‘Old houses are full of memories and that’s why they resist collapse!’– Mehmet Murat Ildan, novelist and playwright
IN one of the quieter parts of Quezon City stands an imposing mansion with the evocative name of Mira-Nila. The structure bears a marker from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines declaring it a “heritage house.”
It is said that the name of the house derives from the Spanish “mira a Manila,” meaning “look at Manila.” It was built in 1929 by Conrado Benitez, the eminent statesman, educator and constitutionalist, and his wife, Francisca Tirona Benitez, also an educator who co-founded the Philippine Women’s University.
The house, a four-story art deco building, has a basement and a tower. According to reports, generations of Benitez children have followed a tradition of climbing up the tower to survey the landscape, a practice started by Helena Benitez, the daughter of Conrado and Francisca.
Mira-Nila’s design is largely unaltered and the original state of the spiral pillars, porch lights, cast-iron windows cabinets, wooden staircase and white arches, among others, are preserved.
The main living room displays portraits on the walls, a tall grandfather clock in a corner, wooden couches with elegant curved backs, and antique jars with intricate designs on the floor or tabletops.
A mural by Botong Francisco adorns the main dining room and one can find an old piano used by the Benitez children many years back.
Now going by the name Mira-Nila Heritage House and Library, it boasts a library with over 4,000 collections of books, paintings, letters and works of art.
I remember attending a wedding reception of a niece, Suzie Moya, who married a Benitez scion, Noel. The affair was held in the beautiful gardens of Mira Nila. Huge trees surrounded the grounds of Mira Nila which seemed to transport us to a magical kingdom.
The complex offers a venue for catered events through the Gallery Mira-Nila by Blue Leaf. It also has unique hotel accommodations in the Henry Hotel Mira-Nila Suites. The kitchen is run by Bizu. Interested visitors may arrange an appointment for a guided tour.
Recently, the Erehwon Center for the Arts collaborated with the Mira-Nila Heritage House and Library to present the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, top prizewinners in music competitions in Europe, in a concert last October 1.
The Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra is an award-winning string orchestra training program of the MSO Foundation. Last July it won First Place with Outstanding Success at the 16th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in Vienna, and Gold Prize and Grand Prix awards for orchestra at the 13th Bratislava International Youth Music Festival in Slovenia.
Earlier last September, the house was the venue for a send-off concert by cellist Damodar Das Castillo, accompanied by Mariel Ilusorio in a recently restored 1904 Grand Steinway piano. Pieces for cello and piano by Johann Sebastian Bach and Frederic Chopin and themes from “Breakfast at Tiffany” and “Sound of Music” brought us back to memories of the past. While my seatmate was beating time to the music of Chopin and Bach as though conducting an orchestra, I was humming the very popular songs of great Hollywood movies.
A non-stock, non-profit organization, the Benitez-Tirona Mira-Nila Foundation, was established to maintain and preserve the heritage house.
For indeed ”one’s heritage and roots is something to be proud of and cherished.” This happened at the start of our spiral but we remember that part as we climb up the spiral.
