If your history-buff heart craves for a few more, Padre Burgos House in Vigan City should definitely be next on your list. Located in one of the country’s remaining Hispanic towns (read: UNESCO World Heritage Site) is Padre Burgos’s ancestral home.
Born Jose Apolonio Burgos y Garcia to Jose Burgos, an army lieutenant, and Dona Florencia Garcia on February 9, 1837, Jose Burgos was a good friend to Paciano Rizal, Dr. Jose Rizal’s older brother and mentor. Today, he is most commonly known as Padre Burgos. Growing up, Burgos already appeared to be an exceptional child. His elementary years were spent in Vigan until 1849. He then enrolled at the San Juan de Letran College and it is said that he excelled in all his subjects there. He finished his Bachiller en Artes (Bachelor of Arts) degree and graduated with honors when he was a mere 17-year-old. At the University of Santo Tomas, Burgos studied priesthood and his first mass was held at the Parroquia del Sagrario de Intramuros.
Padre Burgos makes up 1/3 of the GOMBURZA Martyrs. The two others, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, were also graduates from University of Santo Tomas. Together, they used their education to fight for reforms to break the 300 year old Spanish rule. Padre Burgos, especially, was perceived as a threat by the Spanish authorities. He was one of the organizers of the Committee of Reformers which campaigned for more liberal laws in favor of empowering more native clergymen. This committee was composed of two sections, one of which was led by Padre Burgos himself and included Padre Gomez and Padre Zamora. This reform committee staged demonstrations during the liberal administration of General Carlos Ma. De La Torre and continued even when De La Torre was replaced by a much harsher Governor-General named Rafael de Izquierdo. The Spaniards referred to the three priests as filibusteros.
During Gov. Rafael de Izquierdo’s rule, he ordered to abolish the usual privileges of the farmers. The farmers were no longer exempted from paying tributes. They were now required to pay a monetary sum as well as to perform polo y servicio (forced labor). This led to the Cavite Mutiny which involved two hundred Filipinos rallying against the Spanish government. Spanish friars saw this as an opportunity to get rid of Father Burgos by accusing him of supporting the rebellion together with the other two priests. In Fort Santiago, the three underwent a tribunal but it turned out to be a mock trial as dubious charges and false witnesses were pitted against them, and even their own lawyers double-crossed them. On the early morn of February 17, 1872, the GOMBURZA were publicly executed by way of garrotte.
This happened when Jose Rizal was just a child but it proved to be one of the major influences in his life. Rizal was deeply affected by their martyrdom and later on dedicated his second novel, El Filibusterismo, to these three iconic priests, to what they stood for, as well as to the symbolic weight of their deaths. All of these butterfly effects emphasize the importance of Padre Burgos’s birth. If Padre Burgos hadn’t been alive at the right time, or even at all, things would have gone very differently and it is possible that Jose Rizal’s life would have taken a different turn. In addition to this, Padre Burgos was similar to Rizal in ways such as his courage, his nationalist views, his patriotism, and many more. That is why it is important for us to learn and remember not only his end as a martyr, but his beginnings as well.
Architecture & Design
Owned by his grandparents, Don Juan Gonzales and Doña Florentina Gascon, the two-storey ancestral house of Padre Burgos in Vigan was built in 1788. It is said to be symmetrical and well-proportioned, but compared to houses built in later years, the Burgos home is considered relatively small. The ground floor is made of red cal bricks and of lime mortar which were actually used by Chinese trading ships sailing to Vigan to balance their vessels. The upper-storey of the house is made of Philippine hardwood from the mountains of Abra. The façade of the house is equally divided by five pilasters and the door and window openings are a combination of flat and segmental arches. Just outside their living room, an azotea is also built where parties were often hosted by the family.
The original materials of the roof were made of clay tiles. However, it has been replaced today with corrugated galvanized iron sheets except in the kitchen where the clay roof is still well-preserved. Furthermore, a native window system is made of several layers of sliding window panels. Capiz windows are installed all over to allow light to permeate the spacious rooms.
Fast Facts
The Padre Burgos House is one of the oldest examples of Bahay na Bato, a type of house which is based on the Antillean style of the Spaniards which was modified to suit the tropical weather in the Philippines.
After the execution of Father Burgos, the property was seized by the Spanish government.
During the American occupation, the first floor of the house was used as the Post Office of Vigan.
Post-World War II, from 1946-195, the house served as the office of the Philippine National Bank.
Today, we know it as the Padre Burgos Museum where the Ilocano and Tingguian history and culture are exhibited.
What to Find?
Visitors are given the chance to see a collection of the late priest’s memorabilia, family antiques, and jewellery. Father Burgos’s quarters and mini library containing a copy of Dr. Jose Rizal’s first novel, Noli Me Tangere are also available for public viewing. In the gallery section, dioramas depicting Vigan’s history, Ilocano and Tingguian archeological and ethnographic mementos, and an Ilocano hall of fame are exhibited. Moreover, Vigan local artist Esteban Villanueva’s paintings of the Basi Revolt of 1807 are also displayed in a room to encourage visitors to learn more about the time Filipinos like Father Burgos, Father Gomez, and Father Jacinto were fighting long and hard for the freedom and independence we are enjoying today.
How to Get There?
Padre Burgos Museum, appropriately addressed at Burgos Street, is only a ten-minute walk from Plaza Salcedo or from the city center itself. Located a few steps down also is the Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail which is known for being the literal birthplace of the sixth President of the Republic of the Philippines, Elpidio Quirino. For a minimal fare, you can tell your cochero to take you to the museum while you sit in your kalesa and get the Spanish-era-esque experience.
Schedules
Due to the limited funds of the city, the government charges a minimal fee of P20.00 to help in the renovation and maintenance of the ancestral house. The museum is open to the public from Tuesdays to Sundays from 8:30-11:30AM and 1:30-4:30PM. Tour groups may schedule visits during weekends and holidays.
References:
Casipit, J. (1998). GOMBURZA. Reluctant martyrs started it all. Philippine Culture. Retrieved on April 19, 2017 from
http://msc.edu.ph/centennial/gomburza.html
Chandler, D. (1971). In Search of Southeast Asia: a modern history. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawaii Press.
Father Burgos Museum (n.d.). Vigan.ph. Retrieved on April 18, 2017 from http://www.vigan.ph/attractions/father-burgos-museum.html.
Foreman, J. (1906). The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social, and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago. New
York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner's Sons
Padre Burgos House - National Museum (n.d). TripAdvisor. Retrieved on April 20, 2017 from https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Attraction_Review-
g424958-d3494022-Reviews-Padre_Burgos_House_National_Museum-Vigan_Ilocos_Sur_Province_Ilocos_Region_Luzon.html
Padre Jose Ma. Burgos (n.d.). Philippine Culture. Retrieved on April 19, 2017 from http://www.msc.edu.ph/centennial/burgos.html.
Zaide, Gregorio F. (1984). Philippine History and Government. Quezon City, Metro Manila: National Bookstore Printing Press.