Locsin House on Lower Bottom Portion of Photo with Molo Church
I was saddened and horrified when I saw another of our heritage houses being torn down and be replaced by something…rumors say it’ll be another commercial building. That old green and white building sitting just across the majestic Saint Anne’s Church in Molo, Iloilo City, has been demolished.
Locsin House Demolished (Photo by Rex Dianala)
The old Locsin house which is just at Calle San Pedro in Molo was just demolished to give way to a rumored commercial or residential new space for this area after the old owners sold it to a private investor which the name is withheld.
The local heritage council of Iloilo made effort in saving this piece of Ilonggo heritage but was futile since the existing ordinance only governs the Calle Real Central Business District and the six plazas of Iloilo City. It’s either that the implementation is slow or is it that the local heritage council really lacks the support or action? There are a lot of heritage sites outside the protected zones, lots of them…are we gonna wait until all of them are gone? Where is this promotion of making Iloilo City a heritage and cultural destination if one by one, these panubli-on of our ancestors disappear without a trace, all in the name of progress and not of culture? It’ll be futile.
Locsin House at Molo, Iloilo City (Image: Google Earth)
The city is banking on these as their potential tourist drawers and at the same time a foundation of understanding the rich Ilonggo culture and history. The first days of Iloilo City Heritage Sites promotion was really intense, creating such awareness to the people that these are truly our treasures to behold and be kept. But alas, us having the so-called “Dory Syndrome” didn’t saved this house, or probably more of them in the future.
Locsin House Demolished (Photo by Rex Dianala)
Is it the ignorance of the majority of the masa or is it really part of our culture not just Ilonggos but Filipinos as a whole to just leave the old and in with the new? I understand that we as Filipinos emphasize first in survival more than anything else, but would we like to have our system be like that for eternity? Never evolving about cultural awareness? In my opinion, there is a difference between learning from the past and living with the past and let it linger and doesn’t move on. I heard from one of the people back then that “A city doesn’t have a soul without its history, or perhaps heritage sites.”
It may be that the rich and the educated are the only ones showing concern about heritage and culture but I really do hope that the middle class and especially the masa would learn how to love their history, culture and society. It can live side by side along with practicality or surviving the next day. Creating awareness thru elementary and high school would be a start. Educating our young to love our heritage and foster a sense of pride of place.
Locsin House, 3 years ago.
The demolition of the Locsin house only manifests on how our civilization, our society treats history in general perhaps. Leaving the old and forgetting the lessons and the importance it brought towards the civilization. We’ve seen more heritage sites either being desicrated by those who wear the sutana and others demolished since it no longer has a place in this modern day and age. I wish the private investor could have given a chance for adaptive reuse of this old house.
Tell me, what are you know if it wasn’t for yesterday?
And to quote a very old and cliché maxim:
“Ang di lumingon sa pinanggalingan, ay di makararating sa paroroonan.” (f you do not look back from where you came from, you’ll never reach where you are or even beyond.)
Sometimes we need to let go of the past. There’s a time to reminisce about our history. But keeping real estate as a keepsake doesn’t come cheap. We can keep our heritage alive through documentation of our history, the people and our culture. We should teach our children to value memories and lessons from the past. Objects as mementos are good, but they break down and disappear. Values don’t.
Please do not keep harping about the masa not being aware of heritage and preservation or conservation. Take note: the ones who demolish old structures are the rich, I repeat rich owners of old houses.
The LGUs are also to blame. Heritage is seldom a priority to most of the LGUs all over the Philippines.
The masa is never consulted. Nor tdo they have the wherewithall to do anything about this.
Yet we cannot lose them all. If the City of Iloilo is really banking itself as a heritage destination, they too should be serious about retaining these pieces of history, not just in the books. Letting go of the past is different from preserving heritage. The world is dynamic but unfortunately for us Filipinos, we do not like the mementos of the past, and instead would look for a new thing without knowing the mistakes of the past. History and heritage are inter-twined together.
What is the value of history if we even couldn’t take care of our heritage nor we always take for granted lessons of history in our own academe? Most people don’t mind except progress and survival but how about the basics of their culture? If it wasn’t for the past, they couldn’t be here.
IMHO, I even doubt that our society takes hold of its history, heritage and culture…they always take the backseat.
That is why I asked, is it the masa or us as a whole, in general in the society is the one to blame? People who do not care about their history, pride of place or even their own culture? I never harked them but simply asked, is it us in general to blame? We really couldn’t blame them because survival is on their top priority.
Now you did mentioned about the rich and powerful…sad to say they too contribute to the demise but I really couldn’t also blame them…if they cannot maintain it and they are also in dire need of money to sustain themselves then they need to do whatever they can dispose of in their capital. (But I wish the new owner could’ve given the house the adaptive reuse a chance).
I don’t LGUs are also to blame here but also the national government. I dunno if NHI or NCCA is doing something about these but I know they are also plagued with the perennial problem of budgetary constraints. I guess, culture and heritage preservation is really at the back seat of every government programs.
Heritage preservation has its dilemma I think.
I just remembered Architect Melba told me before, “In heritage preservation, only 2 things are certain…if you have money to preserve it then it’ll be preserved, otherwise its a goner like the rest.”
I’m just saddened about this latest development Mam Louella. But I guess this is not the end for the battle of promoting advocacy not just in heritage preservation but also looking on how important history and heritage are in our society…our Filipino society that is.
Claire, I’m sorry, that is a lame excuse to “forget the past”. There are ways to utilize a “heritage” structure for commercial purposes. Here in Baguio, a couple of Art-Deco apartments and theaters (which sprouted up after the carpet bombing of WW2) are being converted to provide commercial space. Although some aren’t planned well, at least the facade and basic structure is intact.
Bernie, herutage and conservation advocacy is very bleak sometimes. We have to thank heavens for those that we save.
The NHI and the NCCA do not have “police” powers. Maybe we should all gang up together and ask our lawmakers to create a law protecting historical/heritage structures, plazas, towns. The only way to go is the legal way. Persuasion also helps.
But we as a people do not have a sense of history. Period. The few who do care about it are doing their best. Let’s pray for more people to join us!
Miss Louella, aye. Same sentiments. It’s bleak and sometimes full of conflicts especially when it comes on how to preserve it or even the politics behind it. Reality bites.
I don’t know what happened to the Heritage Bill that some people in Manila have been preparing.
And yes, still hoping and praying that more people should be aware of our heritage and history. Maybe we should start with our educational system, but I know it’s a bold and steep move.
Thanks for your time! By the way, congratulations for the launch of the Balaanong Bahandi book (is it right? Basin sala ko sa akong Sinugbohanon, hehe!)
claire,
houses, structures, buildings represent the values of our ancestors as well – probably its most potent form through architecture. There are different motivations of the houseowner during a particular era that defined why a building evolved and looked a certain way.
Real estate does not come cheap hence the challenge of making these heritage structures relevant today.
Beleive me values die as well if only because vestiges of these values die as well.
thank you berniemack for creating an awareness regarding the locsin house in molo . it is sad to know that that the house is not longer there. let me add a personal note: i am aware of that particular house because when i am in iloilo i usually stay in molo (magaranon street, they say)… i would that the government or persons
to record in video, painting or sketch or in whatever form a particular landmark intentended for demolition. OR just cut THE HOUSE UP AND BUILT IT IN A PUBLIC place to be use as museum and for any public activities
A sad loss, the passing of an era in a blink of an eye, the story of my ancestors, the story of Molo unfolding.