Many of us are familiar with Vigan’s Calle Crisologo, the center of Vigan’s Heritage Village. It gives us a glimpse of Spanish-colonial era Philippines with its preserved heritage houses or bahay na bato,
almost perfectly preserved. It was this street that became the “Crown
Jewel” of the city. Visitors have a chance to be transported back in
time.
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| Just passing by. A heritage home at the fringes of the tourist zone. |
Much of the crowd is crammed in
Crisologo, yet the old houses are
spread all throughout the city’s center. Crisologo has that “turista
appeal,” while the side streets of Vigan offer another perspective of
the city’s heritage, as seen from common Bigueno daily life.
Crisologo
has been the darling of the Heritage Village, with most tourists
flocking at this narrow strip. However, the preservation (and the
compliance) would not be complete if it wasn’t for the side streets that
offer itself as “buffer zones.”
The houses in the Heritage Village are mostly dressed up to impress the
visitors. Souvenir shops and cafes are everywhere. Shops that cater to
tourists, antique shops offer old-world furniture to potential buyers,
and cobblestone ways.
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| A shop at Bonifacio Street, just near the corner of Crisologo. |
The side streets have restaurants,
carinderias, hard ware
shops, offices, mechanic shops, and even as residences—up and down! They
cater to the locals and act as support to the tourism industry of the
city.
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| Like any Philippine city, Vigan is not immune to the dangling cables–even at the presence of these majestic houses. |
In streets like Calle Plaridel, Delos Reyes, Bonifacio, General Luna,
or Quirino Boulevard, these old homes are usually just in their usual
selves—unkempt yet well-preserved, except for some occasional neglected
ones. Somehow true to themselves, without the make-up, prim and proper. It's the raw Ilocano rustic experience and appeal that makes these side streets stand out.
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| Naimbag na bigat, pusa! |
In Crisologo, no vehicles are allowed except when crossing it and on horse-drawn carriages called
calesas.
There
are a lot of heritage houses outside Calle Crisologo, albeit not really
that as fancy as that. It’s beauty without the makeup.
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| Without the fancy tourist trappings |
In the side streets, the noisy tricycles criss-cross the narrow
alleyways. Cars are parked alongside old homes. Good news is, these side
streets have some traffic management going on. One-way management is
being implemented.
 |
| One
Direction. The City Government has implemented a traffic scheme around
downtown Vigan to ease the congestion of vehicular and pedestrian
traffic coming in and out of the city. |
Crisologo has no dangling cable wires. The overhead cables,
na “nakaka-sore eyes,” is not present in the tourist area.
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| Assino textmo, manong? |
The side streets, however, have the same scene from any other Philippine city— "pancit spaghetti"everywhere.
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| Cables |
Though the eyes of the world are so focused to what Crisologo offers,
the side streets offer a raw glimpse on how these heritage houses are
embedded in Vigan’s cultural fabric and psyche.
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| Quirino Boulevard in the eastern fringes offer well-preserved sites, including that of former President Quirino’s house. |
These communities in the fringes of the developed tourist zone is
important to the entire heritage conservation effort itself, as it
serves as “buffer zones” as part of the conditions of being a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
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| Pamilya ken taoid. A family with a cart passes by the old houses early in the morning. |
There is more to Vigan than Calle Crisologo and the plaza complex.
The fringes tell a back story on how Vigan, which was also in the verge
of demolishing these structures in the past, have finally found the
importance of cultural heritage in the development of its economy and
society.
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| Down,
but not out. This old house at the corner of Quirino Blvd, also known
as “Dollar House” may have been look neglected, but according to a
source, it is hopefully to be restored in its former beauty. The
maintenance of the heritage houses is one of the challenges faced in
heritage preservation. Usually expensive, the owners may have to give it
up in the long run. |
More photos of
Vigan at HabagatCentral Flickr.
