Iloilo City Cultural Heritage: Camiña Balay nga Bato - Avanceña Ancestral House

Camiña Balay nga Bato century-old ancestral house in Arevalo district of Iloilo City. Its construction dates back to the 1860s and is now part of an important cultural property. It is one of the most prominent ancestral houses in Iloilo offering its guests a warm atmosphere, and ancient and historical exhibits, serving one of the best tablea chocolates and delectable pancit molo.

Camiña Balay nga Bato is a heritage home, a museum, a gastronomic experience, and a souvenir shop. After you enjoy your cup Homemade Tsokolate tablea (chocolate tableas) and devour your bowl of Pancit Molo, you can head to their heritage store where you can buy pasalubongs like hablon, sinamak, langgaw (vinegar) tsokolate tablea, and the famous batirol or kettle for chocolate making.

History

Camiña Balay nga Bato was the home of Fernando Avancena and his wife, Eulalia Abaja. It was patterned like a bahay kubo with 24 tree trunk pillars (haligi) supporting the whole structure. The roofing was made of bamboo and nipa. The floors were made of narra and ivory.

The house was restored by Eugene Jamerlan in the 19th century who replaced the roofing with pressed tin sheets to minimize the hazard of fire.

An Important Cultural Property

On December 23, 2015, it was declared as an important cultural property by the National Museum by Resolution No. 23-2015 and Republic Act 10066 (National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009).

The current owners Gerard Camiña, former director of the Land Transportation Office in Western Visayas, and wife Luth, together with the National Museum’s Cultural Properties Regulation Division deputy chief Raquel Flores and President Rodrigo Duterte’s long-time partner Honeylet Avanceña, led the installation of the marker. They were happy because of the official recognition of the house as an important cultural property representing the architecture of the 1860s.

Flores led the marker installation together with President Rodrigo Duterte’s long-time partner Honeylet Avanceña who hailed the Camiña couple’s effort to preserve their house for posterity.

According to deputy chief Raquel Flores, the Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato was a “testimony to the richness and diversity of a heritage that speaks to the longstanding and distinctive strength, resilience, and dynamism of the spirit of the Filipino people.” In addition, she also describes it as a “significant built heritage of the country”