Pamintuan Mansion in Angeles City, Pampanga

Pampanga, Philippines — Located in Angeles City, Barangay Sto. Rosario in Miranda Street lies a home that has been standing for more than 100 years; the Pamintuan Mansion is a mansion also known as the Museum of Philippine Social History (Museo ng Kasaysayang Panlipunan ng Pilipinas) when it was inaugurated last 2015.

Showcasing how diverse the culture of Filipinos are, the Pamintuan mansion is the place that shows the collective results of all our colonial experiences and influences. Even before its inauguration, many visitors appreciate and applaud how it exhibits different aspects of our social history.

It is also a place to see how the local heritage has developed over the years. Even more than just this museum, the whole of Angeles is creating a lot of efforts to upgrade the whole area to a district that features the diverse sides of the Filipino heritage.

This museum has a lot of things to display that will highlight how Filipinos live their day-to-day life through the many artworks, collections, and various exhibits. This is a good contrast to all the other museums that we have since other museums mostly feature art that is about the heroes of the country or narrates some political or religious events.

In the museum, there are nine galleries that guests can explore to discover how the lives of Filipino grew. You will be able to see different aspects such as how traditional clothing, architecture, and design, mythology stories about the creatures Filipinos talk about, and life in a Filipino kitchen and market.

Even games of Filipino children like jackstone, chess, and other Filipino games like sungka are featured here since it is part of our culture as well– you can find them at gallery 7. Relieve some of your favorite childhood memories as you look at these games.

One of the galleries is where you can find some music compositions that date back to 1896 up to some of the songs we are familiar with now.

For those who are interested in discovering how creative Filipinos can be, gallery 2 has some of the interesting and different Philippine textile and local accessories on display.

Pamintuan Mansion did not become such a unique museum without having to witness and experience a lot of the big historical events in our country; the history of it is so rich because of all that.

Did you know that for a short time this was used as the headquarters of one of the Philippine Presidents? During the time when the Philippines was having a battle with the United States of America’s administration, President Emilio Aguinaldo transferred the government set to Pampanga, from Kawit, Cavite.

Another event that this mansion has been able to witness is when the first anniversary of Philippine Independence was celebrated. Aguinaldo had the Philippine flag, stood on the balcony of the mansion on the second floor, and waved it as a sign of triumph and joy. From then on, the owners of the house kept on changing.

During World War II, the house was used as headquarters by the American forces. When WWII was over, the property was converted into Angeles Hotel by a Chinese businessman.

Later on, the house also became a satellite office of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from 1993 to 2009.

The Museum is open daily from 8am to 4pm. The entrance is free but needs prior coordination by contacting their office at (045)304-4042.

The museum focuses on different aspects of Filipino life: 

• Gallery 1. History of the mansion from its construction in 1890 to the present.
• Gallery 2. Various Philippine textiles, accessories, and weaving tools.
• Gallery 3. Filipino clothing styles from the earliest period until today through artistic renditions of local fashion and culture.
• Gallery 4. Architectural styles across the archipelago using scale models of traditional Filipino houses.
• Gallery 5. Bedroom furniture of a 19th century, well-appointed bahay na bato.
• Gallery 6. Filipino musical compositions in 1896 to popular music heard today, with individual listening facilities for listening to selected songs.
• Gallery 7. Different traditional Filipino games.
• Gallery 8. Philippine mythological creatures.
• Gallery 9. Traditional Filipino kitchen and various utensils, everyday market scenes, and contemporary food.

Interesting Facts about the Pamintuan Mansion

• Headquarters of General Antonio Luna in April 1899;
• The mansion became the Seat of the Philippine republic in May 1899;
• Site of the first-anniversary celebration of the declaration of Philippine independence on 12 June 1899;
• Headquarters of General MacArthur in November 1899;
• Station occupied by Japanese Kamikaze pilots during the Second World War;
• The clubhouse of the United Services Organization, Inc. between 1946 to 1947; and
• The mansion was converted into Angeles Hotel by a Chinese businessman in 1949.
•  In 1959, the Pamintuans sold the mansion to Pedro Tablante, who leased the property to the local government in 1964.
• The Central Bank of the Philippines acquired the house in 1981 and used it as its regional office from 1993 to 2009.
• Through a memorandum agreement dated 17 June 2010, the ownership of the mansion was transferred to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, where it now stands as a museum.

How to get there

You can get here by taking a bus headed to Dau Bus Terminal. From there, take a trike or jeep to the City itself. There are tricycles there that can take you to the Mansion.

Source: https://nhcp.gov.ph/

Check out our complete list of recommended Hotels in Angeles City, Pampanga via Agoda or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.

Also see:

• NLEX Lakbay Norte 8: Overnight In Pampanga
• Angeles City Heritage Tour: A Walk Back In Time
• ANGELES CITY: A Place Of Culture, Food And Discoveries
• Best Things To Do In Vigan, Ilocos Sur