National University - Manila

551 MF Jhocson Street, Sampaloc, Manila 1008

“UNDERSTANDING AND
WORKING WITH HERITAGE
VALUES AND MEANINGS”

SUBMITTED BY:

CHUA, NICOLAI
CLAUDIO, JUDE
MAPOY, JEDIAH
MAGAT, CHRISTIAN
PAMOTONGAN, JAY
SANTOS, JOHN

SUBMITTED TO:
AR. AURORA B. PANOPIO
 VIGAN PLAZA HOTEL

This was taken recently when we went to Vigan last month, and Vigan Plaza Hotel were
one of the many structures in Vigan that caught my attention that aside from being historic, it is an
example of an adaptive reuse. According to its history Vigan Plaza Hotel has over a Hundred and
Thirty years of history to speak of. It has been a witness to many historic events, introduction of
cultures and changing of eras.

Built in 1870 by spouses Don Agrifino Singson and Donya Benita Encarnacion as their residence.
In 1903, the house was inherited by their son, Don Vicente Singson, then by the grandson, Jose
Encarnacion Singson. During this period, the house was rented out and was known in history
books as the New Vigan Hotel.

In 1908, with the passing of Don Jose, his wife, Donya Esperanza Sebastian, had the house
rented out to Naom Tanos, who renamed it Tanos Hotel.

Some years after 2nd World War, when Naom Tanos moved out of Vigan in 1954, Donya
Esperanza Sebastian and her family re-occupied the house. In mid-1960s, it was inherited by son,
Dr. Jose Sebastian Singson, married to Rosanna Tugade of Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur.

On their passing, their children and grandchildren took over and slowly expanded it while
preserving its Filipino-Spanish heritage.

Showcasing Spanish-Colonial accommodations, Vigan Plaza Hotel proves that antique decor can
be luxuriously comforting, especially when complemented by modern amenities.
 The most visited by tourist and became the most famous lanscape in Vigan is its heritage
village. These heritage structures was taken in the famous street tourist spot in Vigan, called the
Calle Crisologo which most of the structures along the streets were used as commercial use as
their means of business. Located in the northern part of the Philippines, Vigan is best known for its
heritage village that has preserved Spanish colonial buildings that make you feel like walking into
a time warp. The buildings that were built during the 18th century were still intact until today.
Most of the existing buildings were probably built in the mid 18th to late 19th centuries. Due to the
economic decline of Vigan as an economic center after the World War II, only a few of the historic
buildings had internal reorganization for alternative use. The Chinese merchants and traders
conducted their business from shops, offices and storerooms on the ground floors of their houses,
with the living quarters above.
The historic buildings have maintained their traditional uses for commerce at the lower floors and
as residence for the owners on the upper floors. However, very few houses remain untouched.

Calle Crisologo – Mena Crisologo Street

The major attraction of Vigan is its mestizo district which is filled with Spanish-style houses that
evoke a bygone era when its people lived prosperously because of the Manila-Acapulco maritime
trade. For visitors who want to experience being transported back to this period in Philippine
Spanish colonial time, a walk or a calesa ride through Vigan’s Calle Crisologo or Mena Crisologo
Street is a must. The tour will take visitors more than a couple of hours and will cost around half a
thousand pesos. You will be guided through four blocks of cobblestone streets lined with heritage
houses of the families of the Filipino-Chinese traders who rose to prominence during that time of
vigorous trading in abel cloth, indigo, gold, tobacco and other goods that were transported to
Vigan from all over the North.
The houses are simple but lovely subjects ready for picture-perfect shots with their roofs of red
tiles, thick walls, huge doors and stair cases leading to rooms of high ceilings and sliding capiz
shell windows. Having survived the many natural and man-made calamities throughout the
centuries, the families who own these treasures have endeavored to maintain them. Visitors can
admire more closely the architecture and intricate craftsmanship employed in the grill and wood
works when they step inside some of the houses that have been turned into stores and museums.
They can even experience staying in a heritage house during their visit as some have been
converted into inns.
Though a trip to Calle Crisologo is enjoyable during the day especially because of the opportunity
to shop for Vigan’s best products (antiques, abel woven products, bags, basi wine, burnay and
dimili products, chicharon, jewelry, sweets, Vigan vinegar and woodcrafts) in the inobtrusive shops
located in the ground floor of some of the grand houses, a walk through it is magical at night.
Since it is closed to vehicular traffic at any time of the day, the stillness and shadows that come
with the night adds more to the 18th century ambience of the lamp-lit street that local and foreign
visitors love. Couples can take advantage of this romantic atmosphere by having dinner in one of
the old houses that has been converted to a restaurant, like Café Leona, before or after their walk.
For those who want to know something about the person the street is named after, Mena Pecson
Crisologo is among the most-respected sons of the Ilokos region. He wrote Mining wenno Ayat ti
Kararwa, which many compare to Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere; an Ilocano translation of Don
Quixote entitled Don Calixtofaro de la Kota Caballero de la Luna; and a zarzuela entitled Codigo
Municipal.
The province of Ilocos Sur is where the Ilocos Region's myriad of cultures and histories converge
to become a living museum of a spirited past. A national shrine, a national landmark, a national
museum, heritage museums, ancestral houses, period houses, cobble-stoned streets – they all
share space in the timeless land of Ilocos Sur.
Found in the province is the historic town of Vigan, which was inscribed in UNESCO's World
Heritage List in November 1999. Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best preserved
example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together
of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those from Europe to
create a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Its
Kamestizoan District is replete with ancestral houses with ancient tiled roofs, massive hardwood
floorings, ballustrades and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles.
Centuries-old Sta. Maria Church, declared a National Landmark, was used as a fortress during the
Philippine Revolution of 1896. Tirad Pass, declared a National Shrine, had been the last stand of
the Filipino Revolutionary Forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo during the same period.
Bessang Pass served as the backdoor to General Yamashita's last ditch defense during the last
stage of World War II.
People here are engaged in farming, producing food crops, mostly rice, corn, vegetable, rootcrops,
and fruits. Non-food crops include tobacco, cotton, and tigergrass. Cottage industries include
loomweaving, furniture making, jewelry making, ceramics, blacksmithing, and food processing.

Brief synthesis
Vigan is the most intact example in Asia of a planned Spanish colonial town, established in the
16th century. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in
the Philippines and from China with those of Europe and Mexico to create a unique culture and
townscape without parallels anywhere in East and South-East Asia. An important trading post
before the colonial era, Vigan is located at the river delta of Abra River, along the northwestern
coastline of the main island of Luzon, in the Province of Ilocos Sur, Philippine Archipelago. The
total area of the inscribed property is 17.25 hectares. The traditional Hispanic checkerboard street
plan opens up into two adjacent plazas. The Plaza Salcedo is the longer arm of an L-shaped open
space, with the Plaza Burgos as the shorter. The two plazas are dominated by the St. Paul’s
Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall and the Provincial Capitol Building . The urban
plan of the town closely conforms with the Renaissance grid plan specified in the Ley de la Indias
for all new towns in the Spanish Empire. There is, however, a noticeable difference between Vigan
and contemporary Spanish colonial towns in Latin America in the Historic Core (known as the
Mestizo district), where the Latin tradition is tempered by strong Chinese, Ilocano, and Filipino
influences. As its name implies, this district was settled by affluent families of mixed Chinese-
Ilocano origin. The area contains the historic footprint of the entire town and consists of a total of
233historic buildings tightly strung along a grid of 25 streets.
The two storey structures are built of brick and wood, with a steeply pitched roof reminiscent of
traditional Chinese architecture. The exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by window
panels of kapis shells framed in wood which can be slid back for better ventilation. Most of the
existing buildings were probably built in the mid 18th to late 19th centuries. Due to the economic
decline of Vigan as an economic center after the World War II, only a few of the historic buildings
had internal reorganization for alternative use. The Chinese merchants and traders conducted
their business from shops, offices and storerooms on the ground floors of their houses, with the
living quarters above. In addition to the domestic and commercial architecture, Vigan possesses a
number of significant public buildings, which also show multi-cultural influences.
Vigan is unique for having preserved much of its Hispanic colonial character, particularly its grid
street pattern and historic urban lay out. Its significance also lies on how the different architectural
influences are blended to create a homogenous townscape.

Criterion (ii): Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with
European colonial architecture and planning.
Criterion (iv): Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading
town in East and South-East Asia.

Integrity
All elements necessary to express the values of the property are included within the property. This
ensures the representation of its significance as a well planned and well preserved Hispanic
colonial town. At present, the salient features of most of the ancestral Vigan houses are
conserved, although a few houses remain in deteriorating condition due to neglect of their
absentee owners.

Authenticity
Vigan has maintained its authenticity in its grid street pattern, historic urban lay out and use of
open spaces. The historic buildings have maintained their traditional uses for commerce at the
lower floors and as residence for the owners on the upper floors. However, very few houses
remain untouched. Changes introduced to the betterconserved houses have been to the interior:
subdividing the large living quarters into smaller apartments, and adjusting of ground floor to
provide spaces to let out for commercial use. After having been completely altered to allow new
uses, many structures have lost their authenticity. A few structures have been abandoned,
neglected, and left to decay. The original building materials such as bricks, wood, kapis shells and
lime for mortar and plaster were all obtained from surrounding areas.. The lack of traditional
building materials such as wood and lime for plaster and mortar has resulted in the use of modern
materials such as cement and galvanized iron sheets for roofing. The awareness on the need to
preserve authenticity has dramatically increased since the site was inscribed. Conservation
practices that have developed organically over the last three centuries are now being re-
introduced, making use of a considerable reserve of traditional building crafts that have survived”.