ILOILO CITY – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) recently unveiled a historical marker for the Eagle House – the popular name for the Celso Ledesma house in this city – in time for National Heritage Month.
The Eagle House (Celso Ledesma House) in Iloilo City. (NHCP)
NHCP Chairman Regalado Trota Jose Jr. and NHCP Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo led the unveiling of the historical marker at the Beaux-Arts mansion on Ortiz St.
For Ilonggos, the house is recognizable with the iconic eagle designs sitting on its fence posts.
Just like its exterior, the Eagle House that survived World War II has an impressive interior with stained-glass windows and ceiling paintings.
The heritage house was built in 1922 by Engineers Mariano Cacho and Mariano Salas for former Mayor Celso Villalobos Ledesma (1888-1957).
Ledesma was a bachelor and bequeathed the house to his nephew, former Mayor Tomas Simeon Zafiro Jalbuena Ledesma.
The house was later passed on to several generations of the Ledesma family.
Present during the May 15 unveiling of the historical marker were descendants Vanessa Ledesma Suatengco, Celso Ledesma, Martin Ledesma Jamora, and Patrick Ledesma Jamora.