Yap-Sandiego Ancestral house in Cebu City

During my recent Cebu Trip courtesy of Summit Circle Cebu Hotel, we had a short heritage tour which includes a visit to an old colonial house located in Parian. Cebu is known for its friendly people, shopping, progressive business districts and heritage sites. Travelers who visit Cebu usually hear about an iconic house which would soon be part of their itinerary. The house is all that remains of the Parian street in the 1600s. It was built before 17th century and was formerly known as “Balay nga Bato ug Kahoy”, but now widely popular by the name Yap-Sandiego Ancestral house.

Yap Sandiego Ancestral house in Parian

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral house is one of the oldest of its kind in this region and probably in Cebu city. The exact location of this ancient house is in Mabini Street in Parian and very old Colon Street is close to the Yap-Sandiego ancestral house. Expert historians claim that the house was evidently built in 1675.

Yap-Sandiego – Significant historic heritage of Cebu

The house was inherited from a Chinese couple, by their daughter Maria who eventually married Don Mariano Sandiego. Now it’s owned by Maria’s great great grandson Val Sandiego who seems to be ignoring a lot of proposals from people interested in buying this property.

Ancestral House in Parian

With an architectural style which had been followed during the Spanish era, the Yap Sandiego Ancestral house still retains its glory and beauty. The house is made of local hardwoods (second floor) and coral stones (first floor). The roof of the house, on the other hand, was built using Tisa clay tiles. All the materials used to build the house was quite durable and with Val Sandiego maintaining the house as it is, Yap Sandiego still looks magnificent.

Centuries ago, the first floor of two-floor Filipino houses was used as a warehouse or Kamalig, in the native language and people lived in the second floors. It’s not just the exterior beauty which makes this house famous but the various artifacts inside. Inside the house there are a lot of artifacts, antiques, paintings and religious images.

Wooden figures of revered Catholic saints are also kept inside. Old birthing chairs, old egg beaters, iron tools and antique dining sets are pretty interesting. Basically, visitors who enter the house will be taken back to a time centuries past, and is given an idea how people lived then and what they used for a living.

Although, Val Sandiego and his family don’t live in this house, it has been known that they still come over to stay at the house very often for a couple of days. They still keep priceless artifacts on the second floor of the house as well.

The bedroom in the second floor is marvelous with the four-poster bed and a cradle made of wood. Visitors can take a look inside the house for a small entrance fee and will be accompanied by a tour guide, who is a staff of the house’s present descendant Val Sandiego.

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Tiger Airways Promo Fares (March 1-7 Booking Period)

Image via Wikipedia Singapore-based low-cost airline Tiger Airways have announced their latest deals on both domestic and international destinations from the Philippines. In this latest seat sale, they have slashed down their airfares to as low as 699 pesos (Clark to Kalibo v.v.). For international travel on the other hand, they have trimmed down the fares to as low as 799 Pesos (Clark to Kota Kinabalu v.v). Please check the full details below: departing from Clark (Manila)...

NOTE: This is just a summary! To view the entire article, click the TITLE of the article to redirect you at www.bloggedphilippines.com

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My Manila: Binondo. (Manila's China Town)

My Manila: Binondo.

(Manila's China Town)

 

 

 

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Mind Museum Philippines Soon To Open at The Fort

There is a educational center opening up at The Fort in two weeks time. The Mind Museum at Taguig was just an idea in 2006 but it was immediately started in 2007. The 12.5ksqM land area of thrilling exploration is a PhP1B project that is fully funded by private & corporate donors from sponsors, family and individual donors.

Around 100 great minds have been working on this project — designers, architects, scientists, engineers, exhibit advisors, student interns, building consultants, and BAFI (Bonifaction Art Foundation, Inc.) employees. The museum’s building floor area is 8,000sqM while the exhibit area is 5,000sqM.

The museum houses 250 hands-on, mind-on interactive exhibits. I’ve noticed most of the touch-screen AIO PC’s were provided by Sony, even the LCD displays. There are 5 Main Galleries – Atom, Life, Earth, Math and Living and Wather theme pockets.

There is also 198-seater auditorium with provisions for 2 wheelchairs, 2 mind pods consisting of a 40-seats classrooms and a 35 seating capacity laboratory. All these are available for rent.

What’s Inside?
Check out our photo gallery right here and have a preview of what you can find inside.

Is it affordable?
Regular entrance fee is P600 for adults and P150 for students. With 250 exhibits inside you pay P2.40/exhibit and you can stay up to max of 3 hours only. Visitors get inside the museum in batches. Anybody can visit the museum for kids ages 6 and adults up to 96 years old.

The Mind Museum master plan was undertaken by Jack Rouse & Associates (USA). National Geographic Channel is also a partner who provided the required footages and stills for the exhibits which also served as an exclusive venue for their science-related events.

We have original photos in our photoblog, check ‘em out right here.

Back to back post at Digitalspidey.com

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MSU General Santos produces 11 new lawyers

Congratulations to General Santos City’s Mindanao State University College of Law extension campus!

The recent 2011 Bar Exam results released last Wednesday showed a great improvement in its standings from an average of 18% in 2010 to 32.35%!

This means that out of 34 of its graduates who took the bar, 11 made it to the cut.

According to Atty. Mariano Lugares, dean of the MSU-General Santos College of Law, eight of these passers were recent graduates while the remaining three were second takers.

Here then is the List of the  2011 Bar exam results passers from GenSan MSU College of Law.

Presenting MSU’s new lawyers:

1. Alma Lagayan,
2. Libertine Cagang,
3. Marnito Cosep Jr.,
4. Sheila Mae Jagolino,
5. Cornelio Grino Jr.,
6. Mary Grace Guirhem,
7. Ma. Jasmine Lood,
8. Sittie Tonina Macasayon,
9. Glenda Narcilla,
10. Anthony Pantua and
11. Ruby Jane Pena-Carena.

This achievement of Mindanao State University GenSan even bested the national passing average of 31.93%.  Goes without saying that, General Santos City’s biggest public university is  definitely leveling up.

Congratulations to MSU GenSan and to its 11 new lawyers!

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My Manlia: Binondo. (Manila's China Town)

My Manlia: Binondo.

(Manila's China Town)

 

 

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Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival 2012 kicks off at Puerto Galera

The Philippine Department of Tourism and the local government units of Puerto Galera and Oriental Mindoro extend support to the organizers of the 2nd Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival. Led by Mr. Hubert d’ Aboville, President of the Chamber of Commerce in European Union, this years celebration is expected to out-stage its initial run that lured in more than 1,500 tourists in 2011.

Malasimbo 2012 Bands

Taking place at the foot of Mount Malasimbo in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, the festival promises to be more fun as thousands of foreign and local tourists flock to the island for the annual music festival this March 2 – 3, 2012.

“The natural amphitheater overlooking the Puerto Galera Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in the world, produces a one-of-a-kind acoustic that is truly a wonder of the place,” says Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.

The event is seen to be one of the important festivals as it spearheads the Philippines continued advancement in music, arts and culture. It blends traditional, contemporary, international and local arts and culture with an environmental approach trough reforestation and marine preservation.

Volume Unite Entertainment president Miro Grgic, a Croatian sound engineer will improve this years staging of the Malasimbo Festival, as he adds more musical and visual artists to the line-up.

Among the artists who will grace the event are Joe Bataan from New York, DJ Kentaro, Kyoto Jazz Massive and DJ To-Ru of Japan, Futureboogie DJ’s from the UK, and local artist such as Up Dharma Down, Radioactive Sago, Joey Ayala and more.

As a long term goal, Malasimbo’s organizers aim to improve the lives of the indigenous Mangyan tribes and people residing in the area. Last years proceeds went to the reforestation in Mount Malasimbo.

 

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