean is Akeanon word ( the province’s dialect) for Museum of Aklan. Located in Marteline St. in Kalibo, it stands close to their church and across the plaza. Though it looks very modern and like a house, this edifice actually dates back in 1882. The original structure is called the “Eskwlehan it Hari” or School of Kings; which obviously was a school established by the Spanish missionaries when they first arrived. It has served not just a school but a municipal hall and courthouse before it became a museum.

Having visited many museums, I was honestly unimpressed during my first entry of the museum. I started with their religious artifacts and gradually interest sinks in as I shifted to more ancient artifacts and items. It was like reading a local history book as I gaze upon things that date back later and later in time. I love their spears and other weaponry which reflects the life of the Akean – the tribal atis (short-dark skinned natives) and those Malays.

: archaic spears and armor

: This pre-historic jar was excavated in Boracay

: Prehistoric and Spanish-era pieces

And when I ended by visit in Museum It Akean, it was really a learning experience. Their collection might not be that huge or complete but what they have really interesting pieces – not just old but significant as well.With this, I can reccommend to those who will be visiting Kalibo and Aklan to pay tribute to its rich heritage by visting Museo It Akean.

How to Get there: Just take a tricycle anywhere in Kalibo and inform the driver ( fare: 7pesos)

Entrance fee:10 pesos

Related Articles:

Province of Aklan

Bernardino Jalandoni Museum

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Tags: attractions in Aklan, Kalibo Aklan, Museum, Things to do in Aklan
Posted in Aklan, destinations, museums | 3 Comments »

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

cebu cathedral museum

Just across the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is its own ecclesiastical museum that holds many religious treasures within the archdiocese of Cebu. One look of this museum and you will see that it is a typical bahay na bato, the lower part is made of coral stones while the upper part of the house is made of hardwood. The Cebu Cathedral Museum was once the Episcopal Palace of Cebu or parish house built way back in 1840.

Here is a nice piece in the museum that shows the different eras that this structure has lived through based on the materials used. Dirt ( pre-Spanish times), Blocks ( Spanish times ), Cement ( American times) and tiles ( present). cebucathedralmuseum

Cebu Cathedral Museum holds many things from the different churches within the archdiocese like statues of saints, church items like chalice and medallions.

Here are some of the ecclesiastical treasures housed in the Cebu Cathedral Museum:

CEBUcathdral museum

Cebu cathderal museum

cebu cathedral museum

The museum is very organized with each piece carefully displayed with captions and short write ups about them. And for someone like me who is not very familiar with all the saints, it was such a learning experince.

Lastly, the museum has its courtyard and they accept functions like birthdays and some parties. If you are looking for a quite place to spend your parents or grandparents’ birthday or anniversaries, have it in Cebu Cathedral Museum.

cebu cathedral museum

How to get there:

If you don’t want to take a taxi, jeepneys routing from Mandaue passes through the cathedral. They are easy to spot with their numbers 21A or 21D.

If you are from the Basilica del Sto. Niño, turn right. It’s will take less than 5 minutes on foot.

Entrance fee: 50pesos

Related article:

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

Tags: cebu cathedral museum, musuems in Cebu, Things to do in Cebu
Posted in Cebu, museums | 3 Comments »

Bernardino Jalandoni Museum

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Located in the main street of Silay City is the one of the most famous ancestral houses turned museum in the city- Bernardino Jalandoni Museum. The museum along with Balay Negrense are the only ones of the 31 ancestral houses that are open to the public showcasing many of the original and centuries old items of the family.

The Jalandoni Family

The house is very impressive in terms of how preserved and intact it is amidst time particularly with the Second World War. I can say that the residents of the house for hundreds of years really took good care of it as well as the interior pieces like their tables, pianos and cutlery. Some of the furniture pieces hailed from Austria and other parts of Europe where the master of the house frequently traveled.

The Curator showing us the Doll Collection located at the old warehouse of the house

It helps that they have a curator who is very knowledgable with all the properties of the Jalandoni family and relate it to how affluent they really are. It’s nice to learn something and a lot of things from people who have mastery of what they are into.

We learned that this type of chair is also for birthing purposes ( see the wide arm rest?)

Going back, the house is very spacious with as expected have timeless and priceless pieces from their sewing machine to their wooden ice box used as a fridge. Since it is a museum, they have many things mostly photos and books donated by the National Institute. The curator ( sorry, I forgot his name) was very nice and I highly suggest any history class to visit the Bernanrdino Jalandoni Museum. Judging from the stories of the curator and from the house itself – I cannot quite imagine how wealthy and powerful the family was.

Photos by: Ace Francisco

Tags: ancestral houses in Silay, Bernardino Jalandoni Museum, heritage homes in Silay, Silay City, things to do in Silay City
Posted in Negros Occidental, museums | 1 Comment »

Valerie Caulin

Archive for the ‘museums’ Category

Marcos Museum in Sarrat

Malacañang of the North

Museum It Akean

Cebu Cathedral Museum

Bernardino Jalandoni Museum

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