Ancestral houses in the Philippines are homes owned and preserved by the same family for several generations as part of the Filipino family culture. These houses can be a simple house or a mansion. Houses of prominent families become points of interest and they turn into museums because of their cultural, architectural or historical significance. Ancestral houses provide the current generation a glimpse of the country's colonial past.
Vigan is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial city in the Philippines. The city was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The city will bring you back in time as you discover its different landmarks and architectural structures.
The Mestizo district along Calle Crisologo is where a lot of ancestral house stands. Old Vigan Colonial Houses are ancestral houses built mostly by rich Chinese traders. These are made of thick brick walls and plastered with red clay. Syquia Mansion is an ancestral house located in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The mansion houses the birthplace of former president Elpidio Quirino.
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Great Tips and Trips to Vigan!
From Manila there are various bus terminals to choose from that goes to the Ilocos. There is one in Edsa-Pasay (Partas Bus Terminal) and in Cubao (Partas Bus Terminal & Florida Bus Terminal). I suggest you take the evening trip because it is a long 9-hour bus ride to Vigan.
Then from Vigan, I suggest you to hire private transportation as the must-see places are in between towns. If not, there are tricyles, buses, and mini-buses that ply these towns which will bring you to the city proper.
Accommodations to Vigan: There are many inns, pension houses and hotels located near the town center. My Vigan Home Hotel and Gordion Hotel are some of which will give you better accommodations during your days in Ilocos Sur.
My Vigan Home Hotel is located at 14 Plaridel corner Bonifacio Streets, Vigan (Ilocos Sur), Ilocos Region, Philippines 2700. Gordion Hotel is located at V. Delos Reyes corner Salcedo Sts., Vigan (Ilocos Sur), Ilocos Region, Philippines.