CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY- UNIVERSITY

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City

Department of Architecture

By: Jemerl B. Rupal, Cher Therese C. Epondolan, & Mhea C. Gocotano (BSArch-5)

SAN VICENTE is a barangay whose main street should have been straight except for the vertical
bends. There are no significant turns, just rises and dips through mostly religious traffic.

Waves lash at the wharf that juts out of Barangay San Vicente’s coastline. The wharf marks one
end of the street also called San Vicente, it makes its way through the heart of Bogo City, past three of its
oldest institutions of learning, and crossing five corners before going up a steep hill towards a
magnificent bastion of the Catholic faith that is nestled on top, ashrine to a saint of the same name – San
Vicente Ferrer in whose honor Bogo City holds its grandest annual festivities. From and educational and
religious standpoint, San Vicente is Bogo City’s main thoroughfare. San Vicente (cityofbogocebu.gov.ph)

This is the San Vicente Barangay spot map from

the architect’s office, however, upon confirming this
with the current Brgy. Captain, he said that the
boundary is not accurate. It should stretch to the
corner of the block.
 Heritage Square, dating back to the early 1900s, is the oldest institutional residential
neighborhood in the city. It encompasses A. Pedroza Street, Sor. Dorotea Rubio Street, J. Almirante
Street, V. Dela Viña Street, San Vicente Street, and R. Fernan Street, showcasing a moderately preserved
collection of old Spanish Ancestral style houses. Notable Bogohanon families, including the Fernans,
Martinezes, Verallos, and Pedranos, once owned these historic homes, which future generations revere
as lasting legacies. These include the Northern Cebu Colleges, the first private high school in northern
Cebu; the Old Municipal Building, once Don Gregorio Sanchez's residence and now a historic site; the
Gabriel "Flash" Elorde Community Stage, originally a venue for cultural and sporting events; the Bogo
Public Plaza, which once held the city's parochial church; the Fernan Ancestral House, a preserved
"Bahay na Bato" used as a World War II emergency hospital; the Pedrano Ancestral House, a National
Historical Landmark with a unique blend of Spanish and Filipino architecture; and the Severo Verallo
Ancestral House, known for its concrete and wood structure, stained glass windows, hardwood floors,
and high ceilings.

Sor D. Rubio St

A. Pedrano St
San Vicente St

Fernan St

Bogo City Heritage Square

Environs of the Bogo Heritage Square:

i. The heart of the plaza where the first parochial church of Bogo stood during World War II
ii. Martinez residence along A. Pedroza St
iii. Northern Cebu Colleges
iv. Old Municipal Building
v. Fernan residence along J. Almirante st
vi. Pedrano residence along corner V. Dela Viña and San Vicente st
vii. Verallo residence along San Vicente St
 viii. The Gabriel Flash Elorde Community Stage
The First Municipal Hall
According to the Bogo City Public Library records, the First Municipal Hall of Bogo City has a
unique architectural design built on a half-hectare lot, and funded without the benefit of aid from both
the national and provincial governments. This was the greatest unparalleled achievement of then Mayor
Celestino E. Martinez, Jr. of Bogo in the early years of 1970’s before Martial Law was declared in 1972.
The incumbent Mayor way yet a Municipal Councilman.
The construction of the building was partly done out of “pintakasi or pagtambayayong” of well-
meaning residents; the design and make-up spectacles were all done by a Bogohanon architect free of
charge.
Lot acquisition was part of the two-hectare lot apportioned or subdivided into housing units,
and funded from loans with the Development Bank of the Philippines.
Its façade, the grounds more specifically, has been given a total re-touch with the classic tastes
of the modern-day period. With several truckloads of limestone soil dumped into the area. It eventually
arrived into the present contour, flat and even, while Bogo trees, set apart from each other, frow
luxuriantly to symbolize the legendary name of the town. There are flowering plants ornamenting the
margins of the lawn. In between the electric posts, there are giant jars of antique quality, posted at even
space from each other around the borders of the lawn, with flowers blooming beneath the soft morning
or afternoon sunlight with their attractive colors.
The premises have been kept in utmost diligence and flattering maintained to remain impeccably
clean, making a true paragon of cleanliness and greenness in the town. Even inside the building, in
offices more particularly, there are potted plants all around, out of consciousness for a need of ecological
balance, the presence of symbiotic relationships between plants and animals.
(Bogo City Public Library)

The Old Municipal Hall

The Old Municipal Hall (currently the office of Bogo Water District)
 “Here once stood the first church of Bogo erected in 1830 and was declared advocate of Saint
Vincent Ferrer in 1848. In May 31, 1850, Saint Vincent Ferrer became an independent Parish. Rev Fr.
Jaime Micalet, as Spaniard was the first parish priest.” (written on the plaque)

This replica was based on an old picture of the church that was ruined at the turn of the century.

The Bogo Public Plaza, seated at the heart of the Heritage Square Plaza, is the site of the first
and only parochial church in Bogo until the fires of World War II razed the edifice into ashes. The church

was re-built in Bungtod when the lot in the Plaza was taken back by the government in view of the
principle of separation of church and state.

Old pictures of the rebuilt church

 The Flash Elorde Stadium which was then the stage for cultural events and at the same time an
arena for sporting events and various communal activities, now cited as Gabriel “Flash” Elorde
Community Stage stands beside the Bogo Public Library and Museum, now an imposing structure within
the Bogo Public Plaza.

Picture shoes the arrival of native sone, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, a world boxing champion, being
welcomed with great pride and joy by fellow Bogohanons.

Memorabilia of Gabriel “Flash” Elorde showcased inside the Bogo Public Museum

Gabriel “Flash” Elorde was born on March 25th, 1935 in Bogo, Cebu, Philippines. The youngest
for 15 children, Elorde was born into poverty and dropped out of school to support his family. Under the
guidance of his father, Elorde turned to boxing at the age of 16. According to Willie Laureano…

“(Elorde) He was a Filipino martial artist; his father was a Filipino martial artist. But they knew at
the time already there was no money in stick fighting,
there was much more money in boxing.”
 Elorde’s background in Filipino martial arts influenced his unique boxing style. A southpaw,
Elorde was known for his quick hands and elusiveness, described by Robert Lipsyte “subtle little temple-
dancer moves.” Elorde’s fighting style also translated into success in the ring. GABRIEL “FLASH” ELORDE -
Bayani Art

Cultural Heritage Monograph Series on Heritage Sites (Araneta, 2006)

Heritage Structures & Residences Discovery
HISTORY:

Fernan Family of Bogo, Cebu

Since 1850
Family Patriarch: Don Maximo Fernan and Family Matriarch: Doña Trinidad Pedroza-Fernan,
Heirs of Don Roman Pedroza Fernan and Doña Josefa Mansueto Fernan
Heirs of the late Fructuoso Mansueto Fernan and Monica Ursal Villamor-Fernan
Official Residence: Old Fernan Ancestral House, Sor D. Rubio St corner J. Almirante St,
Barangay San Vicente, Bogo City, Cebu, Philippines

____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Fernan Ancestral House

or sometimes referred to as the
“Old White House” located in
the corner of then Calle Gomez
and Calle Juan Luna,
Poblacion, Bogo, Cebu and now
Sor D. Rubio Street and J.
Almirante Street, San Vicente,
Bogo City, Cebu and Is one of
city’s oldest, well preserved, and
longest inhabited Spanish
Colonial House in North Cebu.

Now a days you can barely see

old Spanish ancestral houses or
commonly known as “Bahay na Bato” in our locality but fortunately for us here in
Bogo there are still a handful of old Spanish ancestral houses that are still working as
a home or as business establishment whether as a lease or rent namely the Ancajas-
Mendoza ancestral house, Severo Verallo ancestral house, & Pedrano ancestral house.

Our old ancestral house was erected during the Spanish colonial times of the middle
1880’s or perhaps 1884. It was constructed and specifically built according to the
home specification of its owner the Rubio Family which was at that time one of the
most affluent families in Bogo Poblacion Area or perhaps even throughout the town of
Bogo. The family’s ancestry was pureblood Spaniards or “Insulares” and because of
the migration of their ancestors to the Philippines they were able inter-marry among
the local wealthy Filipino families in the town.

The house was the home of Doña Mercedes Rubio for many years and subsequently
also became the home of her daughter Doña Racquel Rubio which was a friend and
relative of the spouses Don Fructuoso Mansueto Fernan and Sñr. Monica Ursal
Villamor which was the founder of then Cebu Northern Institute now Northern Cebu
Colleges, Inc. Don Fructuoso Fernan was a
Filipino mestizo decent and was from an
affluent family with an old political
background or from an old and respected
family in the town on the other hand her
wife Monica Ursal Villamor did not came
from an affluent family like he was, but she
was from an old family name which was
also of Filipino meztiza decent. She and her
family was not well off in terms of money,
but they were with positioned of many land
properties such private home/business
type property and agricultural land.
The house was offered by Doña Racquel Rubio to them and was sold for undisclosed
account just a few months prior to the outbreak of World War II (1941) the new owners
were able to settle in immediately and was comfortable with their new house just after
the sale and was very happy and contented by their purchased. But unfortunately
there happy family life was cut short when war broke out. They have to leave the
house and settled far from the reach of the new foreign occupiers (the Japanese).

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines the house was converted to an
emergency hospital for their troops in which during those days they were in camped in
the town because of its strategic location and useable town wharf or port with easy
access to the flow of their supply for ammunitions and machinery which was brought
and replenished constantly by their powerful Japanese Navy.

During their occupation of the town

many local Filipino guerillas used to
ambush and attack Japanese soldiers
and posts which would lead to either
casualty or serious injuries and many
of those injured Japanese soldiers
were brought to the house for
treatment, surgery or recovery with
the help of Japanese medical teams
on standby there.

After the war, liberation came and the

new owners of the house the Fernan
Family was witnessed to the many Japanese medical equipment and supply left in the
house. They subsequently surrendered these equipment and supplies to the US-
Filipino troops who came to liberate the town from their Japanese occupiers. The un-
useable ones were discarded and eliminated through fire. The family did not-took
pictures nor kept memorabilia as not to remind them of the gruesome war atrocities of
their foreign occupiers.

After the war the Fructuoso and Monica made the house their home and raised their
young family there and in the few decades that passed the house was not just a home
but also became the sight of the one the very first Technical Vocational Schools in the
North Cebu. The second floor was made as the home of the family while the lower half
or the ground floor was converted to the “Bogo School of Dressmaking” which was
founded and taught by the mistress of the house Mrs. Monica Villamor Fernan she
was one the very first people who took advantage of teaching technical skills to the
young people of the town specifically the young women who wanted to learn the skill of
dressmaking.

She was an expert on the skill for she was a very good seamstress and a graduate of
the prestigious Cebu School of Dressmaking in the 1950’s although she was known
for the skill but she used it only as a hobby not a profession aside from teaching she
did not accept seamstress work as a matter of fact she sewed and designed her own
clothes. The school lasted for a decade from 1955-1965 it was closed because newly
elected President Marcos, Sr. made a program through her wife FL Imelda Marcos to
start the free schooling for Technical Vocational Schools in the mid1965.

After that the lower half of the house was converted as rooms to the now ever growing
children of the family and thus became some of their children’s living quarters.

The exterior and interiors of the house are roughly 85% original. The changes with the
exterior was only with the entire roofing, the outside canopies directly above the
windows, the entire house paint which was just done in the month of June of 2023,
three of the original four hardwood doors were replaced called entrada principal which
enter to the ground floor zaguan (corridor) and the entire cocina (kitchen) was turn
down due to rotten old wood pillars which was making the kitchen unstable from an
estimated kitchen floor size of 30m x 15m it was reduced to 5m x 15m in todays’
standard the old kitchen floor size is roughly a very huge kitchen to have.

The pasamano (windowsill) or barandilla (handrail) by the balconies and stairwells are
still there including the ventanilla (small sliding window) which adds air ventilation to
the house and capiz shell sliding windows, but some of the windows fronting the
house are replaced by new glass sliding windows for all of the four rooms are now air
conditioned.

With regards to the interiors of the house the old Spanish Architecture are still present
such the staircase called escalera which welcomes the guests, leading them to
the entresuelo or mezzanine and directly to the azotea (open air balcony). The sala
mayor is still very well preserved even the decorative wooden panels that adorn the
walls of the sala mayor as well as other parts of the house circulate air between
rooms. These are called calado or carved wooden screen placed at the ceiling and
hung one or two metres down.

The comedor is no longer in use because it is now converted to a stock room. The
comedor is the dining room where families and friends gather to feast and drink, but
the comedor has a banggera or slatted wooden dish rack used for air drying newly
washed utensils and tableware before they were kept inside a platera (plate cabinet)
or paminggalan (dish rack).

Only the ceiling of the house interior was change the four rooms or living quarters in
the second floor are now double walled covering the original room walls and the entire
exterior of the second floor was just newly painted April of 2023.

Fructoso Mansueto Fernan (1905-1986) and Monica Ursal Villamor ( 1919-2009) and their
huge family continued to made the house their home until there old age and demise.
And since their passing it has been taken cared off by their children, grandchildren
and great grandchildren. A living proof and testament that some things do last long if
they are cared for and loved the Fernan Ancestral house as of this time 2023 is 139
years old.

Since they bought the house just before the war until today the Fernan Family has
been the long occupants and owners of the house for more 80 years now and they
have turn this iconic “Bahay na Bato” as their Family’s Old Ancestral Home.
HISTORY:

Northern Cebu Colleges, Inc.

Sor D. Rubio St. corner San Vicente St. Bogo City, Cebu
Region VII, Cebu, Central Visayas

History of the Northern Cebu Colleges, Inc.

By: Jose Q. Fernan, Jr., LPT

The Cebu Northern Institute was founded on March 10, 1932 in Bogo, Cebu by Don
Fructouso Mansueto Fernan. When he was teaching at the Cebu Provincial High
School in Cebu City, he noticed that only very few “Bogohanons” were able to pursue
high school and most of them belong to affluent families in Bogo.

CNI became the first private secondary institution in Northern Cebu. The school was
organized as a Non-Stock, Non-Profit Institution. During the school year (1932-1933)
only first year class was opened with only (30) thirty students and on the succeeding
years, the secondary academic course was complete high school.

The original Board of Trustees from (1932-1950) was composed of the following:
Don Fructouso M. Fernan, Don Roman P. Fernan, Engr. Casiano M. Fernan, Atty.
Jose M. Fernan, and Don Espiritu Bunagan.
 Students of CNI were
not only from Bogo nor
from neighboring towns
and islands, but some of
the students were from
nearby provinces like
Leyte, Samar, and
Masbate.

During WORLD WAR II

the school was closed.
Students were sent back
to their homes in
neighboring towns and
provinces. High school dreams were put on hold.

In 1945 the war was finally over. The founder of the school Mr. Fernan was bent on
reopening the school undaunted by the staggering obstacles. He was determined to
pursue his dream of providing a high school for those who could not afford to go to
Cebu City and study and so the school was reopened that year.

Before the war, the school was located at old dilapidated house along a street that lead
straight to the door of the Old Parish Church just half a block away. (The street now is
known as Dela Vina Street. The old school building use to stand in front of Solteco).

After the war, the school was transferred near the sea in a house that was once the
residence of Don Celestino Rodriguez and then was sold to Doña Perfecta Lasala.

In 1950, CNI became Northern Cebu Colleges In that same year, a college department
was offered with course in Education, Junior Normal, and Liberal Arts.

The Board of Trustees since (1950-1986) was composed of the following: Mr.
Fructouso Mansueto Fernan Chairman, Mdm. Generoso Madamba Adamos Vice-
chairman, Mr. Rizalino A. Jurado Secretary, Mr. Anastacio N. Pacifico Treasurer, Mr.
Jose Ramon O. Orat and Atty. Jesus Almirante Sr. as members.

A Certificate of Recognition for the Bachelor of Science in Education was issued on

JULY 01, 1951 with the Certificate No.76, S.1951.

A Certificate of Recognition for the Academic Secondary Course was issued on JUNE
01, 1962 with the Certificate No.306, S.1962
On JUNE 07, 1966 a property was bought by the NCC Administration owned by Doña
Perfecta Lasala. This is now where the NCC Campus is located.

The PREPARATORY MILITARY TRAINING (PMT) was offered since it’s foundation until
1972. In 1973 New Rule OF CAT-1 was amended.

A Certificate of (1) One Year Clerical Course was issued on 1975 with CERTIFICATE
NO.248-R4 S. 1975.

In MARCH 10, 1982 the school celebrated its 50 th (Golden) Foundation Day. A special
celebration honoring the first 50 years of the institution, held at the Bogo Public Plaza
at the Old Municipal Stadium, now the Gabriel “FLASH” Elorde Community Stage.

The founder was the first School President until his death on April 29, 1986. He was
succeeded by his son Dr. Frankie Villamor Fernan.

The school was severely hit by typhoons FLORING and RUFING in the 1990’s causing
the building in the school quadrangle to collapse. Some of the books and pertinent
papers were destroyed. The certificates of recognition for the courses were totally
destroyed.

From (1986-2012) the Board of Trustees was composed of the following: Dr. Frankie
Villamor Fernan Chairman, Mrs. Luz Fernan Mancao Vice-chairman, Mrs. Emman
Fernan Balagtas Secretary, Mr. Jesus G. Almirante, Jr. Treasurer, and Miss Milanimfa
N. Pacifico Auditor.

In 1999, just before the turn of the 21 st Century a milestone was achieved by the
school. A new school building was erected to through the efforts of Dr. Frankie V.
Fernan. It was to accommodate the ever growing population of the school and to
enhance its academic environment.

In MARCH of 2007, the school celebrated its 75 th (Diamond) Foundation Day. The
highlights were the coronation of the new Mr. and Ms. NCC Diamond and awarding
ceremony for the Outstanding Alumni through the Outstanding Northerner Awards.
Five years later in 2012, a much bigger celebration was organized by the school and
the Alumni Association Officers to celebrate its 80 th Foundation Day. It was a three
day celebration with the highlights Grand Alumni Homecoming, coronation of the new
MS.NCC and Awarding of Outstanding Alumni Achievers.
Dr. Fernan was the school president for more than 26 years during his presidency the
school sports program became an extra-curricular activity for students. The school’s
Softball and Volleyball teams became more popular as ever even besting the different
teams from the 4th district, Cebu City, Cebu Province and the Region even reaching the
prestigious “Palarong Pambansa” many times.
Sports is the legacy of Dr. Fernan to the school a thing he has always love to do aside
from teaching and we owe to him what prestige we have today in the field of sports.
Dr. Frankie V. Fernan was the second school president until he passed away on
November 02, 2012. The school presidency was succeeded by his elder sister Mdm.
Luz Fernan Mancao.
November 08, 2013 came the most destructive Typhoon in history “Yolanda”.
The school was severely devastated the school Social Hall on top of the New Building
was blown away .The roof of the Old Building was blown apart causing the ceilings in
the Old Building to collapse. The Science Laboratory along with its equipments and
apparatuses were completely destroyed.
Pertinent papers and documents in the different offices within the campus were
completely lost in the carnage and destruction brought about by “Typhoon Yolanda”.
2014 to the present the Board of Trustees is composed of the following: Engr. Johnny
V. Fernan Chairman, Mrs. Luz Fernan Mancao President, Mrs. Emman F. Balagtas
Secretary-Treasurer, Ms. Milanimfa M. Pacifico Auditor, and Mrs. Annie F.
Magomnang Member.
In 2017 NCC became NCCI or Northern Cebu Colleges, Inc. the school’s name was
added with the word incorporated in order to distinguish itself from another
educational institution of the same abbreviation and name. It’s was also time to renew
the school’s license with the Security and Exchange (SEC) which was long overdue for
many years. Because also of the onset of the new curriculum by DepED the K TO 12
Program that it was time to re-new the name and update the institution. In the same
year a new annex building (3 rd building) has just been constructed to cater the ever
growing population of the school.
The said building is now being used as classrooms from the second to the fourth floors
while ground floor was used as office for the school administration including members
of the Board of Trustees, the Student Services, and JHS Cashiers.
January 8, 2023 the School President Mrs. Luz Fernan-Mancao passed away at the
age of 83 due to complications after a heart procedure and she was succeeded by her
younger brother the current school Vice President Mr. Raul V. Fernan. As of this year
2023 the school has been funding the continuous construction of a fifth school
building which is three storey high in a lot a street away from the school campus. The
plan for the construction of this building was due to ever growing population of the
school special the college department and it is to accommodate the classes for the
department.
Our institution’s future is bright and promising it has survived through thick and
thin, through war, and peace.
The school has a rich history undoubtedly although the present school campus is now
its 3rd location in the past the two old school sites of the previous campuses before the
war was destroyed during the war itself and so the school came to its present school
campus site, but the building in use today has its own share of rich history
throughout the years and including many facelifts in its interior and exterior.
Although it has been standing for a very long time according to oral history based from
the statements of the old generation that are no longer here with us today and were
witnesses to the history of the of the town says that the building or the old house was
constructed roughly around the late 1880’s or 1886-1888 and took two years to
finished it was one of the biggest and one of the most well designed Spanish Colonial
Period houses in the town for it was commissioned according to the wishes of the one
of the most affluent families in Bogo the Rodriguez Family who were also Insulares or
pureblood Spanish who were born here in the Philippines although you could even
traced their roots back to the time of the first Spanish Colonials who came to the
Philippines.
The family was also well respected and loved in the town because they were public
servants and good people especially towards the poor. The house was bought by
another well-known and affluent family in the Lasala’s in 1917. They were also the
family who owned the old Fernan ancestral house but this time it was bought by Doña
Perfecta Lasala and became her family’s residence since until the start of World War II.
During the war the house was vacated by the owners and was subsequently occupied
by the Japanese Imperial Army as their headquarters in North Cebu may be because
of the strategic location of the building which is in the corner of then Calle Gomez and
Calle San Vicente which was over-looking the town square or plaza and also perhaps
its nearness to the town’s wharf or port which was vital to the supply of war provisions
such as ammunition and machinery during the war.
It was once said by a witness that the building was not just a Japanese headquarters,
but was turned into a garrison and site of war crimes and atrocities such as brutal
executions, tortures, and imprisonment with life threatening consequences. A civilian
during those times once witnessed that severed heads cut off by Japanese swords or
samurais were displaced on the windows of the building for people to see that
Japanese enemies and Filipino- American collaborators will suffer the consequences.
The interiors of the old building has been changed all throughout its long career the
entire old roof was replaced in the 1990’s including the entire canopies directly above
the huge old windows and is now half replaced by fiber glass in the middle and let the
natural light from the sun to enter through the classrooms although the upper and
lower parts of the windows still holds the recognized capiz shells.
The school façade has been changed to dramatically in the past 50 years the old
Spanish Architecture and designs are no longer visible because of the continuous
school development if you could compare the façade of the school now and of the past
through the picture of the school façade just after the war in the first page you can say
that much has been changed.
The pasamano (windowsill) or barandilla (handrail) by the balconies and stairwells
including the ventanilla (small sliding window) which adds air ventilation to the
building are no longer visible and are covered by plywood. The façade has been re
painted with so many colors in the past 50 years and even its interior.
But much of the change went to the building interior in which all Spanish
Architecture and designs are no longer visible and has been turned down or destroyed
throughout the building’s 80 year history as a school.