Yap

“If the Caseñas Mansion is exemplary for the American-era elite, the small wooden house right next to it, YAP HOUSE, is more typical of a middle-class home of the era. Such smaller and simpler, yet no less elegant, houses were often owned and inhabited by the new class of professionals and local businessmen such as Gregorio Yap, who had this charming house built for himself and his wife Rosario Diaz in 1930. Like many successful businessmen, Gregorio’s ancestors hailed from China, where his father emigrated from presumably due to the severe political and economic crisis in China during those years. His house is characterized by large sliding windows made of colored glass panels in green, orange, and white, set in a latticed wooden frame. Underneath, carved wooden panels with Art Deco ziggurat motif adorn the house. The same motif can be found in the calados above the windows. It seems unlikely that the Yap House, like the many other vintage homes from the 1920s and 1930s along Garcia Avenue, will be able to withstand the growing economic pressure for demolition and re-development.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Yap

“Adjacent to the Hontanosas House, the old YAP HOUSE is in a bad state of repair. Originally built by Don Carlos Yap, a prosperous merchant, it likewise dates back to the early or mid—nineteenth century, the heyday of Sitio Ubos (Luspo 2006). It has more in common with the Rocha-Suarez House, such as the wooden ground floor walls set on long strip foundations of coral stone. Unlike the latter, however, its first floor is accessed by an external staircase parallel to the front facade, leading to a long covered gallery in front of the upper floor, which stretches almost the entire length of the building. This is a very unusual arrangement for Boholano domestic architecture, and while the open gallery seems to be an original design, the current location of the staircase is possibly the result of a later remodeling. Behind the gallery, a barren simple main gate in the center gives access to the interior, with its traditional “hinges” and wooden lock. An unusual construction technique is the way the upper wooden façade is pegged to a roof beam above by use of small wooden pegs. Flanking the main door are symmetrical windows on both sides, some made of capiz, others consisting of plain wooden boards. The same layout is repeated on the ground floor, except that the windows are much smaller and protected by simple, vertical wooden slats. Although the exterior seems to be totally devoid of any decorative elements, the attentive observer will notice finely carved corbels on the upper floor very similar to the ones in the Rocha House and the Dauis convent. Other corbels can be found on the ground floor, although without – carvings. The Yap House has also retained its original roofline, albeit changed to galvanized iron sheets from its previous cover of probably nipa palm leaves. Small dormer windows on the roof for ventilation purposes add a particular charm to the structure. Unfortunately, the Yap house is in very bad shape; its wooden gallery has since largely collapsed, and the entire building shows all signs of worsening deterioration.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Torralba

“Another old house facing the plaza deserves mention. Sitting on a narrow triangular plot on the plaza corner, the TORRALBA HOUSE probably dates back to the late 1930s. Its first owners were lawyer Anastacio Mumar, and his wife Filomena Torralba. Still entirely used for residential purposes only, despite its location in the middle of the commercial center of Tagbilaran, the house has almost entirely retained its original look with only minor changes. Even the ground floor walls are still made of wooden boards, as is the upper floor with its canopy-covered windows. Although hardly visible under the thick “spider’s web” of electrical wires around it, the house is richly decorated with carved roof eaves, supported by very elaborate brackets in floral design. In contrast, the wrought iron grills in front of the ventanillas are Art Deco in style. Facing the plaza, part of the narrow façade protrudes, forming a two-storey oriel that has retained its wood-framed glass windows on both floors, topped by beautiful arch segments, also with glass windows. The orientation of this oriel, the most decorative part of the old house, towards the plaza pays respect to and honors this most important public space in the city, unlike the many “modern,” nondescript buildings around it.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Sarabia

“Hidden in nearby Rocha Street, a quiet side road, another beautiful old house has survived virtually unchanged since it was built during the interwar period. The SARABIA HOUSE, commissioned by Pastora Mabunga and her husband, dates back to 1930, as evidenced by an inscription on its foundation stone. It was bought by Adriano and Gliceria Sarabia more than three decades ago, and is marked by its tall and stately gable overlooking the street, crowned by a jerkin-head roof. In the middle of the gable, below the capiz window with its wooden canopy, are four elegant and intricately carved lyres, very popular and common motif for ventanillas in Bohol. To the right, the upper floor is accessed by an open staircase with barandillas, leading to a scenic open porch with a more Art Deco-like balustrade. With its relatively restrained, yet elegant design, the house is a typical example of a middle-class urban residence during the American period.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Ruiz

“Not far from the Lim House, the RUIZ HOUSE with its shiny white clapboard walls and rich architectural details continues to catch the attention of passersby. With its ornate brackets and intricate calados below the pierced roof eaves, it is a sight ir) behold. Its dark brown capiz windows and barandillas stand in effective contrast to the gleaming, albeit now a bit grimy, white facades on all sides. Then as now, the lower floor is occupied by commercial establishments, whereas the once residential first floor currently stands vacant. Thus, with the ground floor extensively remodeled, the upper storey has completely retained its original appearance and stands in calm, stately contrast to the “loud,” unruly, and chaotic-looking lower floor with all its colorful advertisement boards.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Rocha

“Directly adjacent to the Rocha-Suarez House, the ROCHA HOUSE is likewise both outstanding and unique: It is one of the oldest—if not the oldest—surviving houses in Bohol (after the demolition of the “Casa Boholana” from the 1820s). An inscription in the kitchen wing mentions the year 1831, although there was probably an earlier structure on the site (Luspo 2006). Its preserved ground floor walls of neatly cut coral stone blocks make it one of less than a handful of “true” bahay na bato (house of stone) in Bohol. Its Chinese-style roof made of tisa (clay tiles) is unique and, together with the neighboring Beldia House, one of only two of its kind in the entire province. Inside, the Rocha House maintains many beautifully carved wooden corbels, which were once typical of buildings of this type and era. (Similar corbels can still be seen in the convent of Dauis.) Other remarkable features are its interior grand staircase behind its antique main entrance door with an artful iron door knocker and wooden locking “hardware” and doorjamb details. Pieces of antique period furniture complete the picture. Most impressive of all is the huge dome atop the sala (again similar to the Dauis convent), exceptional for a domestic building. Last but not least, the huge kitchen stove table in the kitchen wing is a rare surviving example of its kind (similar tables can be found in the Suarez House and, of course, the Dauis convent). Noteworthy exterior design elements are, among others, the triangular dormer window on the roof, and the carved wooden skirting (sanipa) of the roof eaves. Likewise, the beautifully carved arch framing the view from the sala to the street, and a charming courtyard formed by the U-shaped footprint of the house, deserve mention. Common for large nineteenth-century Boholano houses, similar courtyards can be found, for example, in the neighboring Beldia House, and the Clarin House in Loay. Together with the other surviving nineteenth-century houses in Sitio Ubos, the Rocha House forms an ensemble of immense historic and cultural value not only to Tagbilaran, but the entire province of Bohol.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Rocha-Suarez

“The first house on the left upon entering the historic district from the causeway is the ROCHA-SUAREZ HOUSE, which is unique in many ways. One of the very few houses on the island that has undergone professional restoration, it is among the few historic houses in the province in excellent condition after it was painstakingly returned to its nineteenth-century glory by restoration architect German Torrero in 2005. It is also one of the oldest, constructed in the early nineteenth century, probably around 1840 (Luspo 2006), by Julian Rocha, a wealthy merchant. The Rochas are a prominent family, whose descendants include such illustrious personalities as Antonio Rocha, a former mayor of Tagbilaran, and Fernando Rocha, the first elected governor of Bohol. Finally, the Rocha-Suarez House is one of the very rare ancestral houses now used as a museum, containing an excellent collection of imported and Boholano eighteenth- and nineteenth-century furniture and houseware items on the upper floor. Meanwhile, the wooden ground floor, originally a bodega for merchandise, now houses a gallery. The building displays many, now very rare, architectural and structural features, such as coral stone foundations, corbels supporting beams, and a wooden skirting (sanipa) covering the floor beams of the volada. Inside, massive newel posts adorn the exterior staircase, and the main double door, whose doorjambs with pegs carved in rosettes are unique in the archipelago. The sala sports an original tray ceiling with an English chandelier, and is supported by twenty corbels beneath the beams (Tinio 2006). Except for the ill-matched low-pitched, galvanized iron-sheet “modern” roof, replacing the original and more appropriate steep thatch roof, the house has remained virtually unaltered since its heyday almost two centuries ago, and, having continuously been lived in by the same family, offers a rare insight into the life-style of a prosperous merchant during the Spanish period.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Reyes

“Turning right on the central plaza into Burgos Street, one reaches the REYES HOUSE after a few steps, sitting in a corner lot since more than a hundred years ago. Also known as “Tandoc House,” it has witnessed many important chapters in Bohol’s turbulent history, and even actively participated in it, serving as a meeting place of the insurrectos who fought against Spanish colonial rule and later against the American invaders. Built in the late nineteenth century by Fernando Reyes, the house shares several similarities with its older siblings in Sitio Ubos, such as half-a-meter high coral stone foundations, which carry the wooden ground floor walls. The Reyes House has also maintained its original steep roof line, albeit once probably covered with thatch. Like other nineteenth-century structures, the exterior looks very sober and without any fancy embellishments and decorations, such as calados, which only became fashionable in the 1920s. The only remarkable feature of the wooden upper story is the row of canopies covering the altered windows on all sides. Presumably the result of a later addition, the canopies nevertheless blend harmoniously with the rest of the structure. Inside the sala, the coffered ceiling, thick round posts, and hardwood floor planks have listened to whispered battle plans and cries for independence, reminding its present-day inhabitants of more dramatic days long gone by.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Pedro Cabalit

“Although boasting of one of the most ornate facades in Tagbilaran, the CABALIT HOUSE farther down on Garcia Avenue shows only a gray and rusty, metal-clad gable wall to passersby. This is the result of a partial demolition the house suffered in 1996, after it was divided among its heirs and the front portion—one-third of the original size— dismantled. In its place, only the ruins of the entrance stairs with concrete balusters remain. As if to make up for the loss suffered more than ten years ago, the relatively small house has been extended at the back, following the original rectangular footprint, but otherwise retaining its original prewar look. An inscription dates the house to 1920, when it was built by Pedro Cabalit, a ship captain. Squeezed between a neighboring building and a wild garden, only two bays of the old facade remain on each side. These, however, are unusually rich and detailed, with no surface left undecorated. Aside from pierced roof eaves, ornate brackets, and barandillas, the wall panels in-between the windows are an artful combination of persianas, wooden panels with geometric forms, and calados in harp design, set apart by elaborately molded wooden pilasters. Unfortunately, this visual “fiesta” is not visible from the street, but hidden in obscurity. ”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011

Ogan

“Located directly opposite the Garcia House, another mighty mansion is concealed behind tall trees that surround it on all sides. Located on a large plot on Rocha Street corner Hontanosas Street, the OGAN MANSION was built probably during the 1930s and was originally owned by John Ogan, a wealthy American businessman, who established the first Bohol Land Transportation Company in 1923. Originally purely residential, it now contains the offices, classrooms, and prayer hall of the Royal Christian School, a private elementary school. This huge mansion is less remarkable for its architectural detail than for its size and extraordinarily high rooms. Built on a roughly square footprint, with an extension at the back, the main wing’s front facade is dominated by a massive, two-storey entrance porch, accessed by a low, concrete, grand staircase. Above it, the former sala protrudes forward, topped by a massive pediment gable and supported only by two slender square posts. Running all around the upper floor and the porch, a media agua, supported by carved wooden brackets, protects the wide window openings from rain and sun. These, and the wooden turned balusters in front of the ventanillas, are the only decorative features of the main wing. At the back, however, the upper floor of the rear wing contains elaborately carved arches in floral design, topped by an intricately carved transom board, combining flowers and leaves with geometric motifs.”

Text from the book Casa Boholana: Vintage Houses of Bohol, by Erik Akpedonu and Czarina Saloma, 2011