| Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine | |
|---|---|
Dambanang Emilio Aguinaldo (Filipino) | |
 The façade of the house | |
 Interactive map of the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine area | |
| Alternative names | Emilio Aguinaldo House |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Mansion |
| Architectural style | American Era Filipino ColonialBahay na Bato |
| Location | Tirona Highway,Kawit,Cavite |
| Coordinates | 14°26′42″N120°54′25″E / 14.44500°N 120.90694°E /14.44500; 120.90694 |
| Current tenants | National Historical Commission of the Philippines |
| Construction started | 1845; 181 years ago (1845) |
| Renovated | 1849; 177 years ago (1849) and 1919; 107 years ago (1919) |
| Owner | Government of the Philippines |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5(with a mezzanine level on the second floor) |
| Floor area | 1,324 m2 (14,250 sq ft)[2] |
| Grounds | 4,864 m2 (52,360 sq ft)[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Emilio Aguinaldo[1] |
| Designations | National Shrine; June 18, 1964 |
TheEmilio Aguinaldo Shrine (or theCavite El Viejo Shrine) is a national shrine located inKawit,Cavite in thePhilippines, where thePhilippine Declaration of Independence fromSpain was declared on June 12, 1898, orIndependence Day. To commemorate the event, now known asAraw ng Kalayaan orIndependence Day, anational holiday, thePhilippine flag is raised here by top government officials on June 12 each year. The house is now a museum.
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This shrine is theancestral home ofEmilio Aguinaldo,[3] officially the firstPresident of the Philippines, the only president of theFirst Philippine Republic. The house was built in 1845 made from wood andthatch and reconstructed in 1849. Here, Aguinaldo was born on March 22, 1869.[4]
On June 12, 1898, the independence was proclaimed from the window of the grand hall. TheDeclaration of Philippine Independence was read by its author,Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista[5] The Declaration of Independence was ratified by theMalolos Congress on September 21, 1898.[6]
President Aguinaldo greatly enlarged his home from 1919 to 1921, transforming it into a monument to flag and country.[7] He constructed an elaborate "Independence balcony", which Aguinaldo and top Philippine officials used during independence day celebrations. Many visitors today assume the balcony to be the actual location of the Independence Proclamation.[4] Aguinaldo donated his home to thePhilippine government on June 12, 1963, "to perpetuate the spirit of the Philippine Revolution of 1896 that put an end to Spanish colonization of the country".[2][1]
During the independence celebration, thePhilippine flag designed byEmilio Aguinaldo was formally unfurled from the front window. It was first flown during the Battle of Alapan inImus two weeks earlier on May 28, 1898 (now celebrated as thePhilippine National Flag Day each year). ThePhilippine national anthem was also first played on the grounds by themarching band of San Francisco de Malabon (nowGeneral Trias) but as aninstrumental music; the lyrics were not written until 1899 byJosé Palma.
Emilio Aguinaldo died on February 6, 1964, at the age of 94 at theVeterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. The same year, the government declared the mansion as a National Shrine on June 18 through the Republic Act of 4039 signed by PresidentDiosdado Macapagal.[4][8]
The property which is adjacent to a river, was expanded to includeAguinaldo Park, a park in front of the house created for thePhilippine Centennial celebration of 1998. The park with a longpromenade and two long pools. Previously the house was fronted by a busy street. In the park is a bronze statue of Aguinaldo on horseback.
Aguinaldo's house is a mansion over 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) in floor area designed by Aguinaldo himself.[2] The house features secret passages and hiding places for documents and weapons and is filled with antique furniture and decorated throughout with motifs of the Philippine flag and other national symbols. The building is divided into three sections: the main house on the west side of the building, the family wing on the east, and the tower located in between.[9] The middle section is a five-story tower with aspire at the very top. Themezzanine level on the second floor is sometimes counted as an extra floor. The ground floor of the house was previously unwalled which is typical of the houses during the era.[4] Today, it houses a museum of Aguinaldo's memorabilia and other historical artifacts. Ahologram depicting Aguinaldo during the eve of June 12, 1898, is one of the exhibits.[9]
Located on the second floor is the grand hall, a large meeting room with the historic front window from where the Declaration of Independence was read. The front Independence balcony was added by Aguinaldo during the 1919 renovations.[1] The dining room located on the same floor is highlighted by araised-relief map of the Philippines on its ceiling. Also on this level is the bedroom of Aguinaldo, the kitchen, a conference room, and a partially covered terrace on the western end of the building. On the east wing are three bedrooms for the general's three daughters. A covered balcony(azotea) at the end of the wing was christened by Aguinaldo asGaleria de los Pecadores (Hall of the Sinners) as military plots against the Spanish authorities were planned there.[4][10][11]
The next level is amezzanine library which overlooks the grand hall below. A flight of stairs takes the visitor to the Ambassador Room used as a study by the general's son-in-law,Ambassador Jose Melencio. The next floor is the other bedroom of Aguinaldo which he used during the latter part of his life. A tiledterrace on this level gives a commanding view of the town to as far asManila. A very narrow ladder takes one to the top of the tower which is allegedly the favorite spot of Aguinaldo.
The grounds of the house is lush with greenery bordered by a river on the east and backed by afish pond to the south. On display outside the house is Aguinaldo's personal car, a 1924Packardlimousine restored in November 2009.[12]
In the middle of the garden behind the house is a marble tomb where the first president is interred.[3]
The Aguinaldo Shrine museum on the ground floor is maintained by theNational Historical Commission of the Philippines.
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