Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Mueseum: The Grand House of Imelda’s Treasures

Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Mueseum is a house turned into heritage museum, maintained and operated by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which contains a chapel and houses the collections of arts and antiques by Imelda and Marcos Family including a replica of the Santo Niño de Leyte.

Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

I went here at 1:38 p.m. on July 17, 2013 after visiting People’s Center and Library. This was during my first time in Leyte, the 21st province on my list.

Chapel inside Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

The staff at the entrance told me that I need to pay Php 200 if I wanted to come in alone because it is the museum‘s minimum fee for three persons. When I paused to think what I’d reply, she added that I can choose to wait for other visitors for me to cut the entrance fee to Php 60. I waited around ten minutes before a group of government employees chartered by a coach arrived. The staff asked for my entrance fee of Php 60 and additional Php 30 for my camera and told me to enter, remove my shoes, and wear the provided slippers.

The Ballroom including the painting of Imelda at the background at Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

The main attractions in Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Mueseum are the paintings of the 14 stations of the Cross done by various Filipino artists, the relief carving of Malakas and Maganda (literally, Strong One and Beautiful One, the first man and woman according to Philippine mythology), decorated guestrooms of varied motifs, replica of Santo Niño de Leyte, a collection of original paintings by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, and the spacious ballroom at the second floor.

Related: Santo Niño Church

Ifugao Room, one of the guest rooms of Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

Our tour guide first showed us the guest rooms (Palawan, Ifugao, Fern, Muslim, Bicolnon, and Shell) at the left side of the first floor and the 30-seater dining area at the back before taking us to the second floor to see the individual rooms of the First Family, the 20-seater dining area, and the huge ballroom, and then proceeded back to the right side of the first floor to see the remaining guest rooms (Primitive, Sampaguita, Ilokandia, Coconut, Butterfly, Kapiz, and Banig) and the souvenir area.

Relief carving of Malakas at Maganda

The museum is named after Santo Niño, a representation of the infant Jesus Christ, is the patron saint of Leyte.

Gallery

: Relief carving of Malakas at Maganda

: Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

: The Ballroom including the painting of Imelda at the background at Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

: Chapel inside Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

: Ifugao Room of Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum

How to go to Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Mueseum

From Daniel Z Romualdez Airport, exit the terminal and go near the southern end where the jeepney plying San Jose/downtown route are located and tell the driver to drop you off at Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Mueseum.

From downtown Tacloban City ride a tricycle or any jeepney (Php 8) going to Real Street and tell the driver to drop you off at Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Mueseum.