The historic city of Vigan which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Center in 1999 is a must see for travelers longing for a little historical backtrack into the path. There are cobblestone streets, kalesa ride tours and many photo taking opportunities of edifices that still retain their original façade. There are also several houses that have been restored and may be visited by the public to view their interiors. The drive takes about seven hours from Manila but there are some local airlines that may fly to neighboring cities such as La Union and Laoag.
Vigan Lights
It was 2:00 o’clock in the morning. Vigan lights greeted us along the main avenue and in the plaza. The neo classical Provincial Capitol building is fronted by a huge Christmas tree made of palay, corn and vegetables with lighted local lanterns. The art deco municipal building is cornered by a Christmas tree of colored capiz shells and draped with lights that form into bows and ribbons. All acacia trees are festooned with lights like meteors dropping from the sky. And as I glanced at the historic cobbled Crisologo street, the once gas lamps cast shadows of nostalgia to Christmas of bygone days.
Minus the modern day vehicles
Vigan may transport a viewer into the past
I have been going to Vigan regularly for the past six months as part of a cultural mapping project, a joint effort of the Vigan Municipal Government and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and the Environment in the Tropics (CCCPET). When the project was being conceptualized, I was surprised that the World Heritage city had difficulty melding the concept of heritage conservation to sustainable development. Most of us would have expected that before the city was declared a world heritage, it would have established a system of conservation programs that translate to community development. In short, heritage conservation should produce economic values to the city.
The Vigan Cathedral
Vigan’s Mayor Ferdinand Medina is an architect by profession. And the historic significance of the city is doubly valued with architecture and aesthetics importance because of the Mayor’s background. Translating his profession into building for the Mayor. The challenge is not just to conserve the city because of the heritage values and museumize the space, nor just develop along modernization without conservation and demolish the old structures. The elusive balance of conservation with development is the urgent need. Building the town is to build the lives of the people with pride in their place and ancestry.
Vigan is also known for its woodwork and many purchase furniture from its artesans
Since the City’s declaration as World Heritage Site in 1999, the city has always been under critical light. Experts, officials, architects, students, visit the city and scrutinize the social and structural development. When the city allowed the construction of McDonald’s fast-food building in the middle of the plaza which aped the belfry of the Cathedral, people admonished the restaurant management. When the city approved the conversion of the St. Paul’s school to become a shopping mall, people lamented at the loss of the beautiful structure which had memory and attachment to all Viguenos. There have been a number of skirmishes and battles that have kept the city government vigilant.
A well maintained and still sometimes used horse carriage
belonging to the Syquia House
The heritage mapping project began in May. The objectives were to map out the heritage resources of the historic city and identify resources that would evolve into enterprises and products for the city to promote. Twenty participants were identified, composed of city officials, town planners, tourism officers, historians, religious workers, architects, teachers, and private homeowners. The curriculum was composed of heritage and development, documentation and research, built heritage conservation, cultural mapping, and heritage and marketing. The speakers were Prof. Regalado Trota Jose, Associate Professor Michael Manalo, Associate Professor Ana Bautista, Associate Professor Issa Avendano, Associate Professor Nady Nacario and myself.
Visitors may hop aboard a DOT accredited kalesa for one hour city tour.
Looking back at the lectures, activities and projects the students undertook, I can now talk to them with the same mindset, vocabulary and vision on conservation and development. Prof. Jose required the students to trace their genealogy; copy inscriptions of marble lapidas in the church; and document the catenated walls approach to town. Associate Prof. Manalo tasked the students to measure the interior of an ancestral house and document the deterioration of building materials like tasting the white residue on terracotta bricks. Associate Prof. Nacario taught the students (and also the policemen) rudiments of photography and pointers in marketing.
Part of the Syquia house
Graduation will be this December. With pride, many students are finishing their final projects- the town officials will annotate the Vigan Municipal Ordinance on Conservation to be more user and reader friendly to the public; the architects will conduct a feasibility study for an old abandoned structure with corresponding adoptive reuse interpretation; the teachers will write multi grade curricula- detailed lesson plans for all grade levels and all subjects incorporating heritage resources; the tourism officers will develop new product lines complete with prototypes ready for marketing.
The interiors of the Quema House
When the bells toll and the lights glow to usher the start of simbang gabi, Vigan will have many things to thank for. The spectrum of heritage awareness, appreciation, protection and utilization will be invaluable knowledge that will provide students with understanding and inspiration on how to sustain the value of heritage in development. Even after the course, the students will continue implementing cultural projects and enlighten fellow Viguenos on how significant is their heritage city.
Nestor de Leon and city councilor Germilina Singson-Goulart
Eric Zerrudo is presently the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, consultant for international affairs, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and consultant to the Center for the Conservation of Cultural Properties and the Environment in the Tropics, University of Sto. Tomas.
A place for must-eat Vigan cuisine, Café Leona
Some Tips
Vigan City Councilor Germelina Singson-Goulart and friend Nestor de Leon gave their insightful tips on what to eat and what to do while in Vigan
What to eat: (Not for the faint hearted and fickle)
Sinanglao A local delicacy consisting of boiled heart, intestines, internal organs, some skin and in some occasions the eyeballs of a cow done in a broth.
(And for the less adventurous)
Pipian Chicken with pork bits, roasted with ground rice and kamias and combined with a local herb called pasotes (similar to basil)
Pusi black eyed peas with pork knuckles and ampalaya leaves
Malaga a dark skinned fish that is similar to trout
Bolidao A local river fish similar to salmon that is cooked in vinegar, bagoong, ginger and garlic
(For the vegetarian)
Puqui-puqui roasted eggplants mashed with eggs and bagoong
Bubuto ground rice wrapped in banana leaves
Formal dining table at the Quema house
What to do:
Eat at the historic Café Leona near Plaza Burgos
Ride the kalesa and have a tour for Php 150 which takes about an hour including stops. All kalesa drivers ( kucheros) are trained as tour guides under the Department of Tourism
Visit the churches such as the Cathedral and surrounding ones
Visit the jar making factory which still has a dragon kiln
Check out the local weavers and their work made out of de Abel
Go on a tour of the historical houses such as the Burgos house, Crisologo house and Syquia house
The Quema house is also a must-see and one can make an appointment to see it by calling the local government at (077) 7228772
The Baluarte or residence of the governor is also worth a look because it has an interactive zoo.
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