Balay Hamoy is a well preserved ancestral house on 143 Mi Retiro St. in Dapitan that was constructed in 1893 as a wedding gift to Don Mariano Hamoy and his wife, Doña Pilar Sagario y Acaylar.

Beyond its historic character, the house also serves as a testament to the forgotten but enduring and remarkable friendship shared by two extraordinary men: Jose Rizal and Don Mariano Balsomo Hamoy.

Built near the end of Spanish rule in the Philippines, Balay Hamoy is representative of a balay na bato house owned by a prominent family in that era. The current structure retains much of its old grandeur, including the wooden staircase that paid heed to such common superstitious beliefs as Oro, Plata, Mata. Adorning the walls of the second floor landing hall is the family emblem, a delicately carved four-petal rose.

Balay Hamoy is the first DOT-accredited museum of its kind. Some of the significant displays at the Balay Hamoy Museum include a portrait frame carved by renowned sculptor Isabelo Tampingco, oracle game Comana that was Rizal’s original creation, Doña Pilar’s sewing machines, working gramophone, steamer trunk from the 1870s with a New York tag gifted by Rizal to the family, and old coin collection, among others.