Exploring old houses

If you are on a walking tour of Masbate City, it is nice to try visiting a number of traditional ancestral houses around the town. Such houses date back to the Spanish times (1800s) and were homes to several generations of wealthy Masbateños. The houses are open to the public and entrance to these houses is generally free. Some houses, though, ask for any amount of donation for the maintenance of the house. You can locate these houses just by asking the locals. The locals can understand both English and Tagalog. The houses are also just at walking distance from each other.

One of the houses was owned by a former international beauty queen. Another house is said to be owned by a woman who dreamt of having a dozen children and later on was able to fulfill her dream. Another one has a life-size statue of the Santo Entiero or the dead Jesus Christ. The same house has a big mirror believed to show you the face of your future husband or wife if you look hard enough. Almost all houses are made entirely of dark wood. You can see the owners’ 19th century portraits hanging on the wall, showing the owners in traditional Filipiniana costumes.