Efigenio Treyes Lizares and Enrica Labayen Alunan were married in 1872. By 1875, the couple was already engaged in the production of sugar and like other planters, they lived in a farm house in the hacienda. The size and grandeur of the interiors of their second home, now known as the Balay ni Tana Dicang, indicates that by 1883, when the house was built, the family was already very well established. Balay ni Tana Dicang stands on a 6,000 square meter lot along Rizal St. in Talisay and it is built in the quintessential style of Spanish-Filipino domestic Architecture, the "bahay na bato," literally, "house of stone."
Running along the front and sides of the exterior of the house is the overhanging roof which protects the rooms from the heat of the sun. Below this, broad, window sills hold sliding wooden louvers and capiz shell shutters. Ventanilla, or openings with sliding wooden shutters and wooden balustrades, run from below the window sill to the floor and provide light and air even when the upper windows are closed for the night or during bad weather. The pierced wood-work balusters of the grand staircase and the four rose windows in the caida show that much attention was given to detail. Surfaces of the exterior and interior are embellished with classical motifs, moldings, cornices, medallions, and pilasters.The use of Philippine hardwoods, materiales fuertes like as narra, balayong (tindalo inTagalog), and molave for structural and design components convey status. Tana Dicang's furniture remain practically where they were when she was still the mistress of the house. According to Adjie Lizares, curator of the museum and one of the great grandchildren, she buried her silver, porcelain, crystal, and other precious belongings to keep them safe during the war. Among the treasures that were unearthed were dining utensils made from melted coins and bearing the initials of the house residents. “There is a ledger of Tana Dicang from 1903 to 1909 that we keep like a piece of treasure,” Adjie is quoted as saying. These are now on display together with other documents, photographs, draperies, bed linens, bath-fixtures, lighting, and religious paraphernalia. The house is also still surrounded by the original wrought iron fence and window gratings. The original original casein paint (an organic paint made of animal protein derived from milk and color pigments) is now evident on the zaguan (ground floor). In the second floor, so far only the walls of Tana Dicang's master bedroom has been stripped of later layers of paint, revealing the original aqua color of the room.
Adjie plans to remove some of the modern indoor plumbing and bathrooms to restore the original feel of the Balay.The photograph at left is of a part of the ground floor service area that Adjie hopes to convert into a restaurant that opens into a garden. "We can have parties and wedding receptions here, he says." In her final will and testament, Enrica bequeathed the Balay to six of her eight daughters, specifying that 10 percent of the income of her two haciendas be used for the upkeep of the house. Several years ago, the Balay was formally opened to the public as a lifestyle museum with an art gallery, giving the public access to this priceless legacy left to us by an indomitable woman.For more on Enrica Alunan and the Lizares Clan For more on the Balay , Manila Bulletin article by By CARLOMAR A. DAOANA August 11, 2009 The author, Andrea Lizares Si is the granddaughter of Dr. Antonio A. Lizares. She enjoys writing and creating websites.
The Balay ni Tana Dicang Museum is open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. e-mail address [email protected] Telephone numbers: 6334-4952104, 6334-7126800 |