Moncado White House

Moncado White House

This is the Moncado White House, an old ancestral house that has become as famous as its illustrious owner, the late General Hilario Moncado, founder and supreme commander-in-chief of the Filipino Crusaders World Army (FCWA) - whose followers are referred to as "Moncadians", a religious sect known for their strict observance of raw food and vegetarian diet and whose male followers used to sport long hairs and long beards, which its members thought to "shadow" the face of God.

The old Moncado house, known locally as "The White House", is a two-storey house with an attic constructed mostly of wooden materials, that sits on top of a hill of the 19-hectare land called Camp 19 in Barangay Limao in the Island Garden City of Samal, an island just off the coast of Davao City, overlooking the picturesque Gulf of Davao and the city itself in the background. While the old structure has sadly become dilapidated over time, it has remained one of the most popular attractions in the Island, frequented by locals, domestic travelers in the country and foreign tourists as well. 

Bust of General Hilario Moncado

Inside of the Moncado White House

Inside of the Moncado White House

The owner, Hilario Camino Del Prado Moncado, was born on November 4, 1898 in Pondol, Balamban, Cebu, Philippines to a very wealthy and influential family whose father, Monsigñor Fermin Moncado Del Prado, was a Spanish friar commissioned by the Vatican to the Philippines, and a close descendant of the royal family of Spain. His mother was a Spanish Mestiza named, Celia Camino.

Hilario Camino Moncado (middle) in Berlin (1931)

Moncado was multi-talented in the first order: At the tender age of nine, he graduated with honors from the College of Mystery and Psychics in Calcutta, India. At age 13, he authored several publications as "Watch 1927-1935", "Equifrilibricum", "Sun, Moon and the Star", "Matahari of India", "Mikado of Japan", "Re-Vizaya of the Philippines" and "Divinity of Woman". He fluently spoke 11 languages and could also speak and understand three Filipino dialects: Hiligaynon, Tagalog, and Ilonggo. He was a pianist, a dancer, and an avid golfer. He was owner and editor of the Filipino Nation, a semi-monthly Filipino magazine published in English which he established in Los Angeles, California on November 1, 1924 and was the only Filipino to be ever listed in the billionaire's association in America and in Europe. In 1925, in Los Angeles, California, USA, Moncado founded the Filipino Crusaders World Army and became its  supreme commander-in-chief. He was a member of the 1934 Constitutional Convention and ran for President in the 1946 elections against Manuel Roxas and Sergio Osmeña but lost. However, Moncado passed away at a relatively young age of 57 in 1958.