Pinoy Power

Lyca, Wagi Bilang Kauna-unahang 'The Voice Kids' Grand Champion

Wagi bilang kauna-unahang grand champion ng "The Voice Kids" ang siyam na taong gulang na si Lyca Gairanod ng Cavite matapos niyang makuha ang pinakamaraming text at online votes mula sa taongbayan sa two-night finale ng top-rating at Twitter-trending na singing-reality show.

Nanguna sa botohan ang pambato ni coach Sarah Geronimo base sa tatlong rounds na Power Ballad, Upbeat Song, at Special Performance with a Celebrity Guest upang manalo ng P1 milyon, one-year recording contract mula sa MCA Universal, house and lot, home appliance showcase, musical instrument showcase, at P1 milyong worth ng trust fund.

Pumangalawa naman si Darren Espanto ng Team Sarah, kasunod sina Juan Karlos Labajo ng Team Bamboo at Darlene Vibares ng Team Lea sa ikatlo at ikaapat na pwesto.

Nagwagi si Lyca matapos kantahin ang "Narito Ako" ni Regine Velasquez para sa kanyang ballad at ang "Call Me Maybe" ni Carly Rae Jepsen sa kanyang upbeat song noong Sabado ng gabi (Hulyo 26), ngunit ang talagang tumatak sa mga manonood ay ang kanyang performance ng "Basang Basa sa Ulan" at pakikipagsabayan sa bandang Aegis noong Linggo (Hulyo 27) na umani ng standing ovation mula kay coach Lea Salonga, Bamboo, at sa audience ng Resorts World Manila.

Hindi pa man nagsisimulang umere ang "The Voice Kids" ay gumawa na ng ingay si Lyca dahil sa kanyang blind audition performance ng "Halik" ng Aegis na nagsilbing isa sa mga teaser para sa pagsisimula ng programa at naging isang viral hit.

Sa kanyang pagsuong at pagtatagumpay sa Battle Rounds, Sing-Offs, at Live Semi-Finals, nabansagan si Lyca bilang ang "little superstar" matapos siyang ikumpara ni coach Lea kay Nora Aunor. Dito rin mas nakilala pa si Lyca bilang ang batang may pangarap na lumaki sa kahirapan bilang anak ng amang mangingisda na minsa'y tinutulungan ang kanyang ina na mangalakal ng basura. Naibahagi rin ni Lyca noon na minsa'y kumakanta siya para sa kanyang mga kapitbahay para bigyan ng pera o pagkain.

Talagang inabangan, tinutukan, at pinag-usapan ng maraming netizens ang pag-aanunsyo ng unang "The Voice Kids" grand champion dahil sa pagte-trend sa buong bansa at worldwide sa Twitter ng #TheVoiceKidsChampion, #TVKDarrenForTheChampion, #WowAngGwapoNiLuis, Jhong Hilario, Lani Misalucha, Gary V and JK, You Are My Song, at iba pang hashtags.

Sa star-studded na Sunday finale, nag-perform din ang ibang finalists na sina Darren kasama si Martin Nievera, si Juan Karlos kasama si Gary Valenciano, at si Darlene kasama si Lani Misalucha. Binuksan ang nasabing gabi, na pinangunahan ng hosts na sina Luis Manzano at Alex Gonzaga, ng isang performance kasama ang Final Four young artists, tatlong coaches, at ang "The Voice of the Philippines" Season 1 grand winner na si Mitoy at finalists na sina Klarisse de Guzman, Myk Perez, at Janice Javier.

Mula nang magsimula itong umere noong Mayo, ang "The Voice Kids" ang naging pinaka-tinututukang programa sa buong bansa. Nakamit ng programa ang all-time high national TV rating nitong 37.6% noong Hunyo 8.

Inaasahan namang magsisimula ang "The Voice of the Philippines" Season 2 bago magtapos ang taon. Para sa updates, bisitahin ang thevoice.abs-cbn.com, i-like ang www.facebook.com/thevoiceabscbn sa Facebook o i-follow ang @thevoiceabscbn the Twitter at @abscbnthevoice sa Instagram.

Vice Ganda, Hahataw Kasama ang PBB All In Housemates sa 'The Big Concert' Ngayong Sabado

Unknown at 8:03 PM No comments :

Matapos makipag-bonding kasama ang housemates ng "Pinoy Big Brother All In" sa kanyang pagbisita kamakailan sa Bahay ni Kuya, muli niyang makakasama ang mga ito para sa isang ultimate hatawan ngayong Sabado (Hulyo 26) sa "PBB All In: The Big Concert" kung saan nakasalalay ang tagumpay ng kanilang weekly task.

Makikipagsabayan si Vice sa production number ng "Boom Panes," na isa lamang sa mga pinaghahandaang song and dance numbers at iba pang pasabog ng housemates.

Bukod diyan, makakasama rin ng unkabogable star at "It's Showtime" host sina Erich Gonzales, Enchong Dee, at dating "PBB" housemate na si Jason Gainza upang husgahan kung papasa ba ang show para sa kanila. Magtagumpay at mapabilib kaya nila ang celebrity judges?

Isa lang ang "Big Concert" sa malalaking events ngayong linggo sa Bahay ni Kuya. Kabilang na rito ang pa-party para ipagdiwang ang ika-18 na kaarawan ni Jane na inihanda pa mismo ng housemates para sa kanya. Nakisaya sa nasabing selebrasyon ang Kapamilya stars na sina Nash Aguas, Jairus Aquino, Diego Loyzaga, at ex-housemate na si Axel para sorpresahin ang dalaga. Ngunit ang pinakanakakagulat na guest ng gabi ay ang basketball star na si Jeron Teng na minsan nang na-link kay Jane. Ano kaya ang epekto nito lalo na kay Joshua na tila pinagselosan ang pagdalaw nina Jeron at Axel? Lalo ba nitong paaapuyin ang tampuhan nina Joshua at Jane?

Huwag bibitiw at subaybayan ang mga pangyayari sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya sa "Pinoy Big Brother All In" kasama si Toni Gonzaga gabi-gabi pagkatapos ng "Aquino & Abunda Tonight" sa Primetime Bida at sa "Pinoy Big Brother All In Uber" kasama sina Bianca Gonzalez, John Prats, at Robi Domingo pagkatapos ng "Moon of Desire" sa Kapamilya Gold. Samantala, samahan naman gabi-gabi sina Slater Young at Joj at Jai Agpangan sa "Ubertime Online" sa pinoybigbrother.com/livechat para pag-usapan ang mga pangyayari sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya.

Alamin ang mga pinakabagong kaganapan sa Bahay ni Kuya at sundan ang kanyang Secretary sa @PBBabscbn sa Twitter o i-like ang www.facebook.com/OfficialPinoyBigBrotherAbsCbn.

Kapamilya Stars at Programs, Nanguna sa Yahoo! Celebrity Awards 2014

Unknown at 2:16 AM No comments :

Muli na namang nagningning ang mga personalidad at programa ng ABS-CBN sa Yahoo! Celebrity Awards matapos mauwi ng mga ito ang pinakamaraming bilang ng tropeyo sa idinaos na awards night kamakailan, sa pangunguna ng teleserye princess na si Kim Chiu.

Nakatanggap ng pinakamaraming online at Kakao Talk votes si Kim para tanghaling Celebrity of the Year at Actress of the Year. Pinatunayan din ng fans nila ni Xian Lim ang kanilang pagmamahal para sa kanilang idolo dahil wagi sa ikalawang magkasunod na taon ang KimXi bilang Fan Club of the Year, habang panalo naman ang pinagbidahan nilang "Bride for Rent" bilang Movie of the Year.

Pinarangalang Social Media Star of the Year si Vice Ganda, habang itinanghal namang Love Team of the Year ang kanilang onscreen tandem ng "It's Showtime" co-host na si Karylle.

Nakuha naman ng top-rating primetime soap na "Ikaw Lamang" ang Teleserye of the Year award, samantalang kinilala rin ang mga bida nitong sina Coco Martin at Jake Cuenca bilang Actor of the Year at Male Kontrabida of the Year.

Pinangalanan naman si Kris Aquino bilang ang Female TV Host of the Year, si Vhong Navarro bilang Male TV Host of the Year, si Julia Barretto bilang Female Emerging Star, si JC de Vera bilang Male Emerging Star for, at si Andrea Brillantes bilang Child Star of the Year.

Samantala, nanguna sa botohan ang "The Voice Kids" coaches na sina Sarah Geronimo at Bamboo sa kategoryang Female at Male Performers of the Year. Natamo naman nina Gretchen Ho, ang host ng programang "Team U" ng ABS-CBN Sports + Action at DJ Chacha ng MOR 101.9 ang Female Hothlete of the Year at Female DJ of the Year awards.

Muli ring nagwagi ang "TV Patrol" bilang ang News Program of the Year.

Ang Yahoo! Celebrity Awards, ang dating Yahoo! OMG Awards, ay isa sa mga pinakamalaking awards show sa bansa na kinikilala ang mga pinakapopular na personalidad at programa sa musika, pelikula, radyo, at telebisyon.

'Hawak Kamay' Magbibigay Inspirasyon sa mga Pamilya Simula Lunes

Unknown at 9:29 PM No comments :

Paano mababago ng responsibilidad ng pagigng ama sa tatlong ampon ang buhay ng isang lasenggong nangangarap maging sikat na musikero?

Ito ang magiging tanong sa bagong family drama ng ABS-CBN na "Hawak Kamay" na malapit nang mag-premiere, kung saan mapapanood ang pagbabalik ni Piolo Pascual sa mundo ng teleserye pagkatapos ng tagumpay ng kanyang nakaraang pelikulang "Starting Over Again".

Makakasama ni Piolo sa "Hawak Kamay" ang tatlo sa mga pinakamahuhusay na child star ng bansa na sina Zaijan Jaranilla, Andrea Brillantes, at Xyriel Manabat. Ipinakikilala rin sa "Hawak Kamay" ang bagong child star na si Yesha Camille, na naging Grand i-Shiner matapos i-mentor ni Piolo sa pangalawang season ng Promil Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp.

Ang "Starting Over Again" co-star din ni Piolo na si Iza Calzado ay kasama sa cast, pati na rin ang singer-actress na si Nikki Gil, ang "Banana Split: Extra Scoop" at "Banana Nite" mainstay na si Ryan Bang, ang "She's Dating the Gangster" cast member na si Sofia Andres, ang former Pinoy Big Brother housemate na si Axel Torres, at ang nagkaka-comeback na si Victor Neri.

Ang "Hawak Kamay" ay kwento ni Gin (Piolo Pascual) na isang lasenggong bumibitaw na sa pangarap niyang maging sikat na musikero. Dahil sa isang aksidente, mapupunta kay Gin ang responsibilidad na kunin ang tatlong batang in-adopt ng kanyang namatay na kapatid: sina Emong (Zaijan Jaranilla), Dara (Xyriel Manabat), at Ningning (Yesha Camile). Ang set-up na ito ay babantayan ng isang matapang na attorney, si Bianca (Iza Calzado) at ng kanyang kapatid na si Lorrie (Andrea Brillantes), na makakakita kung tama ba si Gin para sa tatlong mga bata. Sa paghaharap nilang lahat sa iba't ibang bagay ay unti-unting malalaman nila kung ano ba talaga ang importante sa buhay at kung ano talaga ang ibig sabihin ng pagiging bahagi ng isang pamilya.

Sa Linggo (July 20) isang araw bago mag-premiere ang serye ay pwedeng makasama ng live ang cast ng "Hawak Kamay" na sina Piolo, Iza, Zaijan, Xyriel, Andrea, at Yesha sa isang mall show na gaganapin sa Fairview Terraces ng 4:00pm.

Huwag palampasin ang simula ng kwento ng "Hawak Kamay" na mapapanood simula Lunes (Hulyo 21) pagkatapos ng "TV Patrol" sa ABS-CBN. Para sa mga update, sundan ang opisyal na website ng "Hawak Kamay" (hawakkamay.abs-cbn.com), i-like ang "Hawak Kamay" sa Facebook (www.facebook.com/HawakKamayTV), at sundan ang "Hawak Kamay" sa Twitter at Instagram (@HawakkamayTV).

High School Grad and Self-Made Millionaire in 'My Puhunan'

Unknown at 8:14 AM No comments :

Broadcast journalist Karen Davila shares how a high school graduate who has shown entrepreneurial instinct since she was a child made millions in My Puhunan" bukas (July 16).

Sally Perez grew up in the shadows of her five siblings who were all honor students. His father would always bring her down and doubted that she would ever achieve anything.

Sally learned to make it out on her own when she was just in Grade 3, when her father stopped sending her to school. She also started selling sago, mangoes, and candy for her own school allowance.

Sally finished high school on her own and made a living selling imported hats in Baclaran.

With a small capital of P2,000, she purchased two small second-hand sewing machines which she used to make more hats and headpieces. This was the beginning of what is now known as "Perez Headwear," which supplies products to some of the biggest department stores in the country.

Don't miss "My Puhunan" this Wednesday (July 16), 4PM on ABS-CBN. For updates, follow @mypuhunan and @MutyaNgMasa on Twitter or like www.facebook.com/MyPuhunan and www.facebook.com/MutyaNgMasa.

Vigan Makes It to Top 21 of New7Wonders Cities

Unknown at 1:01 AM No comments :

Source: Good News Pilipinas

Vigan in Ilocos Sur has advanced to the next round of an international search for the world's new seven wonder cities.

New7Wonders Cities said Vigan is among the 21 finalists voted through to the next round of the campaign.
Filipinos and tourists who have experienced the beauty of Vigan, cast your vote in the penultimate voting stage that will run until Oct. 7.

Votes may be sent via:

website: new7wonders.com, via the iPhone and Android apps
international telephone voting lines.
where available, via national SMS.

After Oct. 7, the list will be further narrowed to 14, and the 7 Official New7Wonders Cities will be revealed on December 7.

Aside from Vigan, the 20 other official finalists are Bangkok, Barcelona, Beirut, Chicago, Doha, Durban, Havana, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, La Paz, London, Mendoza, Mexico City, Mumbai, Perth, Quito, Reykjavik, Saint Petersburg, Seoul, and Shenzhen.

New7Wonders Foundation founder-president Bernard Weber said the diversity of the remaining cities is "remarkable in terms of regional geography and urban culture."

Weber lauded those involved in the individual city campaigns, and praised the voters for contributing to the success of the New7Wonders Cities initiative.

The New7Wonders Foundation also started the New7Wonders of Nature initiative from 2007 to 2011. Another Philippine location, the Puerto Princesa Underground River, was named to the list.

Vigan has been inscribed in the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 1999.

According to UNESCO, the city "represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning." It was included on the heritage list for being "an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia."

ABS-CBN, Nangunguna Pa Rin sa Buong Bansa Noong Hunyo

Unknown at 8:52 PM No comments :

Mas pinanood pa rin ang ABS-CBN sa mas maraming kabahayan sa buong bansa noong Hunyo matapos pumalo ang average audience share nito sa 45%, o 13 puntos na mas mataas sa 32% ng GMA, base sa datos ng Kantar Media.

Mas mapagkakatiwalaan ang datos ng Kantar Media na batay sa 2,609 na kabahayan sa parehong urban at rural areas sa bansa. Mas marami at eksakto kaysa sa service provider ng ibang networks, ang AGB Nielsen, na mayroong 1,980 kabahayan na nakabase lamang sa mga urban area. Kinakatawan ng Kantar Media ang 100% ng mga kabahayang may telebisyon sa Pilipinas, habang umano'y 57% lamang ang kinakatawan ng AGB Nielsen dahil hindi kasama ang rural areas sa datos nito.

Lumabas din sa datos ng Kantar Media nitong Hunyo na mas maraming manonood ang kumapit sa mga programa ng ABS-CBN sa buong araw dahil nanguna ito sa lahat ng time blocks.

Ang Umaganda (6AM-12NN) ng ABS-CBN ay nagkamit ng average audience share na 39%, habang may 34% naman ang GMA. Isa ang patok na game show na "The Singing Bee," na may national TV rating na 12.9%, sa nag-ambag sa lamang na ito sa kabila ng paglulunsad ng bago nitong kalaban na "Basta Everyday Happy" (4.9%).

Nakakuha ng average audience share na 40% ang ABS-CBN para sa early afternoon block (12NN-3PM) nito, habang may 32% ang GMA. Siyam na puntos namang mas mataas ang ABS-CBN (42%) pagdating sa late afternoon block (3PM-6PM) kontra sa GMA (33%).

Hindi pa rin natitibag ang Kapamilya network pagdating primetime block (6PM-12MN) na may average audience share na 51%, o 21 puntos na mas lamang sa 30% ng GMA. Ang patuloy ng pamamayagpag ng Primetime Bida ay bunsod ng mga dekalidad nitong teleserye kabilang na ang "The Legal Wife" na nagwakas noong Hunyo 13 sa record breaking national TV rating na 36.2%. Patuloy namang nag-aagawan ang "Dyesebel" at "Ikaw Lamang" sa una at ikalawang pwesto sa listahan ng mga pinakapinapanood na programa tuwing weekdays. Mainit namang sinalubong ng mga manonood ang "Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon" ni Bea Alonzo noong Hunyo 16 sa national TV rating na 21.7%

Ang primetime ang pinakamahalagang timeblock dahil sa mga oras na ito may pinakamaraming nanonood kung kaya't importante ito sa advertisers na naglalagay ng patalastas para maabot ang mas nakararaming Pilipino sa buong bansa.

Muling pumatok ang pagbabalik ng legal drama seryeng "Ipaglaban Mo" na hango sa mga tunay na pangyayari. Patunay nito ang average national TV rating na 13.8%, o halos doble sa nakuha ng kalabang "GMA Tales of Horror" na may 7%.

Nakamit naman ng "The Voice Kids" ang all-time high national TV rating nito na 37.6% noong Hunyo 8. Ang naturang singing reality show din ang nanguna sa listahan ng 15 pinakapinanood na programa sa bansa noong Hunyo sa national TV rating na 35.6%.

Sa kabuuan, 13 programa sa nasabing listahan ay mula sa ABS-CBN kabilang na ang "Dyesebel" (31%), "Ikaw Lamang" (30.7%), "Maalaala Mo Kaya" (30%), "The Legal Wife" (28.8%), "Wansapanataym" (28%), "TV Patrol" (26.8%), "Rated K" (23.3%), "Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon" (21.4%), Mirabella (19. 6%), "Home Sweetie Home" (18.8%), "Goin' Bulilit" (18.7%), at "It's Showtime" tuwing Sabado (16.5%).

May 26 na TV networks, ad agencies, at pan-regional TV networks ang kasalukuyang naka-subscribe sa ratings services ng Kantar Media na kilala sa buong mundo bilang isang kumpanyang sumusukat at nananaliksik ng mga manonood ng telebisyon. Kabilang sa subscribers nito ang ABS-CBN, NBN, Sky Cable, J. Romero and Associates, 720ConsumerConnect, Starcom, OMD, PhD, Mediacom, Mindshare, MEC, Maxus, Universal McCann, Wellmade Manufacturing Corporation, Brand Ideas, and MPG Havas. Naka-subscribe rin sa kanila ang pan-regional networks tulad ng CSM Media Inc., Fox International Channels, Star HK, Discovery, AXN, HBO, MTV, Sony Pictures Television International, Celestial Tiger, and A&E Television Network. Sa nasabing mga ahensya at kumpanya, naka-subscribe sa parehong urban at rural TV audience measurement surveys ang ABS-CBN, Brand Ideas, MPG Havas, at 720ConsumerConnect.

Why the Historic City of Vigan was Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List?

Night Owl at 9:09 AM No comments :

Towards the end of November 1999, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention met in Marrakeeh, Morocco to decide which of the sites and monuments proposed by countries that have adhered to the World Heritage Convention should be included in the World Heritage List. The selection process is quite difficult for the World Heritage Committee, composed of specialists from 21 countries elected from among the nations that have signed the Convention, which determined how each site or monument, as opposed to another, be judged to form part of the World Heritage and what constitutes the exceptional and universal value of a cultural treasure.

In this respect, the World Heritage Convention defines what kinds of monuments and sites may be considered as part of cultural heritage and what kinds of physical and geological formations may be considered as part of our natural heritage. The Convention provides detailed criteria for the selection of sites and monuments, which the Committee applies rigorously to prevent the World Heritage List from becoming too long and to preserve its integrity as the checklist of the best among the world’s treasures.

On 2 December 1999, our Historic City of Vigan, a municipality then was inscribed in the World Heritage List which now includes 630 cultural and natural properties of exceptional universal value in 158 States Parties or countries that have adhered to the Convention.

The Historic City of Vigan was inscribed on the basis of the following:

Criterion (ii): “exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts or town planning and landscape design.”

Under this criterion, the World Heritage Centre officially cites: “Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.”

Criterion (iv): “be an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant change in human history.”

Under this criterion, the citation reads: “Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and East Asia.”

To understand better these citations, let us explore together the town planning, the evolution and typical lay-out of the Vigan House.

Town Planning

Strategically located at the mouth of the Abra River along the northwestern coast of Luzon which is nearest to mainland China, Vigan was an important coastal trading port from the pre-colonial era to the 19^th century. The town plan is representative of the style the Spanish colonizers had designed and established in the 18^th century, conforming to the Ley de las Indias (the Law of the Indies) that regulated the lay-out, street patterns and open spaces of all new settlements during the Spanish era: a regular urban design of grid street pattern radiating from a central plaza (park).

Dominating the central plaza (Plaza Salcedo) are the administrative and religious buildings: the Casa Real (Provincial Administrative Office), the Municipio (Municipal Hall), the Seminario (Archdiocesan Seminary), the Colegio de Niñas (which became the Rosary College, then St. Paul’s College), the Arzobispado (Archbishop’s Palace), the Cathedral (St. Paul’s Cathedral) with its detached campanario (belfry). Another plaza (Plaza Burgos) is situated to the south of the cathedral. Ancestral houses are tightly strung along narrow streets forming a grid-like pattern within the kasanglayan or mestizo district (historic district) which used to extend from the Mestizo River on the east to Rizal Street on the west.

The ancient urban plan survived the ravages of time, nature and the last World War, but a number of historic buildings were destroyed by fire. Before the turn of the last century, the Casa Real burned down and was replaced by an American colonial structure which became the Capitolio (Provincial Capitol Building). During the Japanese occupation, fire destroyed several houses along Crisologo Street, which were fortunately replaced by structures conforming to the historic buildings within the Mestizo district. In 1952, ancestral houses along Quezon Avenue were gutted down by fire. They were replaced by modern structures, which started the erosion of the ancient urban fabric of Vigan. The old seminario was burned down in 1968, followed by arrow of ancestral houses on the southern periphery of Plaza Burgos in 1971.

Evolution of the Vigan House

The Vigan house evolved from the pre-colonial bahay kubo of wood and bamboo, with roofs of nipa palm or cogon grass. The bahay kubo however was easily destroyed by typhoons and fire. In the 17^th century, the Spaniards and Mexicans started teaching the Chinese and native artisans how to quarry and dress stone, mould bricks, prepare and use lime mortar to construct fire-resistant brick and stone structures. Again, these structures were easily toppled down by earthquakes.

To counteract the dangers of fire and earthquakes, local artisans developed another type of architecture which incorporates the flexibility of interlocking wooden haligis (houseposts) and beams of the bahay kubo, and the durability and fire-resistance of stone and bricks. Stone and brick were used only on the ground floor; the second floor was of timber. The haligis carried the weight of the second floor, while the stone and brick walls on the ground floor served as solid curtains for the wooden framework.

A majority of the historic buildings in Vigan are two-storey structures, built in masonry on the ground floor and timber on the second floor. Some of the timber and bricks houses have voladas or extensions of the second floors that projects to the outside. The volada is a passageway that runs along this projection and was used by servants to move discreetly around the house, without disturbing homeowners and guests in the sala and bedrooms.

A third type of Vigan house is the two-storey buildings, built in masonry on both floors, which is remarkable in this earth-quake prone are. Most of the houses along Crisologo Street are of this type, which manifests the highest technological achievement of local artisans in building construction before the introduction of modern building materials and technology from the west.

The Vigan Ancestral House

Like the shop-houses in Asian trading cities like Melaka, Penang and Kuching (Malaysia), Macau, Singapore and Hoi An (Viet Nam), the Vigan house was built on a larger scale than its Asian counterparts.

The lay out and partitioning of the Vigan house were designed for specific purposes. One enters the puerta (main door), which is wide enough to accommodate the width of the caruaje (horse-drawn carriage) and high enough for the carroza (shoulder-borne and later on, carriage-mounted religious images), into a zaguan or hall on the ground floor. The inhabitants of the house can let visitors in by pulling a string from the second floor to open a puertita (smaller door) hinged to the main door. Horses for carriages were tethered in the caballoreza (horse stable) at the rear of the ground floor. Shops and bodegas (storage rooms) take up the rest of the space on the ground floor.

The grand staircase has two sections: a few steps to a landing where ordinary visitors were received; then a long flight of staircase to the second floor. More important visitors were received in the caida or antesala where informal entertaining was held. The sala, the biggest and most important part of the house was used for family gatherings and for important occasions. As in the pre-colonial bahay kubo, families slept together in two to three large cuartos (bedrooms). Either located at the end of the sala or separated by partition is the comedor (dining room) which leads to the cocina (kitchen). Adjacent to the cocina is the cobeta (toilet) which is a separate structure that was built at a later stage when sanitary toilets were introduced in the late 1800s. The azotea (open terrace) is an extension at the back of the second floor where residents and guests gathered to cool off and enjoy the stars after dinner.

The large ventanas (windows) which provide a maximum of ventilation are of two layers of sliding panes: an inner pair of sliding windows made of translucent capiz shells (of Chinese/Japanese origin) that permit natural sunlight to enter into the house; and an outside pair of sliding wooden storm shutters. Below the ventanas are smaller windows of sliding wooden panels called ventanillas that are protected by wooden balusters. Children can safely watch the street scene below through the balustered ventanillas. Tiled roofs and eaves extend well into the street to prevent rain from entering the inside of the house. Calados (cutwork friezes) decorating the top portion of the internal wooden partitions permit breeze to waft through. Some houses have window eaves made of tin and decorated with decorative cutouts on the fringes.

Significance of Vigan’s Inscription

The historic buildings of Vigan manifest the unique artistic and technological achievements of 18^th and 19^th century native artisans who developed an architectural style adapted to the earthquake-prone tropics and reflected their native art, using indigenous materials of wood, stone, terra cotta and capiz shells. The authenticity of the built heritage of Vigan has been established by experts: much of its original architectural, structural and decorative elements are still intact.

Vigan is a unique monument for having retained its ancient urban plan. In the Philippines, our town has the most extensive number of surviving religious, civic and traditional buildings that date back to the 18^th century. Today, 187 historic structures have survived. Most of them continue to be inhabited by descendants of the original builders or used for the original purposes for which they were built (religious and administrative buildings). Vigan is a ‘living heritage site’ where local inhabitants continue to be the custodians of their patrimony, where traditional industries continue to fuel local economy and where local traditions continue to be practiced.

Over the centuries, Vigan has maintained its visual and architectural unity and homogeneity. The built heritage of Vigan expresses the fusion and continuing adaptation of various cultural influences (Ilocano, Filipino, Chinese, Spanish, Mexican and more recently American) into a homogenous urban landscape and into an architectural style that is uniquely Filipino.

Vigan is likewise historically important to the nation as the scene of major historical events in the nation’s struggle for independence from foreign domination and is the birthplace of heroes, heroines and illustrious personages who shaped regional and national destiny.

Vigan’s inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List of Cultural Properties is therefore an acknowledgement of the genius of our native artisans who built our historic buildings and monuments, and a recognition of the commitment of our present generation to preserve our architectural legacy for the future generations of not only Bigueños, but of the entire world. With its inclusion in the World Heritage List, the Town of Vigan has become a source of pride, and a national symbol of the Filipinos.

(Written by Engr. Ricardo L. Favis, a Consultant for Culture at UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok, Thailand and former Tourism Operations Officer of the City of Vigan)

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