About Us

Casa Gorordo is a house museum located in the historic Parian area of Cebu, the oldest city in the Philippines. It is owned and managed by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) under its Culture & Heritage focus area. The house was acquired by RAFI from the Gorordo family in 1979, renovated and enhanced, and opened to the public as a museum in 1983.

In recognition of its historical and social significance, the National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines) conferred on Casa Gorordo Museum the title “National Historical Landmark” in 1991.

It recently underwent a two-year enhancement project to elevate the visitor experience it offers to patrons by incorporating interactivity and digital age technology in its presentation.

The Gorordo House was built in the 1850s and originally owned by Alejandro Reynes y Rosales. It was bought by Isidro Gorordo, a merchant from the Basque province of Vizcaya in Spain. Four generations of his family lived in this house including Juan Gorordo, the first Filipino bishop of Cebu. Thus, its present name.

Casa Gorordo is a fine example of a colonial era house known locally as balay nga tisa, or house with tiled roof. Its architecture, which combines native, Spanish, and Chinese influences, is unique to the Philippines. This cultural blending of east and west is referred to as mestizo and is a defining character of Filipino identity.

It is located in the Parian, a historic district whose origins are traceable to a parish created by Spanish authorities in 1614 for immigrants from the Fujian province of China. The settlement evolved into a bustling commercial hub in the next two centuries. The Gorordos started residence in the house in 1863, three years after Cebu was re-opened to world trade.. By this time the Parian had become a neighborhood of wealthy mestizos.

The house survived two revolutions in the late 1800s and early 1900s and the Second World War. Changes in the family’s lifestyle as well as Cebuano society and culture are visible in the architecture, spaces and collections of present-day Casa Gorordo. Yet, it has largely retained its distinctive balay nga tisa form, making it an iconic piece of Cebuano cultural identity.

History of Casa Gorordo

Experience

Casa Gorordo Museum evokes the lifestyle of a family experiencing

the transformationof the Philippines from a colonial to a modern society.

Within its walls and objects arestories from centuries past which we

love to share with each visitor who comes to us. We tell these stories

through innovative means to stimulate interaction, imagination,

learning and enjoyment. All guests are hosted by guides who are friendly

and havewell-rounded knowledge of the history of Casa Gorordo and of

Cebuano culture.

Sinug sa Casa Gorordo

Semana Santa

Pista ni San Juan

Belen sa Casa Gorordo

Our House Traditions

We continue to live out the traditions of the Gorordo family.

These embody many aspects of the culture of the old Parian

community and Cebu. We invite people to participate in these

so they themselves enact these rich heritage traditions.

Museum-based Activities

We engage our varied audiences through tailored museumbased activities.

These come in the form of fun-oriented crafts learning sessions, cultural events,

forums and curriculum-focused tours. Our preference is to co-create activities

with our audiences to let meaningful experiences happen. Let us know if you

have an activity or experience in mind that you want have with us!

Our Shop and Bo's Coffee Casa Gorordo Branch

Complete your museum experience at our shop and Bo’s Coffee.

Bring home stories from local culture woven into carefully

selected items at our shop. Unwind first at Bo’s Coffee and have

asampling of Cebuano delicacies before exploring other

heritage sites in the downtown area.

News & Updates

Sayaw Sugbo integrates its way to the DepEd curriculum

Everything you need to know about our first Black Light Exhibit

The Belen returns to Casa Gorordo Museum for a family tradition

Museum Notes

Our role in the New Normal

The term “New Normal” has become a household name in the last six months. I find that it can be a little misleading. It’s as if a new form of normal has set in. The truth, however, is that it’s our feeble way of describing a frighteningly rapid and disconcerting series of changes in our way of life that is not going to slow down in the foreseeable future.

Museums, at present, are challenged not only to adapt to this revolution but be visible enablers of people who are trying to survive and make sense and meaning out of it. The French phenomenologist, Paul Ricoeur, wrote that crisis is like the riddle of the Sphinx: answer or be killed. Throughout its long history, Casa Gorordo has witnessed the families who have lived in it and their community withstand several crises that threatened their existence.

As a program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), CGM is propelled by a larger vision of “touching people, shaping the future.” For this reason, the museum has been the site of relief operations of RAFI in response to several social crises before. The current one is not an exception.

But we are dealing with an impact of the pandemic at work in a less visible level: cultural displacement. It is in this aspect that CGM and other museums can be most relevant and effective. So, CGM has tasked itself to bring out the best stories from local history and culture, and convert these to become sources of awareness and inspiration for Cebuanos in these most trying times.

The answer to the Sphinx’s riddle is simple: the human being. Our hope and capability to prevail over this crisis is certainly within us. It is found in the stories we remember, create and pass on. These stories we share are our virtual “agbay” to Cebuanos as we push on in the New Normal.

Florencio A. Moreño II
Curator, Casa Gorordo Museum
Aug. 30, 2020

Contact Us

Casa Gorordo Museum 35 E. Aboitiz St., Cebu City 6000 Philippines
Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
(+63) (32) 347 4342 I +639-959-117603
casagorordomuseum@rafi.ph
facebook/casagorordomuseum