Weekend Getaway: Vigan's Arce Mansion

by lakwatserong tatay

A trip from the past experience.....we're so lucky to be toured in one of the oldest houses in Vigan, that was turned into a tourist spot, were you would have the chance to have a colonial dining experience, wear some of the century dresses and have photo opps while wearing it and it offers accomodation for tourists/travelers like us.

We've been introduce to "Ate" forgot the name, and toured us around. Telling us some of the house's history, and the owner's history background (a short description of it is below: the painting). And how it was turned to tourist spot right now, where the tourist could experience a colonial dining while wearing different suits from Maria Clara outfits, indio, padre, or choose to a wide range of costumes do you want.

Or the chance to go overnight stay in a old mansion like this would be one of a kind experience, sad to say for us...we just stayed there for more than an hour and take some souvenir shots with unique and antique items. And of course we did not missed the chance to wear some of those old clothes/costumes.

Here are some of the old and antique items that been restored, so for us tourist/travels could see....^_^

And here are some of my photos while being guided in Arce Mansion and while we're doing the videoshoot on this mansion....^_^

The colonial dining experience area......sayang di namin natry toh...huhuhuhu.... Based from our Ate guide, it will cost you Php1500 per head with a minimum of four pax (inclusive of turn-of-the century attire, photo shoot, dinner, tour around the house and printed photos).

Here is the costume area, a wide range of costumes to fit, so you would really feel that you've been back in time......we choose to wear for our videoshoot and photo shoot, i wear prayle outfit and johari, wears padre damaso like outfit....^_^

Lakwatserong Tatay's.....^_^

If you just want to have a photo of yourself donning these costumes circa 1890 (without the dinner), it would just cost you Php 150.

One last look of Arce Mansion.....

So for those who plan to go to Vigan, i would really suggest that try to visit Arce Mansion, have a tour, dine and accomodation experience. It would be a really unique trip and one of a kind experience. And could be one of the highlights of your trip to northern part of our country....^_^

Lakwatserong Tatay was here.....^_^

Vigan's Arce Mansion87 Quirino Blvd., Vigan Ilocos Sur
Contact nos: 0917-8246900 / 077-6320549

Weekend Getaway: Our Encounter with Vigan's National Folk Artist: Fidel Antiporda Go

by lakwatserong tatay

Here is another place that must be visited when your in Vigan. This place was also part of our adventures in Weekend Getaway "Vigan Episode", see it for yourself....how we make our burnay's......^_^

Burnay was brought to Vigan by Chinese artisans, according to Vigan folk historian Damaso King, came from Kwi-Sao, Chun-chiu province of Mainland China. It may have existed in the place even before the coming of Spaniards in 1572. These Chinese artisans who set up this cottage industry depended on the natives for their clay supply and labor. One of Vigan's National Folk Artist "Fidel Go", owner of the Ruby Pottery and descendant of the first Chinese potter who came to vigan, has his own account of Burnay industry history in Vigan.

Burnay is an earthenware jar crafted by a potter's hands with the aid of a potter's wheel. It uses fine sand (anay) as a tempering material and fired at a high temperature in a huge brick-and-clay ground kiln that makes it harder and more durable than other terra cotta. Sugarcane, Basi Wine and Local Bagoong (fish sauce) would not taste as good if not fermented in stoneware burnay jars.

Around 1890, burnay technology was introduced to Vigan by Pedro Go, a Chinese settler from Mainland China. He set up his camarin (jar factory) in the street known now as Rivero St. in Brgy VIII. Around 1916, Ongkai Go, son of Pedro Go's brother, came to Philippines and worked with him.

Ongkai came back to the Philippines around 1922 now with his cousin Igan Go, to set up their own jar factory (now known as Ruby Pottery). By that time, there were five burnay factories in Vigan, run by Go's, Pedro, Igan, Ramon (relatives & owner of RG Jar Factory), Buki and Domingo. The last four camarins were all along in the street known now as Gomez St. in Brgy. VII.



Sir Fidel Go....

 Fidel Go, son of the late Ongkai and inherited the Ruby Pottery from Igan Go, was awarded as the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Folk Artist Award) of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts in 1990 for continuing the craft he inherited and for himself knowing all the rumidents of the craft. Claims that between the two surviving Chinese-owned jar factories, he is the only one (now with one of his sons) who still does pottery himself....(actually that time we were lucky to meet him in person and teach us how to make a burnay....kaso lang badtrip...nagmukha toilet bowl yun sakin...hehehehe...^_^)

Today, Brgy. VII is known as Pagburnayan, which means "place where burnay is made". As of now, three burnay factories remains, Ruby Jar factory, RG Jar factory, NP Jar factory. These burnay factories are the only ones found throughout our country. Where you could choose in a wide variety of burnay's produc from different shapes, sizes, designs, plant pots, and others.

Source: "Lifted from the Vigan Ethnographic Studies by VMP Socio-Cultural Team"

Johari's turn...

Tourists and travelers like us, buy jars directly from any of these factories. Most of the tour packages offered include this place, known to be Pagburnayan. So when your in Vigan, you must not missed the chance to see it, try it, and make your own burnay....^_^...like what happen to us...^_^.

Of course...syempre dapat ako din...^_^

Next stop: Vigan's Arce Mansion....

Weekend Getaway: Walking Around in the City of Vigan

by lakwatserong tatay

As we have the chance to walk around, it made us feel we're back in time, because of this reasons.....first stop is Plaza Burgos.

Plaza Burgos is off to the side of the cathedral, a landmark tribute to the city's most illustrious at the same time tragic citizen, Padre Jose Burgos of the Gomburza triumvirate. One of the three priests been executed Gomez, Burgos and Zamora in 1872.

Parks stands a monument dedicated to Father Jose Burgos.....it reads:

Dr. Jose A. Burgos, priest, born in Bigan, Ilocos Sur, P.I. February 9, 1837 and martyred on Bagumbayan Manila, P.I. February 17, 1872, A Victim of the iniquitous persecution of his perfidious enemies. Eternal peace to his soul imperishable praise to his memory everlasting opprobrium to his assassinators the love of the Ilocanos Dedicated this memorial to thee February 17, 1910.

The 2nd monument can be found within the provincial capitol, the city hall, the Arzopizpado, and  the cathedral. It said that this plaza was the center of secular and ecclesiastical power during the colonial period. It is also the same plaza where Ilocano heroine Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang y Cariño was hanged in 1763. The execuion site is marked by a white obelisk.

Plaza Salcedo is named after the Spanish Encomendero Juan de Salcedo who arrived in Vigan and established Villa Fernandina de Bigan in 1572.

Salcedo also built the first chapel that would later evolve into a cathedral which brings up Vigan from a villa to ciudad.

Within Plaza Salcedo is a diorama, which effectively captures the coming together of the famous landmarks of the world. Being a city, declared as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites. The city government of Vigan created this stonemade diorama's representing the world's famous landmarks declared by UNESCO.

upon strolling around the city, in its adjacent sides are the provincial capitol of Ilocos Sur and Vigan can be found.

East of the cathedral is the 18th cenutry Arzobispado, the official residence of the Archbishop of Nueva Segovia. In 1889, the building served as headqurters to Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. The arzobispado currently houses the Museo Nueva Segovia which features archdiocesan archives and ecclesiastical artifacts.

Here are two of the common mode of transportation in Vigan, Calesa's and tricycle. Most of the tourist like to have a tour using the Calesa's....i do not really know what's the reason but riding a Calesa while your own historical tour makes you feel much going back to the past....^_^

Unique design of Tricycle

One unique thing that we found out while walking to this heritage village. All of the commercial outlets in Vigan. Liike Mc Donalds, harmonize with the rest of the heritage structures in the city or whether to local government unit imposes such measures. But its good thing to see at least one city in the Philippines where a "theme" is actually followed.

Johari with Mc Donalds as his backdraft...^_^

Here's mine at Plaza Salcedo....^_^

All in all, it was one nice and quick walk tour adventure.....because we have to go back to our hotel and proceed to Vigan Airport, and to go back to Manila.....^_^..
(...to be continued....^_^)