1730 Jesuit House in Cebu City

While in Cebu City, My son Tomas brought us to see the most unique museum I ever visited called the Jesuit House, located inside an existing hardware bodega, owned and operated by Mr. Jimmy See, a Chinese Filipino businessman. The old house was built in 1730 at the Cebu Parian where businesses flourished during the Spanish era. It went through historical intrigues, fires, wars, transferred ownerships; yet despite its age, the structure stood strong and firm. Visibly, you can see the posts were made from sturdy molave wood and the walls from sea coral bricks. When Jimmy See went to Ateneo, he discovered the historical value of his old house. And upon the encouragement of the Jesuit's priests, he made restorations to the place and the rest became the museum we saw in Cebu today.

To add more story to the narrative: Just very recently this year, during the pre APEC meeting held in Cebu, some delegates were bought to see the old Jesuit House. One of the Japanese delegates was awed by its uniqueness, he told Mr. Jimmy See not to even relocate the working family warehouse. Indeed, the hardware anterior and interior, the steels and bars, and the barrels and bales of stocks, plus the working personnel inside and everything else; rightly added more charm and uniqueness to the historical find.

 

 

The oldest recorded house in the Philippines.

 Carved inside the house. Previous owners did not take notice of its significance.

Mini replica of the old parian

The inner house is the now standing museum

The molave post, the intricate painted ceiling and the dragon tail beam.

Lucas and Marion posing inside the museo en-capsuled inside an existing warehouse.