Mercado Mansion (Mercado Heritage House)

Official Name: Mercado Heritage House[1]

Classification Status: Heritage House[1]

Town or City: Carcar

Year Declared: 2009[1]

Description:
The Mercado Mansion is a heritage house situated in Carcar, Cebu, Philippines. This two-story bahay-na-bato, painted in Mediterranean blue, is owned by the Mercado clan and stands along Cebu South Road. It gained recognition as a Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 2009.

History
Originally, the house was owned by the Mercado clan, a prominent political family in Carcar. Don Mariano Mercado, who served as the mayor of Carcar during the American era, inherited the house. Its first level dates back to the 1880s, while the second level, constructed using hardwood, was added in 1906 following Don Mariano's design and renovation plan.

Over the years, the Mercado Mansion hosted distinguished visitors, including American Senator Key Pittman in 1931, during which Mayor Mercado sought his help in Philippine independence talks with the United States. President Ferdinand Marcos also visited, taking a siesta in the second-floor master bedroom during a campaign sortie in the 1960s.

In 2009, the National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines) recognized the Mercado Mansion as a heritage house through Resolution No. 10, Series of 2009. The marker unveiling ceremony occurred on May 29, 2010, alongside other designated heritage houses in Carcar, such as Silva House, Ang Dakong Balay (also Don Florencio Noel Ancestral House), and Balay na Tisa.

Features
The Mercado Mansion showcases architectural styles from the early 19th century and the American colonial period in Carcar, preserving a piece of local history.[2]

Source:
1. https://ncca.gov.ph/philippine-registry-cultural-property-precup/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercado_Mansion