Smith, Bell and Company House

A historic Spanish-era commercial building in Tabaco City, Albay, the Smith, Bell and Company House is a national cultural heritage landmark. Also known as the Angela Manalang Gloria Ancestral House, this bahay na bato structure stands at the corner of Rizal Street and J. Berces Street, near the city's international port. It is one of the largest ancestral houses in Tabaco and a significant stop for history and architecture lovers.

The house was built in the early 1900s by wealthy Bicolano landowner Don Mariano Villanueva using durable stone blocks bound with mortar and molasses. It served as the commercial trading house of Smith, Bell & Co., a British firm that dealt in abaca fiber in the region since 1868. The two-story building features traditional Spanish colonial construction, capiz shell windows, and wooden interiors. It withstood many typhoons and volcanic eruptions from nearby Mayon Volcano for over a century.

In 1965, the property was purchased by Angela Manalang-Gloria, a renowned Filipino poet in English and a native of Tabaco, who converted it into her ancestral residence. The National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) installed two historical markers on the building in 2007, recognizing its dual importance as a commercial heritage site and the home of a literary figure. The building sustained significant damage from Typhoon Rolly in November 2020, and restoration efforts have been ongoing. Today, it remains a preserved testament to Tabaco's abaca trade history and artistic legacy, offering visitors a glimpse into the region's colonial past and cultural heritage.