Located in Ilawood, a section of the city west of the plaza is a bahay na bato in which Pres. Manuel Acuña Roxas was born. Declared a national historical site, the marker affixed to the residence in 1958 by the Philippine Historical Committee reads in part; "On this site in the town of Capiz, was born President Manuel A. Roxas, 1 January 1892. Fiery Orator, Dignified Statesman, Realistic Economist, and true patriot. Second Son of Gerardo Roxas and Rosario Acuña … Last president of the Philippine Commonwealth and first president of the Republic of the Philippines, 1946-1948."
This house is probably one of the oldest in Roxas City, Capiz; it survived the conflagration that consumed many houses in Roxas during World War II. The house stands on a lot which was once part of a more extensive piece of real estate, owned by Eleuterio Acuña, Pres. Roxas' maternal grandfather. The residence was inherited by Don Eleuterio's youngest daughter, Jovita, who married Conrado Barrios, a justice of the Court of Appeals during the post war years. Conrado renovated the house, changing the configuration of the rooms and adding a staircase inscribed with the initials CJ. Descendants of the Conrado and Jovita lived in the house for a while, and had the lower story rented out. The house, however, has been uninhabited for some time. Plans are to convert the house into a lifestyle museum and a museum honoring Pres. Roxas.
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