Quezon City: Right at the heart of Quezon City, a modest bungalow tells a grand story often overlooked in Philippine heritage, how Filipinos rebuilt, lived, loved, and dreamed in the decades after World War II. According to Philippines News Agency, Bahay Modernismo, located at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, is more than just a humble structure. It is a living museum that transports visitors back in time when the Philippines was rebuilding from the war and dreaming of a modern future. Museum curator and architect Gerard Lico during a media tour on Tuesday explained that the museum is based on the former home of the Aquino family at 25 Times Street, where democracy icons, former senator Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino Jr. and the late former president Corazon Aquino once lived and raised their children, including former president Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino, and her sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Viel Aquino-Dee, and Kris Aquino. Moreover, Lico said the house, set in the post-war era from the 1950s to the early 1970s, represents post-war optimism of a country rising from the ashes. He said the house, typical of a middle-income family during the era, is 'a symbol of our architectural, cultural, and domestic evolution'. Lico further explained that after Manila was devastated in World War II, Quezon City became the country's laboratory for a new urban vision. As the new capital, the city was a blank slate, ripe for experimentation with housing, infrastructure, and design. The architectural style chosen was modernism -- functional, stripped of ornamentation, and suited to mass production. He described modernism as the style of survival and hope, emphasizing its simplicity and suitability for mass production. The modern house's practical features, such as flat roofs, jalousies, and big windows, were ideal for people recovering from trauma but looking ahead. The bungalow style became the signature of government-led housing projects as these homes were efficient, spacious, and modern, with innovations like large windows for ventilation, built-in garages, and open floor plans that revolved around new household appliances and, notably, the television. Television, Lico noted, became the center of home entertainment and redefined how houses were arranged. Lico highlighted the kitchen as a showcase of 1950s appliances and food packaging, describing it as a 'techno-political space' that emphasized convenience and technology. He pointed out how having a refrigerator was part of the American dream imported to Filipino homes. While traditional heritage preservation in the Philippines often centers on Spanish or American colonial architecture, Bahay Modernismo breaks new ground by celebrating the recent past. Lico emphasized that modern heritage holds the memory of a generation, especially those born in the baby boomer era. The museum is filled with vintage objects donated by families from across Metro Manila. A children's room displays tin toys and comic books while the kitchen holds early bread toasters and oven, an d even colorful Tupperware sets. Lico remarked that every item in the museum has a backstory, representing memories passed down. The city government announced that the museum is open to the public for free from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
