It was almost a year ago when I first stepped inside this Spanish colonial heritage house together with a friend who just came from Manila. My friend and I were just talking about the existence of such a house when we decided to go there and tried to secure on-the-spot permission to go inside of which we were lucky enough to be granted access. It was unexpected because my friend came to Cebu only to take photos of old churches since he was working on a book project about church facades by Fr. Pedro Galende OSA, curator of the San Agustin Church Museum in Intramuros. Both of us were mystified at the existence of such a house which we have read only in history books. Even my friend thought at first that the house may have long been destroyed by World War II or through time. As for myself, I have only been up to the walls outside the compound where the house is located after knowing its exact location through an essay written by Fr. Rene Javellana SJ, a Filipino Jesuit historian and writer currently based at the Ateneo de Manila University.

The Jesuit House of 1730 as it is called in previous studies about it was the residence of the Jesuit Superior in Cebu in the early 18th century and is located in Parian, Cebu City. It is very near the Yap-Sandiego House and the Heritage of Cebu Monument yet ordinary passersby may not immediately notice its location or even its existence since it is hidden today by high concrete walls that form part of Ho Tong Hardware in Zulueta Street. The concrete walls itself were built on top of the original hewn stone wall of the compound where this house is confined. The original entrance to the house is located in Binakayan Street, a very narrow road parallel to Zulueta and near the obelisk at the terminus of Colon Street. The door – which was said to be made of molave – of the original main entrance to the compound is now covered by a steel gate although a carved symbol of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits (represented by the letters “IHS” with three nails beneath) flanked on both sides by carved symbols of Mother Mary and St. Joseph are still very visible on the lintel telling clueless outsiders that there’s really something historically interesting inside. If we open the steel gate and the door itself, one will see at the left side an arched portal at the ground level of the house leading to the main staircase and then to the main door at the second floor. Above this arched portal is another carving on the wall bearing the emblem or symbol of the Jesuits.

Below: A carved symbol of the Society of Jesus above the portal leading to the main staircase and to the main entrance of the house.

According to previous studies, the house was built in 1730 as evidenced by a carved relief that bears the said year in one of the walls inside the house. Some historians argue that the year may read 1750 and not 1730 because of the way the number “3” was executed which according to them is actually “5.” Fr. Javellana however points out, in an email dialogue that we had, that it is indeed 1730 relying on the authority of Fr. William Repetti SJ, a respected Jesuit archivist and scientist who first documented the house before the second World War when it was still in a better condition. Fr. Javellana adds that whether it was built in 1730 or 1750, what is important is that the house still belongs to what is known as the Jesuit “pre-supression” period thus making it significant. Since there were only a very few Jesuit structures built between 1581 when they arrived in the Philippines and 1768 when they were suppressed in Europe and eventually expelled from the Philippines, the Parian house is a very precious piece of heritage and perhaps the only one of its kind in Cebu.

Below: A relief in one of the walls inside the house.

The house has undergone a series of transformations after ownership of it transferred to different hands until it was acquired by the Alvarez family whose patriarch was a rich landowner from Bohol and a respected businessman in Cebu. It has not been determined yet as to how long the Alvarezes have owned the place though according to Concepcion G. Briones, a Parian historian, the family bought the house during the late nineteenth century. The house was leased to Sergio Osmeña Jr., then Governor of Cebu in the 50s, and was converted into an exclusive club. Now it is owned by the Sy Family of Ho Tong Hardware.

Stepping inside the compound from the contemporary entrance of Ho Tong Hardware at Zulueta Street, one can see that the house is still really very intact. The view that one would immediately see when going inside would be of this old photo from the Cebuano Studies Center (see old photo), so far the only extant pre-war photo of the house. The Jesuit House is actually made up of two houses or structures connected by a covered walkway or bridge at the second level. For reference purposes the smaller house is referred to as House B in previous documentations while the bigger and main house is referred as House A. The bigger house still has the original clay tile roof whose design looks similar to that of a typical Chinese temple. It is of two levels and is made of cut coral stones all throughout. The smaller house on the other hand has a galvanized iron roofing and is a bipartite structure of coral stones in the first level and hard wood in the second level. According to Fr. Javellana’s research, the smaller house may have just functioned like an azotea or perhaps a recreation area while the bigger house contained what a usual religious community house would have: a chapel, some rooms and perhaps a small library. The lower levels would probably have been used as a storage area for supplies and other extra furnishings.

Photos below: (1) A post and a decorative corbel; (2) A decorative corbel inside the main house; (3) One of the several low corbels that may have originally supported a lower ceiling.

The interiors of both structures date back to the pre-war era when it was modified and improved. However it is interesting to note that the corbels, pieces of wood that jut out of the wall to support a cumbersome weight, in this case the ceiling, are still the original. Several smaller corbels also jut out of the wall lower than the present ceiling suggesting that the interiors may originally have a lower ceiling. The flooring too is still original, made up of alternating planks of light and dark shades of hard wood. Supporting the roofing are columns made from the trunks of trees. The original main staircase was described by Repetti as intricately carved with motifs and decorations similar to the main staircase of the monastery of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño, however these were taken by the previous owners when they sold the house.

Photos below: (1) A carved decoration near the main staircase; (2) The main staircase.

Why such a house in Parian? Was there a Jesuit mission in Parian? During the early days of the christianization of the Philippines, various religious orders arrived and evangelized in different areas until a Royal Decree was made dividing Pilippine territory among the existing religious orders that were already in the islands. The islands of Cebu and Panay were to be administered by the Augustinians while Leyte, Samar, Bohol, Negros and Mindanao were to be administered by the Jesuits. A religious order however can give a portion of its territory to another religious order upon permission or invitation. Here in Cebu, the Jesuits were the ones who established the Colegio de San Ildefonso in Martires Street (now M.J. Cuenco Avenue), the forerunner of the present day University of San Carlos. The Jesuits also administered Mandaue and built its stone church. The Jesuit House of 1730 in Parian was known to be the residence of the Jesuit Superior in Cebu. According to studies, there used to be a previous Jesuit residence on the same area which was built by Fathers Antonio Sedeño and Pedro Chirino, pioneer Jesuit missionaries in Cebu. This community house may have fallen into decay until the present-day house was built.

It is important that Cebuanos be made aware of this precious piece of heritage right in the heart of Barangay Parian. It is also a coincidence that we are celebrating Heritage Month this May. Heritage conservation starts from being aware and if we don’t give way to preserving these relics of the past, we will have nothing to impart on our children and our children’s children. It is very fortunate to know though that according to one of the staff in Ho Tong Hardware, the owner itself is very interested in turning this piece of history into a museum.

Below: Another view of the main house.