Dr. Eugenio Kilayko Mansion: Now Casa Maruja [Iloilo City Cultural Heritage]

Casa Maruja stands as a testament to the rich history of Iloilo City, preserving the heritage of the past while embracing the excitement of the present. Beautifully located along Mabini Street, this home is repurposed as a vibrant resto bar elegantly named Casa Maruja in honor of Doña Maria Pacheco-Yulo.

About Dr. Eugenio Kilayko

The following text was published by Nereo Cajilig Luján in his HISTORY 101: The Mansion of Dr. Eugenio Kilayko.

The mansion was built in 1920 by Dr. Eugenio Kilayko. It was later purchased by Doña Maria Pacheco – Yulo wife of Jose Regalado Tulo after World War ll. Dr. Kilayko was born in 1876 and his father was a pure Chinese named Que Lai, who became Quelaico and was changed to Kilayko because of the Katipunan.

He was the first internist in Iloilo City who treated tuberculosis patients using a pneumothorax machine from Paris. He served as president of the Iloilo Medical Society in 1933.

The mansion of Dr. Eugenio Kilayko — Photo by: YusufBel Overio | Old Iloilo

The machine was used to collapse the lungs of patients to give them “a proper rest” in the belief that this would give them a chance to repair themselves. Collapsing the lungs was also aimed to cut off the oxygen supply to the tuberculosis bacteria and kill them, a treatment that was replaced by antibiotics in the 1950s.

His first wife was Soledad Montaño Mapa of Mandurriao with whom he had a son named Victorino. After the death of his wife, he married Celsa Lizares Alunan of Talisay, Negros Occidental. Their children were Aida, Francisco, Lilia, Gilda, Milagros, Jesus, Agustin, Jose Maria and Juan.

Aida, who married lawyer Julian Hernaez, is remembered for having been crowned Queen of Iloilo Carnival 1924 when she was 17.

Photo of Aida “Aiding” Kilayko, Queen of Iloilo Carnival 1924, during her school days at Assumption College, Iloilo.

Aida Kilayko — Photo by: Nereo Cajilig Luján | Old Iloilo

After the World War II

After World War II, the house was acquired by Maria Pacheco-Yulo, also known as Doña Maruja, widow of Jose Regalado Yulo, Iloilo’s governor from 1931 to 1934. The Yulo couple had three daughters — Herminia (married to Salvador Villa), Alicia (married to Mariano Laurel), and Concepcion (married to Nestor Jalandoni).

The family owns the Maruja Building at the corner of Burgos and Rizal Streets in the city where the Social Security System used to hold office. They also owned Hacienda Maruja in the municipality of Isabela in Negros Occidental.

At Present: Casa Maruja

The restored mansion of Dr. Eugenio Kilayko is now owned by Mrs. Lucy Villa Tanjangco – the granddaughter of former Iloilo Gov. Jose Regalado Yulo and Doña Maruja Yulo. She is the daughter of Salvador Villa and Herminia Yulo. Presently, it is now a place called “Casa Maruja” – a restaurant where memories intertwine with flavors.