Kapitan Moy Residence

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Kapitan Moy Residence is a historic house in Marikina, Metro Manila. Built before 1898, it was the home of Don Laureano Guevarra, better known as Kapitan Moy, who started Marikina’s shoe industry. He served as capitan municipal in the old town. In 1970 a marker was placed to honor him as the Pioneer of Marikina’s shoe industry.

Today the Kapitan Moy Building houses two restaurants on the ground floor, Café Kapitan and Kusina ni Kambal. Café Kapitan features an old well that serves as a decorative wishing well.

Guevara came from a business family in Manila; his father owned La Industrial in Escolta. Laureano joined the family business, learned shoemaking, and with help from locals and woodworker Tiburcio Eustaquio, created Marikina’s first shoes. They borrowed tools from blacksmiths and adapted lasts from Barcelona to fit Filipino feet. Shoemaking started in the silong—the ground floor used for storage—and in nearby huts, then grew into a town-wide industry that provided livelihoods for many.

After his death, the house was bought by Doña Teresa dela Paz to help the poor. It later became a primary school (1907–1955) and, many years after, a cultural center. The building also served as the American tribunal during the American period and, in World War II, as the Japanese Army’s headquarters.

Today the Kapitan Moy Building is a cultural center and events venue. The second-floor hall, Bulwagang Bayani, seats about 400–450 people, and Plaza Kapitan can be rented for outdoor events. The building survived a tornado on September 14, 2018, a day before Typhoon Mangkhut hit.

The site has official recognition for its history: a cast-iron marker was placed on April 16, 1970; it was listed as a Historic Site and Structure by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines for being the first shoe workshop in Marikina, and it is recognized as a Cultural Property by national cultural agencies. It was declared a National Shrine in 1968 and was named the Cultural Center of Marikina in 1986 by local authorities.