CEBU, Philippines : An old warehouse is one of the last places you will expect to find a national treasure.

Philippine businessman Jaime Sy never thought there was something special about the four-decade-old warehouse owned by his family in Cebu.

That is, not until he noticed a 40-centimetre plaque on a wall inside the building.

He said, 'For old houses, they normally have a plaque which says the year that it was built. So in this case, its ano 1730, it's in Spanish, but in English, it's year 1730.'

That makes this the country's oldest known house.

Now a rundown warehouse, the structure was the residence of Jesuit priests during Spanish colonial times.

They have left carvings of Catholic monograms on the coral stone walls.

One medallion shows the Holy Family - Jesus Christ, Mary, and Joseph.

It is found at the original entrance of the house, which is now covered by a steel gate.

Steel bars have been installed to protect the ancient seals from theft.

Mr Sy said, "In fact, there were also attempts to steal the wooden doors. When they came to know that this whole place is an antique place, I think a lot of these antique collectors have thought of hiring people to steal it for them. So we just have to cover them up to protect them. "

The pillars in the warehouse are similar to those found in Chinese temples, while the roof made of terracotta tiles resemble those seen in Chinese pagodas.

It is believed the Jesuits chose to live in Cebu's old Chinese district because they wanted to spread the Gospel to residents.

To preserve their legacy, Mr Sy hopes to tap the support of the city government and private sector.

He is even willing to relocate the building to a more centralised location.

It is important that an 18th-century house be preserved for future generations.

That is why future plans include transforming it back to its original grandeur and converting it into a museum for the public to see. - CNA/ms