Travel back in time at this ancestral house in Bicol

There are numerous stories of how the 1920s house built by husband-and-wife Simeon and Beatrice Alparce some 20km from Legazpi Airport miraculously defied the ravages of time, war and Bicol’s tumultuous storms.

In the Second World War, Japanese forces invaded the municipality of Bacacay and the Alparce family had to flee to the neighboring islands for safety; upon their return, they found the nine-bedroom house unscathed.

Two of the strongest typhoons in the province – Sisang in 1987 and Reming in 2006 – caused some damage, but the house remained liveable after repairs, unlike the other ancestral homes in town, which were destroyed.

In more recent times, Rolly in November 2020 destroyed Tabaco Church and Bahay na Bato in Tabaco – both important heritage sites in the province – but, again, Casa Simeon was spared and only lightly damaged.

Lovingly restored

In early 2018, Enrico Alparce Calleja lovingly restored his grandparents’ house, renamed it Casa Simeon and converted it into a specialty lodging.

A classic bahay na bato (an architectural style that emerged during the Spanish colonial era), the ground floor is fortified with stones while the second floor is made of wood.

The original design details – such as the barayong (wood from the pudding pipe tree) interior panels, a grand staircase that leads to the living areas, pierced tin awnings, ventanillas (sliding window panels), ornate calado transoms and sampaguita glass windows – are still intact.

“The predominantly Spanish-colonial architecture was meant to showcase the grandeur of the house, and you can come here to feel the culture and history of the Philippines,” Casa Simeon’s co-owner Jessica Wong says. “Here, you get to stay in a century-old house and feel the warmth of wood beneath your feet.”

Modern amenities

To complement Casa Simeon’s old-world feel, nine guest rooms have been outfitted with modern-day amenities and luxuries such as air-conditioners, cable TV and 500 thread-count bed linen.

“The set-up is not hotel-like, as the family lives in the house and helps with the entertaining,” Wong explains.

On the second floor, where an area has been converted into a restaurant, guests can order specialty dishes such as pasta with Bicol Express as the main ingredient, baduya (a popular street snack in Albay) and churros con tsokolate using tsakay (local donut) with the unique flavor of biniribid (rice flour and coconut).

“Rico loves the kitchen and even makes some of the meals, and the staff is a small group that is friendly and helpful. Casa Simeon is a passion project and we are very excited with how it’s turned out.” casasimeon.com