⌛ Gorordo Museum in Cebu

There is no time machine, but one can be enveloped in the past of the people of Cebu by visiting the Gorordo Museum. But why is the past so important?

To succeed in the uncertain future, one must learn from the past. For the past represents the whole gamut of the human experience. The past provides a glimpse into the underlying motives and persuasions of a person. And the past shows the culture that held sway over a people. Such culture and past are laid in life-like proportions and in three dimensions before the eyes of every tourist who visits the Casa Gorordo Museum.

The Casa Gorordo Museum was originally the ancestral home of the aristocratic Gorordo family during the nineteenth century. The most famous of all Gorordo who resided in this ancestral home was Juan Gorordo (1862-1934). He was the first Filipino Bishop in Cebu. Then, due to the revolution and the succeeding drastic societal changes, the ancestral house was abandoned and finally acquired by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

In 1980, the restoration of the ancestral home was completed and the Casa Gorordo was turned into a museum. And in 1983, the contents and collection of this new museum were painstakingly studied, appraised, and documented. The curate who carried out this laborious work was Mr. Louie Nacordia, a famous collector and expert on antiques. Nacordia identified the craftsmanship, design, provenance, style, and period of a total of 243 artifacts. Such cultural accomplishment has never before been surpassed in the Philippines.

Inside the Casa Gorordo, one will find oneself hurling back to the nineteenth century. The restoration of the ancestral house aimed to showcase a typical residence of the aristocracy during the Spanish colonization. The architecture and design dates back to 1860s. There is a rare collection of antique furniture, and a grand display of life-size statues of saints and other religious relics. There are paintings created by famous artists. There are precious 19th century household items. And there is a courtyard which is representative of aristocratic houses during that century.

To get to Casa Gorordo Museum, the tourist simply informs the taxi driver of his desired destination. Casa Gorordo Museum is located at 35 Lopez Jaena Street, Cebu City. It is in the same district with other historical and religious structures, such as the Minor Basilica of the Infant Jesus, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Magellan’s Cross.

The Casa Gorordo Museum us open Mondays to Saturdays, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. There is a lunch break between 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm. And the admission fee for adults is fifteen pesos, and for children, five pesos.