The Houses of Iloilo

One of the things which contribute to the charm of Iloilo City – aside from its churches and plazas – are its old houses and ancestral homes. While many have become rundown, quite a few are restored, well-maintained, or converted into schools and other buildings.

One example is the Ledesma House in downtown Iloilo, extremely well-restored and maintained by Zafito Ledesma, a consultant and active member of Museo Iloilo. Available only for private tours, the Ledesma House boasts of an unusual horse-shoe shaped dining table which curls around a fountain, its original furniture dating back to the early 1930’s, and magnificent wooden staircase entrance, and its painted ceilings.

Another example is the stylish Lopez House, locally known as the “Boathouse” because its architecture carries a strong nautical theme. With round, porthole-style windows and expansive upper-story balconies which resemble ships’ decks, Boathouse once commanded a good view of the city from its roofdeck (reachable by cast-iron spiral stairs) before buildings were constructed across the street and around the house. To add to the nautical feel, the house is painted in pristine white with wooden deck flooring made of different alternating Philippine hardwoods.

The Lizares House, built in 1937, has been converted into the Angelicum School run by the Dominican Fathers. Set back deep and away from the street, passersby can get a good view of the house and appreciate its grandness. It stands out on account of its distinct tower which houses a grand spiral staircase. While Angelicum has expanded its enrollment and built more buildings, it has wisely constructed on a side property to preserve the view of this grand house.

Finally, a house simply known as Nelly Garden, also enjoys a generous setback from the street so that pedestrians can fully appreciate this residence. With its massive front yard and long driveway, Nelly Garden was where the high society of Iloilo entertained and partied. This white house still looks grand from a distance and one can only imagine what life was like in Iloilo in its early days when it was very much the Queen City of the South.

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