Hooked on Hinunangan Houses

Just about 20 minutes from Silago town center, with picturesque views of the Leyte Gulf, I arrived at Hinunangan poblacion, also in Southern Leyte. I am guessing, the distance between both town centers does not even reach 20kms. It was a quick and pleasant ride.

What occupied my curious little brain during this short ride, were the many interesting old (and new) houses of Hinunangan. Mapapa-lingon ka! I still can't find a word for it now as I write this, but there is something about residential homes in Hinunangan that is somehow "thought-provoking". It makes me think of how had this town been thriving.

Was this a "cabecera" (center of commerce) in the past? It obviously is not today, right? Was this town a community of the wealthy people or the "hacienderos" of this province or this area of the island? Why am I asking? Because the old houses, by size and build, seem to evoke affluence, while new ones seem to be on the genteel side of architecture.

Take this pink house as an example. Many will readily call this as a "so-so" house, right?

Just one glance, I already think this house must have been built of wood circa the '30s or '40s or even earlier. Then it received a series of facelifts through the years, with wooden parts converted to concrete. Otherwise, if this was made "last month", the owner must be from that era! Nonetheless, it evokes history, nostalgia of our country's memorable past.

By the way, this house is just a few steps from the corner that leads to the jump-off point going San Pablo and San Pedro islands. Meaning its far from the poblacion (about 3kms?). Reminiscent of places like Bacolod, Silay, Iloilo, etc., where big houses are/were far from the center of town - because, owner's were the wealthy hacienderos or landlords who needed to be near their vast farms. Proof: this address is a home of medical doctors (names on the 2nd floor wall). If you were able to raise doctors then, aba, yayamanin ka!

Lastly, this house has high ceilings both on ground and at 2nd level. A sure indicator of our olden architectonics, because, if you make them now, they would be very expensive!

Teka, intermission muna... I love this 'welcome arch' - entirely made of bamboo!

My witty driver said "sa haba ng gustong sabihin (welcome to a friendly barangay), wala na tuloy space for the barangay name"! And I said "ayun sa heart, sa gilid o - Bangcas B"!

Alright, somewhere along the way, nearer to town center, I caught this and said ooops!

I was aiming at a modernistic 2-level building just before this. But the car was too fast for the camera/phone to keep up! Anyway, this is a neighborhood of 4 to 6 houses that will make your jaw drop if you look at "property cuts". Very wide lots, filled with gardens, especially that one with the white and maroon gate. These are not "just-just" residences!

Ah, diagonally across the above property is this (another) era-looking wooden house...

How do I know it's kinda antique? Just by looking at its ground floor! Look again, it is way below the highway's level - meaning this house was already standing where it is, way before concreting of this road ever began! Plus, wide windows with sliding panels!

Further, this neighborhood is about 1km from town center. That was already far during the "kalesa" and/or "cadilakad" era! And you had a 2-level house this far? Rich, therefore!

Here's another house, also on the left side of the road (if it means anything. does it?)

As we can see from this vantage, until now the house is surrounded by greeneries! And it still retains its old era charm. Reminiscent of the merry mix or transition of architectural influences from Spain and America. Not to mention of course, that it is well maintained!

Here is another "sighting", a pair across each other, one is newer the other "time-tested"!

This is already on the busy center of town. The upper level of that one on the right, though deteriorating, is still its original. The capiz-shell windows, wow! I wish it'd stop decaying. Well, ground floor walls have been concreted, yet retaining the old-era look.

Even this 2-level house on the left seem to still retain it's beauty from the past...

Though it has succumbed to "commercial purposes" (I think this is already the business district), I saw its front view as we passed by, I could still discern its gorgeous original.

Same with that blue house after it. And by the way, meters before this, I saw on the right side of this same road, a nice white abode (of a lawyer) but wasn't able to snap a photo.

They do also have the touch of modernity, like this commercial building...

This was one of 3 or 4 tall new structures I saw in this town. But across the road, to the left, is another wooden house (a meatshop) that may have also been grand in the past.

That blue house beyond this commercial building is also an old-style wooden home. And across it, by a big tree is yet another era-house with wide hardwood lumber (tabla) used as walls on the upper level - still intact, mind you. I also love the windows of that house.

We turned left somewhere there, looking for the church, until we reached this corner...

This corner really invited my utmost curiosity. First is this house/building on the corner. I could see the sign, and that painting of a child on the wall, that this is a daycare center. But you and I would know, this kind of building (form, shape and age) was not originally a daycare center, right? It looks like an important municipal whatever office of the past.

Actually, what came to my mind was that building beside the Leyte Provincial Capitol that now houses the DFA passport office, an ATM, etc., - which, previously, was a prison!

The two level house near that multicab was/is equally inviting. I said "ano kaya yun"?! Beyond it, before the next old house, is a woman (carrying a baby) seated on a concrete flower box in the middle of the road. Across all of them, a school, Holy Rosary Academy.

We were turning left on this corner, but hey, I did not fail to notice that red fuel tanker parked by the daycare center! My eyes grew wide seeing that it was marked BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection), so I asked my driver "ano yan, gasolina pang-spray nila sa sunog?"!

As we both laughed, driver explained to me "sir, tubig yan, fire truck ba"! Of course I retorted with "bakit ganyan, pang gas station yan ah?". Which, my witty driver capped with "donated by iton nga truck, ito man nakasurat, Mr. & Mrs. Porferio Malaki & Family"!

Hahaha, lesson learned! Anyway, we turned left to the church (story in my next article)!

After the church, as we moved on along the streets, I saw this residential house...

New and modernistic right? Well, my driver says it is not attractive as it looks like a big head with an unfitting hat hehehe. But what I appreciate is the mindset of who designed it (owner?). You can still discern the partiality towards a big block house, just a block, but with the usual terrace or "azotea" - just like in the olden days of our forebears! Oh ha?!

Ah yes, just curious, I asked the driver to pass by the daycare center again. So we turned to round a few blocks of similar admirable old&new residential houses, until I saw this...

This is a row of about four very different houses (this one with the foyer is newer and concrete). They do not seem related, but all their front areas is one contiguous "garden", with that kind of plant, grass and flowers. Across them is an old-style wooden house too!

Alright, so this house is what I wanted the driver to circle around and come back to...

Ayun si daycare center behind the red multicab, and ayun si "fuel tanker fire truck", just a little bit of it is still seen at the edge of the photo. We were earlier at that corner, right?

I just came back for a better view of this big two-level wood and concrete old building. Funny that after almost an hour, si Lola with the baby is still sitting there! Well, they're under the breezy shade of a huge tree, so why not, di ba? Walang basagan ng trip hehe!

Anyway, I really felt this was not just an ordinary residence of some family. This probably was a government edifice long ago, together with that which is now the daycare center. My driver says "kaguti daw hin munisipyo", but I say, this was already big in olden years.

Ground level walls are all thick (as in really thick) concrete. Below the landing of that grandiose stairs is an archway that leads to the insides of the ground level. Behind that faded sign that says "Barangay Poblacion Office" is some engraving on the concrete itself that says "Established 19??". I could not make out if it's 1930 or 1950 or something else.

All the more that I thought this was previously a municipal hall. To make sure, I walked towards the Lola with a child. OMG, eksakto she just started walking away! Ang swerte nga naman, she's been there for about an hour, and when she was gone, saka ko naisipan magtanong! I was short of hollering "Lola sandali, ako ang nawawala mong poging apo"!

I walked to the corner across the daycare center where men were working on this...

I asked if anyone of them know what the old building was. The reply... "dili mi taga-diri"!

Hah! This was probably telling me to "come back another time". Okay, I shall return!

So I told my driver "let's go to their real municipal hall"! And it is not anywhere near the church. Hmm, all the more that I started believing in my suspicion that, that building we just saw must have been the original town hall! Anyway, I won't stop asking around!

I was hungry, and driver knew where to go! We arrived at this joint that looked familiar...

Oh, this is the house I described above - after the mall, across the blue house, by a tree! Look above the eatery. You will still see the "tabla" as wall and unusually tall windows!

While we are here, it might be also good to tell you that this corner store is a restaurant, burger joint, a bakery and everything else in between, frequented by many! This photo is just too dark as it was a gloomy day. We had the "buy-1-take-1" cheeseburger, and pancit.

Burp! Happy tummy, so on with the journey! Yes, we finally visited this town's real town hall - equally a story to tell - but I have it as a separate article (after the church). Promise!

Let's reflect for a moment...
I would like to tell you my dear readers, that all of the above pictures were taken at random, as we traversed the road entering Hinunangan, and as we drove around town looking for the church and the municipal hall. I didn't know nor anticipated any of them.

That said, there are other abodes in this town that would better illustrate what things got me so fascinated about. I saw some of them. My handicap was, I was cruising along this town for the first time, so I did not know what was coming up or what next to see.

Thus, I could not "ready-aim" my phone (which I was also using to text, answer calls or play games) to quickly snap a picture as the car drove by! I could not also return to all that caught my interest since it was getting late, target overnight place was in Sogod pa!

Besides, baka habulin ako ng itak, if anyone caught an unknown me stopping the car or backing up just to take pictures of their houses, eh hindi naman ako GMA7, CNN or NGC!

What's the point anyway?! My point is, Hinunangan has many fascinating old (and new) houses worth a peep, a selfie, and are even instagrammable for us travelers or tourists!

You might say there are those in other places that are even more beautifully fascinating. Yes, I will agree. But in this town, there are so many of them, wherever you look! All of them have wide front yards of greeneries and flowery things, as if it were a law! Or is it?

Wondering in awe, many questions played inside my little brain! Like: "how come these so many old houses are still standing when in other places either those were renovated (modernized) or just left to rot with the elements"? or "how were they able to maintain those houses through the years?" or "how come mukhang wala yatang pulubi dito"? or "was this place a boomtown of yesteryears"? "then what happened?" and so on, and on...

Seriously, this town can be a tourist attraction by itself and as it is. I mean the houses in town, not just San Pedro and San Pablo (islands). Smaller wooden houses than those we see in Vigan, Carcar, Jaro or Arevalo. But, I think (I'm guessing), historical, just the same!

Okay, after the municipal hall, I went out of Hinunangan going towards Hinundayan...

Notice that blue signage at right? That is made of concrete! Nicely and tastefully done! I realized here, their "bisaya" is of the Boholano twang. It says "dajon sa Brgy. Panalaron"!

On the way out, I still caught glimpses of big houses like this one on the right...

That cream colored house with green roof on the left edge of this picture is also big - some kind of a 3-door apartment. Not only that, in-between these two houses, behind that lone coconut tree (see the brown roof?) is yet another two-level modernistic house!

Even after the "Welcome to Hinunangan Town Proper" marker, I still saw this...

But wait, there's more! Even behind this house (entrance path at right, not seen in pic) is another sizeable structure, probably another house?! So many old and new big houses!

And I just noticed, ALL of them have terraces on the second level. The azotea syndrome!

Finally out of Hinunangan town proper. That kilometer sign says 8km to Hinundayan!

Very near! Though this is still Hinunangan and for the next three kilometers of this road.

But the sun was out again! Let's go!

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