Study 3: Everything considered (Rear end of the property)

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Study 2 : Inspiration from Pawson (for the rear end of the property)

Alvin and I were aligned on a design that served as our initial inspiration, the country home of artdirector/stylist/image maker Baron Fabian. The ‘barn’ was designed by our favorite, John Pawson, the father of Minimalism. We thought Fabian’s house fit the rural context, structure-wise, its lines and materials simple and yet its soaring ceilings evoked a certain drama to the interiors.But. One of Mama’s item in her wish list was a roof deck, which has become a trend for newly constructed homes in the province. Baron’s house used simple iron sheets as roofing, which didn’t allow for a roof deck. So, we had to rethink the design.

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Study 1 (Rear end of property)

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Site Map

The property is in the shape of a letter L,as in Leah, my mother’s first name. My grandfather had acquired the piece of land from surrounding neighbors, except for the piece of quadrant on the northeast, currently the site of the only gas station in town (the others have followed modern zoning rules that limit their location to the town’s outskirts).

The existing house stands on the corner of the property, approximately 10m X 18m. This particular spot is ideal for commercial space as Moore Street runs perpendicular to the property and leads to the downtown area. 

The empty lot occupies two thirds of the property at approximately 600sqm.

There was so much discussion among family, friends, and architects on where exactly the new structure should be built.

First off, there was no clear agreement on whether the whole abandoned area should be purely residential and leave the Moore residence to eventually be developed as commercial space or keep the option of providing expansion for commercial space on the empty lot. I was reminded that the stretch of the property’s frontage was 44 meters to the south and 10 meters to the east (facing the commercial area). That had a lot of potential for commercial space.

So we agreed on having Mama’s house by the rear end (north) of the property. That would provide her with privacy and at the same time, allow the front end of the property flexibility for future commercial ventures.

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Demolish? Restore? Build?

There was a discussion before on either putting up a new structure on the abandoned lot or rehabilitating the Moore residence. Of course, restoring the old house was always the priority as it has become more than just my family’s home- it’s become a landmark on that side of the province.

In my infrequent visits, I would notice small improvements made by Mama - replacing the wooden stairs with cement steps, a garage with a veranda on top - changes that did not really make the structure sturdier or even more beautiful but gave my mother comfort. And indeed the interior felt homey and gave a calming and nurturing effect.  Despite sprucing up the home with very personal things, Mama knew that everyone including herself, could feel the age of the structure. 

The flooring slightly slopes onto one side, and in some areas creaks under your step. My cousin, a doctor who practices in the province pointed out to me that the whole house seemed to be twisting more and more each year. He brought me to the middle of the living area and he told me to look up at the ceiling. The frame that held the pitched roofing, which ran the entire length of the house, indeed twisted to a certain direction!  I would also feel tremors when trucks pass by the house. Ventilation was bad as Mama sealed the rear balcony to make way for more closet space! 

After much deliberation, and considering the fact that the house was hastily built, we decided to build a new structure on the adjoining lot. There was also a lot of talk that the Moore residence sits on very valuable land and if the lot were to be redeveloped into commercial spaces, Mama would stand to earn a lot!

I saw the practicality and the logic behind the idea and I easily agreed. Ironically, I’ve been extremely critical with businessmen in Manila who demolish old structures in Malate and Ermita disregarding heritage and history to make way for malls and other commercial establishments. Funny how life forces you to contradict yourself!
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Go!

After so many years, the plan to put up a new structure in the province is a go! Last November, I went home for the holidays and inspected our old house and abandoned lot and checked the other modern structures in town. There were quite a few. Very few.

Newly built commercial space of Dr. Romy Lim, Lawrence's uncle. This structure is at the heart of the commercial area, a block away from our old house.

Three story commercial/residential building of my friend Lawrence Lim, who relocated from L.A. The photo doesn't do justice to this structure.  It's never finished as the family continues to expand and develop the structure.  Lawrence and his family live on the third floor.

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Plans plans plans

Samar has been recorded as one of the poorest provinces in the country, probably another reason why we, the children weren’t very much interested in its affairs. Blame it on the geographic location, which is directly on the path where most tropical typhoons take during the wet season. Blame it on lack of industry. Years ago, Catarman was only known for rice and coconut and the New People's Army. Blame it on too much politics, which is endemic in any part of the country (the irony is that my family were very much involved in politics). 

Admittedly, we were not fond of our hometown, even in our adult years. However, I had always imagined restoring something in the province. I dreamed of a house where we could keep all the memories of our family. In the late 90s, I had talks with my architect friend Alvin Matias, to design a bahay na bato that would replace the old Moore residence. I also asked him to do sketches for future residential and commercial structures on the abandoned lot. His original plan was a beautiful and grand recreation of our old ancestral home, which I am certain would pop out in the town. But it also looked too expensive (tegula tiles alone for roofing would run in the millions!) and impractical in the future. Besides, the big fire of 1965 already gutted two beautiful ancestral homes down. I couldn’t imagine losing another one.

Thanks to Alvin for his vision and patience all these years. To my surprise, Mama has kept the original designs and I’ve uploaded it here should Alvin by chance get to read this. Sadly, he’s not part of the final redevelopment, which I had hoped he would be.

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The Right Direction

“Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa kanyang pinanggagalingan ay hindi makararating sa kanyang paruruunan”. (If one doesn’t look back at where he came from, he won’t make it to his destination.)   

–  Jose Rizal

It’s a strange adage, Jose. I never really took it seriously but from your point of view, it looks like I’m headed towards the right direction.

Despite several Agrarian Reforms, there is still so much land in the province from both our parents and grandparents. I remember back in college, one my best friends, Caloy Campos, told me that his lola (grandmother), the former First Lady of the Philippines, Leonila Garcia, recounted memories of our family. She said that the Moores were one of the most well-landed families in Samar. It may have meant something to the old folks and to the locals (even till now) but I guess we never really did care for it. 

For one, we didn’t grow up in the province. Papa and Mama moved to Manila in the 60s’ to start a life here with their children. Samar was a destination, memories of which were limited to childhood summers with our grandparents. Admittedly, those were the times when we were able to grow up with and know more about our other cousins. Deaths in the family would also bring us home. I remember that funeral marches of Daddy and Mommy and vaguely Papa, were of epic proportions. Kilometer long black queues, the singing, the wailing.  The whole province practically went on mourning. It was those memories that made me realize that the town cared so much for our family and yet, we really didn’t care much for the town.

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The Mijares-Moore Family

This photo was taken in 1948, at the Mijares ancestral home, gutted down in 1965 along with the house on the abandoned lot.  It is now the old Moore residence, occupied by my mother.  Seated from left to right: Great grandmother Desideria Saldo-Mijares, Auntie Edith Moore-Urgino, Great grandmother Martina Beleña-Madamba (Moore). Standing: Auntie Thelma Moore-Singzon, Grandmother 'Mommy' Julita Mijares-Moore, Grandfather 'Daddy' Eusebio Moore, mother Leah Moore-Mangada. MORE HERE...

Moore residence

The house on the corner of Anunciacion and Moore streets was hastily built after the fire in 1965. My grandfather designed and personally supervised this project. He was a politician and the immediate need then was a place to receive and entertain his constituents.   The design is typical of its time on this side of the world:  a cross between a bahay na bato (utility and commercial spaces on the ground floor and the living and private spaces on the second floor) and peaked roofing typical of modern American homes.

The entire second floor was spacious enough for my grandparents to receive people from all walks of life, from the ubiquitous farmers and tenants to mayors, governors from other towns and even presidentiables aligned with my grandfather. The ground floor was kept for the vehicles and storage for rice and copra from the farm.  When my grandfather passed away in the early 80s', my grandmother moved into one of her properties adjoining that of one her daughter's. During those years, the Moore house was rented out to a government agency.  This proved to be a disaster later on as the house was practically trashed by the tenants.  They did not care that it was the house of  the province's governor of 8 years and mayor of the town for 16 years.  My grandmother was too old to care as well.  We later found out that huge wood planks of stairs that led to the storage room on the ground floor disappeared, room partitions on the second floor were rearranged, ventilation was altered.  It was a mess.  

This house and the adjoining abandoned lot with the ruins of the other house were inherited by my mother when my grandmother passed away in the early 90s.  At that time, my brothers and sister and I had already finished school and were pursuing our careers here and abroad.  So, my mother decided to retire to the province to run her school, the farms and other businesses.  She decided to live in the Moore house and convert the ground floor to commercial spaces for rent.It has been home to my mom for more than a decade with minor improvements just to make her living conditions more comfortable.  But the truth is, the structure support has had problems, the frame of the house seems to be twisting and this hastily built home that lasted 43 years is showing its age.

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