Growing up of mixed-race parentage, I never grasped what it meant to be Filipino. It took a few visits to Bahay Nakpil-Bautista — The Bahay, as we fondly refer to it — before I realized the value of the patriotic and artistic legacy of my forebears. The epiphany was simply awe-inspiring and this is the story of how it all changed for me.
A visit in 2017 with friends, one of whom, Gabie Prieto, who could also trace her roots to the Legarda ancestral home just around the corner from Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, on R. Hidalgo St. and being guided on the significance of each part of the Bahay really made me appreciate our ancestors’ artistic and historical legacy much more.
Photography by: John Oranga
President and Curator, Ma. Paz Santos-Viola gave us the VIP tour through the museum. 
A sculptor who occupies the one-time stable and carriage port, then later a car garage, now carries on the Nakpil tradition of providing art work for the Quiapo Church. 
“Machuca” tiles serve as welcome mats. These are a typical feature of homes of the colonial era. 
The former music room and study of Julio Nakpil now holds a permanent display of his musical compositions and writings. 
A self-taught musician, Julio Nakpil composed patriotic marches for the Revolutionary movement including this opus on display. 
An anteroom which once served as a bedroom in the apartment of Julio and Gregoria is now an activity room made available to children in the neighborhood. 
The former apartment of Julio Nakpil and his family is now a permanent display holding the various photos of his direct descendants and other family memorabilia. 
Photos of Julio and Gregoria’s 6 children and their descendants are now on display in their former family living quarters. 
The space in the former living quarters doubles as meeting and a venue for small group seminars. 
Clothes that Lakambini bequeathed to her children were preserved are now on permanent display at The Bahay as examples of the attire during the colonial era. 
A wide staircase that leads to the main living quarters is also a common feature of colonial homes in Manila. 
A New Generation Preserves their Legacy 
The grillework and wooden sash are unique to Bahay Nakpil-Bautista’s Viennese Secession design theme. 
The same geometric patterns and themes on the furniture in The Bahay match the rest of the details of the house by design. 
Even the flower stand conforms to the selected motif. 
Display of antique jewelry tools and designs which themselves were hand drawn. 
The room where the renowned Nakpil handmade Jewelry conducted business now features a photo gallery of the other branches of the Nakpil clan. 
Reproductions of important historical documents related to the revolutionary movement known as Katipunan 
Reproductions of letters written on letterheads of the Supremo of the Katipunan and National Hero, Andres Bonifacio 
Clothes and other memorabilia once belonging to Andres Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus and Julio Nakpil make up part of the display in the museum section dedicated to the Katipunan. 
High ceilings, wide-planked floors, and thick wooden posts and beams on the second storey over solid stone foundations on the ground floor are typical of the bahay na bato at kahoy homes that were build to last, quite literally in the case of The Bahay, for a hundred years. 
Across the living room from Julio Nakpil’s library, is the doorway were a famous painting, The Parisian Life, by Juan Luna once hung. 
Large windows and smaller grilled vents above and beneath them were a requirement to stay cool in the days before air conditioning. 
Katipunan Museum Flag display 
A custom-built display cabinet designed and manufactured by one of the descendants of Julio and Gregoria attests to the artistic flair that runs in their family. 
Sections of The Bahay are devoted to displaying art by various artists that depict the spirit of the Katipunan movement. 
An area of The Bahay is set aside for displays about the Katipunan and Andres Bonifacio, Gregoria de Jesus’ first husband, who founded the movement. 
This portion of the museum features art and graphics that pay homage to Gregoria de Jesus’ patriotic fervor. 
A triptych depicting the life of Gregoria de Jesus stands in the area set aside in her memory. 
Photos of Dr. Ariston Bautista and wife Petrona Nakpil and other residents of The Bahay are on display at the top of the staircase. 
Wall space available along the sides of the wide central staircase features patriotic themed paintings by young artists.
This year, I had a chance to go back to the house with a couple of friends and family. It was the first time for all my friends to visit and it was really gratifying to see them very engaged with a personal tour by President and Curator, Ma. Paz Santos-Viola gave and the stories told by my father and his second cousin, Dr. Fernando N. Zialcita.
For the preservation of galleon stones used as the floor of the garage, the machuca tiles at the foot of the stairs, the Viennese Secession architecture, and memorials to the residents’ involvement in the revolution against Spain, the efforts of Julio Nakpil’s direct descendants, along with the support of the National Historical Commission, and generous private sponsors, to preserve the historical sites at the heart of Quiapo, Manila deserve praise and gratitude.
A Journey of Awareness
With English as a first language, a former colonial subject’s preference for all things foreign, and a mistaken perception of a backward nation in vicious downward spiral to failed-state status. I shamefully admit that I was apathetic — until I learned that my ancestors; namely, Gregoria de Jesus (nom de guerre: Lakambini) and Julio Nakpil (nom de guerre: J. Giliw), were storied members of the Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galang, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, more commonly known as the Katipunan — the Filipino revolutionary movement to declare full-independence from Spainish dominion.
This insight brought a spark of nationalism and over time, reinforced by experiences during a semester spent studying overseas, I realized that progressive countries all have a strong sense of national identity. Behind all the beautiful art and historical landmarks is a country that prioritizes the preservation of their own culture.
Fortuitously, I also managed to enroll in a class in Philippine History taught by Dr. Ambeth Ocampo, an educator himself inspired by the late writer-historian Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, at university which brought me further enlightenment and a deeper sense of patriotism; not to mention, my only grade of ‘A’ that I ever received. Influence had come full circle.
My journey into Philippine history did not end at the university. Conversations with my father would invariably feature his recollections of the recent history that he lived through that were surprisingly illuminating. The more invested I was in these stories; the more I wanted to make an impact into Philippine society by making history relevant again.
The Independence Day Concert at the Ayala Museum on the 16th of June, 2017, timed to celebrate Julio Nakpil’s 150th Birth Anniversary could not have come at a better time. I took the initiative to learn more about our family by volunteering to help my aunt Ma. Paz Santos-Viola with the planning of the concert.
More work is required to preserve The Bahay and its historic environs. Looking out from the rear balcony at the estero (creek), one cannot escape the deep sense of loss. For, what was once a natural swimming pool and sustainable navigable waterway between Manila’s districts just 3 generations back has turned into a communal cesspool, dank and fetid.
Realizing my dream of seeing a green and sustainable Philippines — today’s revolutionary idea — traces its way back to the values imbued by The Bahay and the spirit of its former occupants. Nation-building cannot just be a matter of campaign speeches; it is a matter of roots.