ILOILO City – It was in 2015 yet when the National Museum declared the century-old Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato in Arevalo district an “important cultural property” but it was only on Friday last week that a marker was formally installed.
Owner Gerard Camiña, former director of the Land Transportation Office in Western Visayas, and wife Luth welcomed the installation.
“Happy kita because na-recognize na officially as an important cultural property representing the architecture of 1860s,” said Camiña.
By virtue of Resolution No. 23-2015 and Republic Act 10066 (National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009) issued on Dec. 23, 2015, Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato on Osmeña Street, Arevalo was declared as such.
According to National Museum’s Cultural Properties Regulation Division deputy chief Raquel Flores, the Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato was a “testimony to the richness and diversity of heritage that speaks to the longstanding and distinctive strength, resilience and dynamism of the spirit of the Filipino people.”
Flores led the marker installation together with President Rodrigo Duterte’s long-time partner Honeylet Avanceña who hailed the Camiña couple’s effort to preserve their house for posterity.
A “significant built heritage of the country” was how Flores described the Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato.
The Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato is open to visitors and tourists Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Aside from its architecture, it also boasts of century-old furniture and other ancient house fixtures.
The Avanceña-Camiña Balay nga Bato is also known to serve visitors with native tsokolate and heritage dishes for lunch and dinner./PN
