Time is seemingly frozen in KampoJuan Heritage House, the famous Bahay na Bato mansion of Manolo Fortich which is home to an astonishing collection of antiques bearing age-old narratives from various points of Filipino history.
The house itself is a preserved relic as it was built in the colonial Philippines in Pangasinan and has witnessed its share of Filipino history until it was transported by Dr. Neric Acosta to its new home in Bukidnon. The process of transporting the centuries-old house took three years and was done by dismantling it brick by brick and then rebuilding it in the same fashion when it reached Mindanao. To this day, it serves as a sanctuary to precious art and antique pieces of the Acosta family including the first edition Tagalog translation of Noli Me Tangere, original works of art of National Artists such as Fernando Amorsolo and Anita Magsaysay Ho, and even chandeliers, matrimonial chairs, a hot iron, and a dining table from 18th century Philippines. Indeed a tour of the Kampo Juan Heritage House is like stepping back in time and peeking into the abundant and vibrant Filipino history we all only know from history books. “We are not only collectors of historical items, we are custodians of the narratives of those who came before us,” Dr. Neric Acosta said as he concluded his tour of their family’s beloved Heritage House.