In celebration of National Heritage Month, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts presents Istilong Intramuros: Identity by the Turn of the 20th Century, an art and educational by Prince Wico and Rancho Arcilla.

What is Istilong Intramuros? What was the style and identity of the Walled City by the turn of the 20th century? In popular imagination the architecture of Intramuros in Manila is represented by its gleaming palaces, churches, and fortifications. Postwar literature has deified Intramuros as inherently Spanish with grand landmarks, such as the Manila Cathedral, the San Agustin, and the Fort Santiago.

Because nothing but the San Agustin Church was left after the Second World War, Intramuros has been reduced into an enigma. Literature, though countless, has been unable to create a more holistic presentation of Intramuros’ overall built environment prior to its destruction. Up until recently, for example, the Intramuros Administration was able to operate and implement for four decades the concept of a “Spanish-era” colonial style despite the absence of literature, drawing mostly from highly romanticized impressions of what Intramuros might have look like.

But what really is Istilong Intramuros? This exhibit, which is based on a book which is currently in development, aims to bridge the gap in our understanding and appreciation of Intramuros’ unique character and stylistic identity by the end of the Spanish colonial regime. It is divided into two major parts: Housing the People, which explores the Bahay na Bato, its indigeneity, as well as its place as the prevailing architecture of Intramuros; and Housing God and King, which presents how power and dominance is projected in the churches, state buildings, palaces, and the fortifications of the Walled City.

About the exhibitors

Prince William Treyes Wico is an architecture graduate. He has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas College of Architecture, and as an emerging professional in heritage work promotes the importance of contemporary innovation in the treatment of historic fabric.