Camiña Balay nga Bato

The Camiña house in Arevalo was built in the 1860s for Fernando Avanceña, whose family wove hablon cloth, and later passed to the Camiña family, who still own and live in it and show visitors round themselves. It is a bahay na bato of the classic type - coral-stone ground floor, hardwood upper storey, capiz-shell windows, wide plank floors - furnished with the family's own pieces and with the looms and textile material that reflect where the money came from. What makes the visit distinctive is what comes with it: tsokolate, made from local cacao ground on a stone and whisked with a wooden batidor in the traditional way, served with local kakanin, while the owner talks about the house, the district and Iloilo's textile past. Booking ahead matters, since this is a household rather than a museum with fixed opening hours.

History

The house was built in 1865 for Don Fernando Avanceña and his wife Eulalia Abaja to a design by Anselmo Avanceña, the first parish priest of Molo, and the family lived from hablon weaving. It later passed to the Camiña family, and on 23 December 2015 the National Museum declared it an important cultural property (Wikipedia, Camiña Balay Nga Bato).

Highlights

• The stone-and-wood house - an 1860s bahay na bato lived in still.
• The family furnishings - original pieces and textile equipment.
• The tsokolate service - stone-ground cacao whisked at the table.
• The Arevalo district - the old weaving quarter around the house.

When to go

November to May for travel. Book ahead - visits are arranged by the family and there are no drop-in hours. Mornings and early afternoon suit the chocolate service.

What to expect

It is a private home shown by its owners, so timing depends on them and booking is essential. The tour fee includes refreshments and is higher than a museum ticket. Photography rules are the family's to set.

Nearby

Molo Church and its plaza are close; Jaro Cathedral and Iloilo's centre are a short ride away.