The proper noun "Malabon" conjures images
of the pansit Malabon, the famed pansit variety that has become the
symbol and pride of the place and its people. Other than its delicacies,
though, Malabon struck me as uninteresting and not worth a visit. Its infamous
perennial floods may have contributed to people's low regard for this otherwise
culture-rich area.
A day tour of this low-lying city, which originally
had direct access to the Manila Bay and included Navotas, made me reevaluate its
worth. It afforded me the opportunity to realize that beyond the patis, pansit, kakanin, and baha, Malabon is actually a treasure
trove of heritage houses of varied sizes and styles. Unlike Manila, which lost,
and continues to lose, much of its built heritage, Malabon and its denizens are
fortunate to have in their midst living exemplars of our colonial architecture.
Culture vultures will have a great time feasting their eyes on ancestral houses
that line the city's narrow streets.
The photos featured on this post are but some of the houses I was able to take snaps of. (The tour was organized by the Advocates for Heritage Preservation.)
- Randy R.I. Espinoza
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