The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Story and photos by Riza Lozada
Heritage tours these days draw people who can spend on a tour package that involves, among other things, visiting centuries-old structures.
In the town of Taal, Batangas province, such a tour often takes only a day to visit several so-called heritage houses. But sometimes, it takes two, depending on the options tourists take in make it more fun, such as swimming in the beaches of Lemery town.
The lure of heritage tours lies in the beauty of the structures that are kept almost exactly the way they were first built, thus, evoking cultural and historical attributes.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has recognized not only the town’s old structures as cultural treasures, but also its customs, cuisine and crafts.
If you visit Taal’s old houses, they would show centuries of care that will be passed on to the next generation of owners. They would also testify to the Filipinos’ rich cultural heritage, as well as the strong influence of Spain on its former colony.
A number of the houses have been transformed into museums or galleries. Despite this, their cultural richness remains intact, with the homes serving as concrete proof of the Taaleños’ time-tested resolve to preserve and protect its history, culture and themselves.
Taal’s so-called Heritage Village will open doors and present its former inhabitants’ colorful way of life. The houses to visit here are the Marcela Agoncillo Museum; Gregorio Agoncillo Mansion; Goco House; Don Apacible Museum; Villa Tortuga; Villa Severina; Estacio Ancestral House; Orosa House; Galleria Taal; Casa de la Rosa; Villavicencio House; Ylagande la Rosa House; Casa Ofelia; La Casa de Dimaano; Casa Conchita; Villavicencio Wedding Gift House; Okada-Barrion Salazar House; Casa Punzalan; Cabrera House; Gen. Ananias Diokno House; Casa Gahol; De la Vega House; Taaleñas Antique Shop and Bazaar de Taal.
Houses of worship
Of course, there are also other houses worth visiting in Taal—houses of worship, to be exact.
One is the Minor Basilica of SaintMartin of Tours, the largest Roman Catholic church in Asia and arguably the municipality’s most famous landmark, which sits on a hill right in the town center.
According to the Taal municipal government website, the basilica, founded by the Augustinians in the late 16th century, was rebuilt several times. The present church was constructed in 1856 under the direction of Fr. Marcos Anton, who sought the help of architect Luciano Oliver, who supervised the design and building of the basilica.
Among the basilica’s features, two are distinct: the façade, which is reminiscent of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the silver tabernacle, claimed to be the only one of its kind in the country.
Taal Basilica is among the places visited most by people during the Lenten season, as well as a popular venue for weddings.
Another is the Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay, found in Barangay Labac and built of coral stones. Townsfolk believe that the image of the Lady of Caysasay was first discovered in 1603, when a fisherman named Juan Maningkad found the image in his fishnet at the town’s Pansipit River.