Vega Ancestral House

Vega Ancestral House
Vega Ancestral House
	Vega Ancestral House
	Location within Philippines
General information
Type	Heritage House
Architectural style	1st Transition Bahay na Bato
Location	Poblacion, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao (Region X), Philippines
Coordinates	8°44′36″N 124°46′37″E / 8.7433°N 124.7769°E
Completed	1800s
Technical details
Material	"Molave", "Balayong" and "Tugas" (Visayan)
Website
	Vega Ancestral House

The Vega Ancestral House is one of the first Transition bahay na bato-inspired houses still standing after witnessing different colonial periods of the Philippines through its estimated 200 years of existence. The house is located in Poblacion, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.

Its sculpted wooden atlases, known as "otí-ot" in the Visayan language, support the second floor protrusion of the house. The house is an important structure among the locality's tourism spots.^[1] Notable personalities including Emilio Aguinaldo and Sergio Osmeña are reported to have stayed in the house.^{[citation needed]}

History

In the 1800s, a young merchant from San Nicolas in Cebu named Ignacio Juan Vega settled in Northern Mindanao at a small town now called Balingasag, then named Galas. Vega introduced the Cebuano devotion to the Sto. Niño to the townsfolk of Balingasag. Aside from this cultural practice, he also left behind a heritage house that is considered these days as a landmark in Misamis Oriental.^[2]

The house also witnessed the political endeavors of its owners. The first town executive came from the Vega Clan, Faustino Vega. He was known as presidente local under the short-lived First Philippine Republic (1898-1903). Melquiades Vega, Faustino Vega's son, served as the first presidente local under the American Regime (1903-1928).

Though no existing documents pinpoint the exact year of construction, several attempts by heritage advocates to document this house, as well as bloggers and local townsfolk, suggest that the house was built in the 1800s.

House features

The house is designed with sculpted wooden figures that act as support structures to the protruding second floor. There are three wooden figures, with one corner lacking such a structure.

There are varying interpretations regarding the three sculpted wooden figures. Some suggest they represent slavery, while others believe they are inspired by the atlas icon symbolizing a man carrying the world. According to Dr. Antonio J. Montalvan II, referencing the Vega Clan genealogy, the three sculptures represent the three sons of Ignacio Juan Vega: Santos (married to Valentina Roa, Juana Valmores), Pedro (married to Benita Salvacion), and Gregorio.

The house primarily uses "molave" and "balayong" wood. Large beams or pillars support the overall stability of the house structure, placed at the corners, between corners, and along the center. The walls resemble woven abaca, called "Uway" (English: rattan) in Visayan, and are colored yellow. The house still utilizes the traditional banggera (kitchen dishwashing area) as an air-drying shelf for kitchen wares and utensils.

The uppermost portion of the house features a classical cogon roof. This, along with the emerging stone works at the bottom part of the house, classifies the house under the 1st Transition of Bahay na bato. The support beams are decorated with the chambered nautilus motif.^[2]

The high quality of materials used in construction is evidenced by the house's resilience through the centuries. This heritage structure is one of the primary attractions for tourists visiting the historical center (Poblacion) of Balingasag.

Tourism

Coffee table books and glossy calendars (such as the 2006 Shell calendar ["Homes of our Heritage"]) contribute to the house's visibility and the municipality's tourism.

According to Ms. Nanette Vega, the local tourism authority has expressed interest in acquiring the house to preserve and open it as a tourism hotspot. The Vega clan has declined the proposal for sentimental reasons, preferring to maintain the house themselves despite the costs. The house remains open for walk-in tourists and visits by appointment.

The house's association with Maria Clara Vega Jimenez—mother of television personality Inday Badiday and Philippine Daily Inquirer editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez Magsanoc—adds to its fame. It is locally known as the "Vega House," not the "Jimenez House."^[3] Some mistakenly associate the house with the late child star Julie Vega due to her stage surname. However, her real name was Julie Pearl Apostol Postigo.^[4]

Present Times

The first floor of the house currently operates as a restaurant/carinderia, open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. Part of the income contributes to the house's maintenance.