Marcela Agoncillo Museum - Batangas

Located beside Calle Marcela Marino Agoncillo in the town of Taal in Batangas, Marcela Agoncillo Museum is the ancestral house of the principal seamstress of the first Philippine Flag.

Marcela Agoncillo Museum
Marcela Agoncillo Museum

Marcela Agoncillo Museum History

The Marcela Agoncillo Museum / ancestral house is a bahay na bato built sometime around the 1780s and is one of the oldest houses in Taal. The house was built by Dona Marcela's grandfather, Don Andres Marino. Dona Marcela inherited the house after the death of her grandfather and she chose to live in the house even after being married in 1889 to Felipe Agoncillo who would later on become known as the "First Filipino Diplomat".

Marcela Agoncillo Museum / Heritage House - Taal, Batangas

The historical marker of Dona Marcela

Marcela Agoncillo statue found outside her house

Batas Republika 8491
Read: The Republic Act 8491 contents

Museo nina Marcela Marino at Felipe Agoncillo

The ownership of the house was then passed on to the children of Dona Marcela after she passed away on May 30, 1946. Then on July 6, 1980, the children of Dona Marcela and Don Felipe, Gregoria, and Marcela (named after her mother) donated the ancestral house and its furniture and family memorabilia to the government. The house was then converted into a museum and is presently being maintained by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Old Marcela Agoncillo
Dona Marcela Agoncillo

Visitors of the Marcela Agoncillo Museum can check out these galleries:

Gallery 1: Marino - Agoncillo Home

Gallery 1

The living room 

The bedroom


Gallery 2: Life of Marcela Marino de Agoncillo

Gallery 2

The panels show the life of Marcela Agoncillo

Gallery 3: Memories of the Agoncillo Family

Gallery 3

Spanish era way of cooking

This video shows a lot of old photos

Gallery 4: Life and Career of Felipe Agoncillo

Gallery 4

Some works and books of Felipe Agoncillo

Gallery 5: Symbols of the Nation

Gallery 5

sagisag ng estado
Other symbols of the nation

Gallery 6: The National Flag of the Philippines

Gallery 6

The Philippine flag throughout the years

The Philippine Flag

Gallery 7: Philippine Sovereignty

Gallery 7

Wall panels showing the history of Philippine sovereignty

I got to visit the Marcela Agoncillo Museum during the annual field trip of my class. It was the last ancestral house in our itinerary. The house and its displays were well maintained and as expected, my students got a glimpse of the Spanish colonial era during our visits to the different ancestral houses in Taal. They also got to see the real house and stuff of a person that they only read in the books. 
The statue showing Dona Marcela famously sewing the flag

 The only issue that I got during the said trip was the parking. Although there is an open lot in front of the museum for parking, it is also used (and probably owned) by the business office which is also located in front of the museum. Hence, parking becomes a first come first serve basis. Visitors may opt to park their car at the Taal Basilica grounds and walk at least 800 meters to the museum.

Marcela Agoncillo Museum Opening Hours

The museum is open from 8AM to 4PM Tue - Sun.

Marcela Agoncillo Museum Entrance Free

To enter, you have to pay 80 pesos per person.

Why visit Marcela Agoncillo Museum?

Overall, when in Taal, one should not miss out on the chance of visiting the Marcela Agoncillo Museum. It is a great place to least about the past and also the life of the "Mother of the Philippine Flag" and her husband the "First Filipino Diplomat".

Getting to Marcela Agoncillo Museum:


From Manila, ride a bus (Jam Liner) going to Lemery, Batangas. Tell the conductor to drop you off at the Lemery-Taal junction. From there, you can ride a trike or jeep which will pass by the museum.

 Ratings: 
Crowd
Cleanliness
Overall rating
Location: Calle Marcela Mariño Agoncillo, Taal, Batangas, Philippines

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 20, 2017 at 9:41 AM

    being maintained by the NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION of the PHILIPPINES

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carlo MadridDecember 20, 2017 at 4:05 PM

    I missed this when we went to Taal last year, I guess I was busy scouring the streets for the best bulalohan!haha.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sumit waliaDecember 21, 2017 at 9:34 PM

    Thanks for the article , well described with so many visuals . just wanted to know that was she specifically chosen to design and weave the flag or was the design done by someone else and she was by history designated to make the national flag ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioJanuary 2, 2018 at 11:23 AM

      Since the government then was exiled in Hong Kong, there was no other choice for then President Aguinaldo but to choose from the few wives of fellow exile patriots to weave the flag to be used for their return. There where a lot of flags prior to this but this flag is recognized as the National Flag since it was the one used by the 1st Philippine Republic.

      Delete
  4. AmbujDecember 21, 2017 at 10:25 PM

    I am glad that your photography skills are so good! Looking at your pics, I can almost walk through the museum. But with great history, there is an intriguing story and you have told that through your pics ! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioJanuary 2, 2018 at 11:11 AM

      Thank you so much for your kind words Ambuj. Thank you for visiting my blog. =)

      Delete
  5. Erica JahnDecember 26, 2017 at 10:18 AM

    I was here last August... There are so much to appreciate in this humble place. I think this place and others in Cavite should be included in my son's field trip itinerary instead of theme parks.. hmmm young children should be exposed to historical places

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioJanuary 2, 2018 at 11:13 AM

      I agree! I'm also wondering why field trip destinations nowadays are mostly malls or factories. DepEd should require historical places are one of the destinations in a field trip.

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 1, 2018 at 6:03 PM

    I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
    I will bookmark your blog and check again here frequently.
    I am quite certain I will learn many new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 30, 2018 at 12:03 PM

    I could not resist commenting. Welll written!

    ReplyDelete
  8. JamesDecember 14, 2021 at 2:08 AM

    Hello po! I would like to ask if I may use your photos for a school project? We are tasked to create a digital archive of historical sites around our community and I really loved your pictures. I will definitely make sure to credit you if ever I am given the permission po :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioDecember 18, 2021 at 12:06 AM

      Thank you for reaching out. Cool. You may use some photos.

      Delete
  9. AnonymousDecember 10, 2022 at 1:54 PM

    Open pa po ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioDecember 10, 2022 at 5:14 PM

      As far as I know, it's still open. You can call the Taal Tourism Office to double check. =)

      Delete

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