TRAVEL GUIDE: CASA REAL SHRINE, Bulacan

Casa Real Shrine Bulacan
Casa Real Shrine is one of the must visit historical sites in Malolos City, Bulacan. It was built in 1580, became the town’s Casa Tribunal, Ayuntamiento, and Casa Presidencia Municipal and was the residence and Office of the Gobernadorcillo during the Spanish time.  It was the site of the Imprenta Nacional of the First Republic, where the revolutionary organs La Independencia, El Heraldo de la Revolucion, Kalayaan and Kaibigan ng Bayan were printed., the printing press of the 1896 Constitution and the Heraldo de Revolucion.

Heritage houses in Malolos City, Bulacan

tourist spots in Bulacan
This house served as the printing press during the Malolos Republic, then was restored in 1852 and converted into a municipal library. Casa Real Shrine also became the seat of the American military government, then turned into a hospital in 1923, an annex to the Bulacan High School in 1941 and was the Japanese Chamber of Commerce headquarters during the Japanese Occupation.

It is now a museum under the management of the National Historical Institute and serves as the final repository of still existing memorabilia. This structure played a gigantic role in Philippine Republic.  One of the permanent exhibits of Casa Real Shrine are relics of the Brave Women of Malolos of whom Rizal wrote a poem to honor their courage of setting up a school against objections from the towns friars.

HOW TO GET TO CASA REAL SHRINE: Take a Baliwag Bus bound for Malolos and alight in Malolos Crossing. Then, ride in a tricycle to Casa Real Shrine.