He was one of the instruments that tumbled down two presidencies in Philippine politics and one of the key players of both EDSA I and II that made two women as the most powerful person in the Philippines. Cardinal Jaime Cardinal Sin with that iconic smile is the most controversial clergy in the Philippines. He was even one of the most promising candidate for the papacy if only he lived through it; he could have been the first Filipino and Asian pope.
In a small and quite port municipality of New Washington in Aklan, Cardinal Sin was born and raised. It is quite surprising that the strong clergyman traces his roots in a very quite town, which is only 15-20 minutes away from the capital of Aklan, Kalibo. A very quite town with simple people; when you come to this place, it is a perfect retirement place and no wonder you can pass by quite big houses from balikbayans and seamen.
In front of the town plaza is the ancestral house of Cardinal Sin’s family and just a few steps away from the small port of New Washington. If you follow the status quo of Philippine society in which the rich and wealth family lives close to the plaza ( along with the parish church and the town hall); Cardinal Sin is indeed part of a wealthy families in Aklan.
Only a caretaker lives in the house and it’s not formally opened to the public. You might get lucky to enter the house upon the caretaker’s permission and since it is not a heritage home or a tourist attraction, do not expect to see memorabilia displayed in an organized manner. Instead, just take the expereince of being able to step into the abode that nurtured the country’s most unforgettable clergyman and a testimony that the church and state in the Philippines is still one.
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