Ancestral houses of the Philippines

[1] It corresponds to long tradition by Filipino people of giving reverence for ancestors and elders.

Some houses of prominent families had become points of interest or museums in their community because of its cultural, architectural or historical significance.

[2][3] These houses that are deemed of significant importance to the Filipino culture are declared Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), previously known as the National Historical Institute (NHI) of the Philippines.

In the Ilocos Region the historic city of Vigan is the best preserved Spanish Colonial settlement in the country.

[16] In the Calabarzon region, the center for ancestral houses can be found in the streets of Taal, Balayan, and Calaca, in Batangas and Sariaya in Quezon provinces.

The town center of Pila, Laguna, with its Spanish and American-era houses, was declared a National Historical Landmark in 2000.