Melo Villareal
Laperal White House
After having our light breakfast at Choco-late Batirol, we were supposed to go to our third food stop until we saw this ancestral home while traversing Leonard Wood road.
We decided to visit the place after seeing that this ancestral home was already open to the public. The Laperal White House or Laperal Guesthouse is a famous ancestral house with a unique history. For a long time, it’s been called the White House or Haunted House because of the stories of its past.
If you enjoy ghost stories and are curious about the supernatural, this place will give you the goosebumps you’re looking for. I’m not typically superstitious, but this place made me want to stay with a group and not fall behind.
During our visit in January 2014, the place was more frequented by tourists due to a Bamboo carving exhibit held on the house’s ground floor. The atmosphere inside is definitely quiet as usual and a bit daunting. Of course, even though people were excitedly chatting outside, a hush fell over our group once we got inside. We enjoyed the Bamboo Carvings Exhibit on the ground floor, but it’s hard not to be taken by the stillness of the house itself.
But I was quickly distracted from ghostly thoughts by the absolute beauty of the Laperal Ancestral House. The Victorian look on the outside is complemented by fine wooden banisters, incredibly maintained and cared for. The walls are wooden panels, and although they look new from the varnish, it’s clear that this kind of work is not done today.
The Laperal White House is a relic of times past, of people who had money and great taste and wanted to live in a beautiful environment. The rooms are all worth seeing, and the excellent taste in each area of the house is evident. And just because you have to climb a very narrow, winding staircase, you should not miss the attic. I didn’t see any ghosts, so you should be fine.
The ghost stories aren’t just the result of the haunted-looking house. In fact, the stories were passed down by the long-time caretaker, who described the problems starting when Japanese soldiers took over the place during World War II.
The tales of that past are genuine, and the resulting creepiness of the house is understandable. Torture, interrogations, rape, and even suicide are in the house’s history. The spirits in the house may well be restless.
The Bamboo Carving Exhibit back then was also worth seeing. The Asin Bamboo Carvers Guild Inc brought life and art into the Laperal Ancestral House, and it helped to make it feel alive again. On the old house’s ground floor, many beautiful Bamboo Carvings are displayed. There’s even a souvenir shop inside the ancestral home selling products made from Bamboo.
The Ifugao Bamboo Carving Exhibit was a brainchild of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation in partnership with the Tan Yan Kee Foundation. The organizers aim to raise funds for the information drive on Cordillera’s reforestation.
While looking at the Bamboo Carvings, I noticed that the design mainly showcases Ifugao Culture, the Ifugao houses, the Igorots, and other designs like rice gods.
Most of the finished products showcased in the exhibit are made by Ifugao wood carvers, primarily based in Tuba town in Benguet.
During our visit, We met Ed Manda – the president of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation. Through this Ifugao Bamboo Carving Project, the foundation believes that this project will help wood carvers to continue their art without cutting trees.
Due to decreasing wood supply, Members of the Asin Bamboo Carvers Guild Inc. (ABCGI) decided to shift to Bamboo to offer unique and quality products to the market and to help the environment.
Laperal White House & Bamboo Carving Exhibit
#4 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City
Open Weekends and Holidays, 10AM-6PM
Entrance Fee: 50 Pesos
Organized by: Tan Yan Kee Foundation and Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Inc.
Have you you seen this Ancestral Home in Baguio? Feel free to ask questions and share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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