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De la Cruz Ancestral House

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De la Cruz Ancestral House

A 1950s Home in the heart of Lopez Jaena Street, San Roque, Cavite. The house also holds several Filipiniana books that are available for home reading.

De la Cruz Ancestral House is located in the heart of Calle Lopez Jaena in San Roque, Cavite City. This 1960s home holds family memorabilia, its funeral business – Funeraria Filipinas, which is considered by many as the oldest operational funeral home in Cavite City, heirlooms, natural history collection, and mementos of the Nuestra Señora de Soledad de Porta Vaga, the Patroness of Cavite province

. As a heritage space, it aims to engage community audiences and promote its historical and cultural values. Interested visitors are advised to secure an appointment a week before your visit through our official page.

05/05/2026

Our Mater Dolorosa joined the fiesta procession in honor of Saint Peregrine Laziosi at his parish in Cavite City. As a member of the Order of the Servants of Mary, Saint Peregrine was deeply devoted to the Virgin of Sorrows. The Servites have long reflected on the Seven Sorrows of Mary, contemplating her suffering and unwavering faith. In the same spirit, Saint Peregrine lived a life marked by penance, prayer, and compassion. The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has granted a plenary indulgence to those who make a pious visit to his parish in Cavite City.

Our sincere thanks to Saint Peregrine Parish and to our dear friends who made it possible for the Blessed Mother to join the procession for the second time this year.

[Photos from Saint Peregrine de Laziosi Parish page]

17/04/2026

In celebration of International House Museums Day 2026, this exhibition presents the history of Funeraria Filipinas in Cavite City that served generations of families through moments of loss and remembrance. Once operating from the De La Cruz House, the institution became part of the everyday landscape of care and ritual in the community. Through photographs, advertisements, and material traces, the exhibition traces the evolution of funeral practices over time, from handwritten banners to printed materials, and from newspaper advertisements to changing forms of public communication. Funeraria Filipinas Cavite City ceased operations in 2025, closing a significant chapter in its history of service. What remains is a record of labor, care, and community memory shaped within the spaces, people, and practices of Cavite life.

To View the Exhibition please click this link: https://canva.link/ihmd2026finalriteslastingmemories

15/04/2026

Maligayang Pandaigdigang mga Araw ng Bahay-Museo!

The International Council of Museums – DEMHIST (International Committee for Historic House Museums) celebrates International House Museums Day on April 18–19, 2026. This marks the second year of this celebration, and we are pleased to actively take part in it. For this year, we will launch an online exhibition titled “Final Rites, Lasting Memories” on April 18, 2026!

03/04/2026

Our image of the Mater Dolorosa was borne in procession for the “Prusisyon ng Libing ng Santo Entierro” this Good Friday at Saint Peregrine Laziosi Parish Church. At her side was San Juan Evangelista, the beloved disciple of Christ. The afternoon lay thick with humidity, the air heavy and unmoving. Only the sharp crack of matrakas broke the silence, blending with the slow drift of incense as the procession moved in a steady, solemn rhythm through the streets. We are grateful to our friends for their invaluable support during this year’s Semana Santa!

29/03/2026

Palaspas are woven palm fronds used during Palm Sunday in the Philippines, recalling Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. They also reflect regional craftsmanship, with each design shaped by local techniques and traditions. Made from young coconut leaves, these works transform simple materials into expressions of faith and identity. After blessing, they are kept in homes as signs of protection and devotion, valued both as ritual objects and as examples of everyday artistry.

27/03/2026

Observed on the Friday preceding Holy Week, Viernes de Dolores marks the beginning of intensified Lenten devotions centered on the Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Within Roman Catholic communities in the Philippines, this day is commemorated through processions, vigil prayers, and private acts of contemplation.

In households that maintain sacred images, careful preparations are made in anticipation of the Holy Week rites. Santos are cleaned, repaired, and dressed as part of a panata, or a devotional vow expressed through acts of care and service to the image. Parallel to this, community members prepare carrozas (processional carriages), which will bear the images during the solemn processions.

The Mater Dolorosa (Sorrowful Mother) serves as the principal Marian image in these observances. She is typically depicted in mourning attire, clothed in black, and may carry a handkerchief, often fashioned from piña fabric. In some towns, three distinct Mater Dolorosa images are maintained: one for Viernes de Dolores (or Domingo de Ramos) another for midweek observances such as Holy Wednesday, and a third for Good Friday. In certain traditions, a single image is adapted for multiple rites by changing its head and hands, for both devotional continuity and practical considerations in image use. The Mater Dolorosa occupies the final position in the sequence of images in the procession of Good Friday, following the Santo Entierro.

[Photo: Our Mater Dolorosa is now dressed and ready for the upcoming Semana Santa observances in Cavite City.]

19/03/2026

Happy Feast Day of Saint Joseph, patron of fathers, carpenters, and the Universal Church!

San José, spouse of the Blessed Mother, has been venerated in San Roque, Cavite since the Spanish period. Devotion to him developed alongside the early community, where guilds of artisans, especially carpenters and woodworkers, placed themselves under his patronage. The barrio of San José became known for its craftsmen, whose work included house-building and religious art. According to Gervasio Pangilinan, several residents received recognition in sculpture contests. Some were commissioned to carve retablos, santos, and wooden details for churches and homes across Cavite, including our own.

May he bless all workers, protect our families, and guide our daily labor with faith and integrity!

07/03/2026

This corner of our house reflects everyday acts of care, creativity, and memory. The framed artworks and devotional images speak to women as artists, storytellers, and people who help shape family and community life.

***
We celebrate Women’s Month and recognize the many ways women contribute to culture, creativity, and the spaces we share. 🌸

19/02/2026

Every third Thursday of February is World Anthropology Day, and this year it falls on February 19.

Anthropology is the study of humanity—its origins, cultures, societies, and ways of life across time. It helps us understand how people live, work, trade, believe, and relate to one another, both in the past and in the present.

In celebration of this day, we are sharing a local tool of measurement known as the “ganta.” The ganta is a traditional Filipino dry measure equivalent to approximately three liters. It was widely used in public markets to quantify rice and other grains, serving as a standard unit in everyday trade. More than just a tool for commerce, the ganta reflects systems of exchange built on trust, shared understanding, and community practice. It also highlights the central role of rice in Filipino household life, local economies, and cultural traditions. Through simple objects like the ganta, anthropology allows us to see how material culture embodies values, relationships, and the rhythms of daily life.

17/02/2026

Happy Lunar New Year to everyone celebrating the Year of the Horse!

In traditional Chinese culture, the Horse symbolizes strength, speed, courage, loyalty, freedom, and talent. Those born under this sign are often described as brave, steady, upright, faithful, and independent, with strong determination and a clear sense of purpose. As we welcome this auspicious year, may it bring renewed energy, steady progress, and meaningful achievements for us all.

To mark the celebration, we are sharing these taka horses crafted in Paete, Laguna. Known as the Carving Capital of the Philippines, Paete is home to skilled artisans who create taka figures by hand. Taka are made using carved wooden molds. Layers of paper soaked in water and glue are pressed onto the mold and dried under the sun. Once hardened, the form is removed, assembled, and hand-painted in vibrant colors and detailed designs. The traditional taka horse is red, often accented with yellow or green.

May the Year of the Horse inspire us to move forward with confidence, creativity, and heart. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

02/02/2026

Happy Birthday, Purita Kalaw-Ledesma

Purita Kalaw-Ledesma’s contributions span cultural practice and institutional leadership. In 1986, she published Family Recipes in honor of her mother, Pura Villanueva-Kalaw, author of the first Filipino cookbook (1918–1921), highlighting the preservation of domestic knowledge and memory. She also played a key role in the early formation of what is now the Museum Foundation of the Philippines. Founded in the early 1980s as the Friends of the National Museum, the organization was reorganized after the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution as the Concerned Citizens for the National Museum under her leadership.

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888 Lopez Jaena
Cavite
4100

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