Monday, June 22, 2009

Once Imeldific

Oh No! If you are looking for Imelda's world-famous shoe collection, this post has nothing to show about it. Instead, this post is about a place built for Leyte's favorite daughter and how ostentatiously extravagant this place once were.

The Santo Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum was once the residence of Philippine's First Family in Tacloban City Leyte. It has a chapel in the first floor with various themed room on the upper corridors while the second floor serve as the residence of Imelda Marcos, her husband and her children.

Imelda, during her time, received a lot of gift and some of these gifts where displayed here from jade sculptures to antique vases and jars. And as you wander around the place, you will be awed with the details of every corner and every room of the place.

Here are some photos I have taken of the place.

Beautifully Sculptured Door in Entrance


Church Altar


Altar Made-Up of Native Materials


Tiled Painting of Jesus


A Large Painting of Imelda on the Dance Hall


One of the Many Wooden Sculptures


Every Room shows a Diorama of Imelda doing an act of kindness.


One of the Many Salas


Sleep Like a Queen


Sadly, the place now needs renovations. There are broken roofs, walls and ceilings all around specially outside. There are also evidence of looted articles and the guide even told us that there used to be fine collections of paintings and jewelries and furnitures in the place but these are looted or taken away by past administrators of the place when the Marcoses were ousted.

At present, the Museum is under the protection of PCGG and you have to pay a minimum entrance fee for the maintenance of the facilities.

42 comments:

  1. yehey ako nauna, INs muna dito. later na alng ako magcomment ng matino. hehehe

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  2. I am one of the very few filipinos who happen to love Imelda. She's such an icon.

    Ang ganda nung tiled painting ni Jesus Christ.

    Imeldific talaga!

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  3. Hi. i love the architecture. and the artsy details. :)

    i have a question pala. legally, do the marcoses own those items given to them by other dignitaries or nations? aren't they supposed to be owned by the Philippines?

    anyway, have you been to Batac Ilocos Norte? their house there is nice too. not as ornate as this one though.

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  4. OMG...ibang level yung mermaid photo ni imelda! wait, mukhang dyosa ng karagatan ang effect.

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  5. hehehehe:D what a nice bed... parang pang-QUEEN... heheheheh nice pics!!!

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  6. It is like a piece of fine art!

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  7. Haha natawa ako kay Redlan. May comment pala na di matino?

    Hmnn nice sinulit mo talaga punta sa Tacloban. Been to this palace. Am not that amazed I don't know am not a fan of Marcoses. Hehe. Ang ganda kuha mo sa altar ah. Its so amazing how lenses can enhance the beauty of things and places. Ganda!

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  8. sad to know that some of the roofs are now damaged. but you really brought us there. ive never been there.

    the diorama is something that i like the most to see. i wonder who made it.

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  9. sayang naman kung hindi pagiingatan ang lugar nayan...hope na kalimutan ang pulitika para magkaron ng importansya sa history ng lugar.

    yung altar parang sa banig ginawa?

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  10. Lovely place. I would love to look at her shoes collection. I try very hard to have a collection too...lol but I dont have a big house to begin with.

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  11. hindi nakapagtataka kung maraming nawala na mamahaling paintings, jewelries and furnitures. sino pa ang kumuha? mga past administrators din na sumunod kay marcos. wala akong masabi, Magnanakaw silang lahat!

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  12. Natakot ako dun sa painting ni Melda.

    Parang Supernatural.

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  13. I've always been fascinated by Imelda: the way she carries herself, the way she speaks, the way she thinks — well, most especially about the way she thinks, ehehe. It's almost as if she's from another planet.

    I love her sense of humor.

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  14. if only for its historical value, this place has to be preserved. the last time i was there, it still looked and felt like a palace.

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  15. nice shots. wow, looks like Imelda already built a shrine for herself hehe :)

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  16. Imelda is really amusing. I must see this place before I die. :)

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  17. I wonder why Imelda cannot support the upkeep of the place. She is still in government service isn't she? Even her children could have volunteered.

    At least you have seen it, the question is, will your children be able to see it in the future?

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  18. Kakaiba yng design ng altar. Young imelda parang sirena.

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  19. Wow! Very nice! I heard from the news today that Imelda is near broke now?

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  20. there's no doubt of Imelda's impeccable taste when it comes to the finer things in life. i remember a huge painting in Malacanang of Imelda as Venus...I've seen her in person a couple of times, she's really beautiful. my cousin visited this place and she told me about the golf course, etc. and how grandiose this place is. sayang, di na-maintain ng maayos.

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  21. Extravagant since day 1! haha

    I love the first shot. Perfect!

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  22. That is very sad to note that some of the items were stolen. It would have been nice to have it preserved to see the "extravagance" of the Marcoses while the majority of their constituents lived in poverty.

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  23. i have the same pictures when i went home couple months ago. when my cousin told me we were going to sto nino shrine i thought were going to another church. but surprise to found out that it was imelda's house.

    i must admit, it was a beautiful house. i love the huge ball room, dining room, the coral & shells fountain and admire her massive bedroom. my mom took a picture of me sitting on her bed..indeed she sleep like a queen.

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  24. This place is beautiful even though it has been looted. Luckily they did not burned it down

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  25. wow. beautiful pics. if i'd only looked at the pictures and not read your commentary i would think that this was a well-maintained, well-preserved museum.

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  27. The time I visited I was hoping for a renovation, too. The photos are great. I only managed to take grainy shots in 2005. And they were very strict in photo taking that time.

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  28. Wow thanks for sharing,
    great shots!

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  29. ang ganda ng mga artwork sa museum, at syempre ung sa shrine. ganda ng altar at ng tiled image ni jesus.
    very interesting blog btw. keep posting! :)

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  30. yeah nakapasok ako sa place na to before. I was so young pa during that time and it looked really grand. I just hope na despite of the things that happened, they will continue to preserve this place because it is a part of history now.

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  31. imelda appeared on tv recently
    she claims she is now poor
    yeah, right!

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  32. wala namang hindi mabibili pag maraming pera. lalo na kung hindi mo pera. haha.

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  33. nakabisita ka rin pala sa sto. Nino shrine kuya oman. likuran lng to ng school ko nung college eh. gud to know you've been to different historical landmarks in leyte.

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  34. i just love imelda! :D can i have a house like that, please? :D

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  35. Ang ganda ng place hope to visit it pag uwi ko dyan.

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  36. Is it true ? Imelda is broke, so says the report in the news.

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  37. Even in this state of "disrepair", the details of your photos still captures the ostentatious Imelda. Great pictures... and post.

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  38. wow cool place!!! yeah you're right its very imeldific.. its just too bad that they dont maintain it so that more people can visit the place.

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  39. Hello Lawstude! Nanjan kami last week lang pero di na kami pumasok kasi ang mahal ng entrance fee (P50) tapos may bayad pa yung camera! Ok na sana kami kaso super sungit nung receptionist! As in!! Ayun, nainis kami kaya di na kami pumasok haha!

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  40. Going to Tacloban this weekend. I want to go there! Is it far from downtown? How did you go there sa Shrine?

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