The Rise and Fall of Kasa Boix

Kasa Boix, originally called Teotico House, was built by Don Marciano Teotico and Juan Hervas in 1895. It was designed in the Neo-Renaissance style that features Bulaklak sa Trellis (Flowers in the Trellis) on its façade, popular among Manila residents during the Spanish period. It was the abode of poet and journalist Jose Teotico, before the house was passed down from one generation to another, and from one side of the family to another, including the Crespo and Boix-Terradellas families. As the ownership of the house changed, so did its function.



Features of the Boix House PHOTO: John P. Arcilla / Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista

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It was once a dormitory for students and artists. In fact, Manuel Quezon stayed at Kasa Boix when he was studying law at the University of Santo Tomas from 1896 to 1900. It was reported that the former president would attend social gatherings at neighboring houses while he was there.

After World War II and the Battle of Manila, the house was converted into the office of the publication The Star Reporter. Then, it became the base of operations for several printing presses.



Window balustrades exhibit the Filipino's craftiness PHOTO: Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap

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As the years dragged on, the house fell into despair. It was donated to the Jesuits, but legal issues prevented them from completely claiming the house until the whole second floor was left to decay. The ground floor is currently occupied by around 30 to 40 families who have turned the abandoned house into their own residence and place of business.



Almost 40 families now call the heritage house their home. PHOTO: World Monuments Fund

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Award-winning writer Butch Dalisay, who visited the house in 2017, exquisitely yet somberly described the “decrepit” state of the Boix House. “Just getting across the threshold to the stairs takes—almost literally—a leap of faith: Two old doors now serve as creaky planks over which you cross a puddle of water. The wooden stairs and floor are thickly coated with dust and grime; a rat’s carcass molders away in a corner like a forgotten lab specimen...Framed panels provide a history of the house, and tattered flags and ribbons offer proof of some earlier appeals to patriotic fervor. Overall, one’s impression is a commingling of beauty and sadness, the passage not only of time but of care,” he narrated.