Now they are targeting the historic Alberto House in Biñan, Laguna, the house of Teodora Alonzo, mother of Jose Rizal! That foolishness in Bagac, Bataan has got to stop! Shame on you, you greedy developer! Stop poaching our history!
The historic Alberto House is significant among Biñan houses because of its association with Dr. Jose P. Rizal. This grand bahay na bato with its tile roof still intact, is a cultural treasure to the people of Biñan. And anyone who dares take it away for his personal use can only be called greedy!
The ancestors of Rizal, both Alonzo and Mercado, are from Biñan, Laguna. Rizal's grandfather was Don Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo (1790-1854), municipal captain of Biñan in 1844. The Alberto House was thus the ancestral house of Rizal's mother, Teodora Alonzo. Dona Teodora and Jose Rizal himself, at various periods, lived in the house.
Rizal connection aside, the architectural features and date of construction of the Alberto House (approximately constructed in 1765) make it very significant not just to Biñan, but the entire province of Laguna.
According to sources, about 20 percent of the interior was already dismantled as of this week. It's a good thing the City Government of Biñan, Laguna stepped in and has offered to purchase the house. Imagine the gall of this developer! They were demolishing the Alberto House without a demolition permit! And before we forget, R.A. 10066 - The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 is already in effect. Therefore, demolition of structures at least fifty years old cannot proceed without the permission of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Another good thing is that people in Biñan are up in arms! I laud communities who know the value of their heritage and the need to preserve it. The United Artists for Cultural Conservation and Development, City of Binan, Inc. is calling on everyone's support to help them save the Alberto House in Biñan, Laguna. They are staging WELGA: Isang Gabi ng Dula, Awitan, Sayawan, Atbp., a cultural protest condemning the demolition and transfer of the Alberto House on June 9, 2010, Wednesday, 7 p.m. at the town plaza of the Biñan.
Thank you to BJ Borja of the United Artists for Cultural Conservation and Development, City of Biñan Inc. for photos of the house by Neil Cholo Legaspi and information on the house. For more details, read Laguna town prevents demolition of Rizal mom’s home.
Update: The City Government of Binan, Laguna pledged its full support for the restoration of the Alberto House. It has allotted funds for its purchase or expropriation if need be. The United Artists for Cultural Conservation and Development, City of Biñan Inc. has begun fund-raising efforts for the eventual restoration of the house. All it takes is for the Albertos to say yes to the offer.
Thank you Sir Ivan for your concern. Mabuhay po kayo!!! ;-)
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing with us your valuable inputs and mostly for having someone like you on our side. looking forward for a lasting relationship between you, CHS and the UACCD! God bless.
ReplyDeleteDr. Bimbo Sta.Maria, Pres./Exe.Dir., UACCD,Inc.
Thank you for taking up this cause. I hope that people will learn to love and respect our precious heritage and not see every piece of property as a means to make money. Our heritage is priceless!
ReplyDeleteis the Teodora Alonzo's house gone forever? Oh no. sana po maging successful ang layuning mapreserve ang mga natitirang bahay.
ReplyDeletehttp://bisean.blogspot.com/2010/11/binan-laguna-money-over-heritage.html
ReplyDeleteHello kabayan!, i also posted something like this in my blog, I hope you visit : http://stevevhan.blogspot.com/2010/12/alonzo.html
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Native of Laguna but this thing is bothering me, I've watch this in Howie Severino's story in I-witness and I'm saddened of what happened to the house..Can anyone stop this successor of the Alberto's to stop selling the house? the local government should do something about this..The house is considered a national heritage. and being a Filipino we must respect what has been there before.. thanks
ReplyDeleteyes - 'poaching'old spanish houses and rebuilding it in another place should be stopped.Its ruining the historical and cultural value of these beautiful landmarks.
ReplyDeleteJust curious how did the developer get a hold of the house? I'm surprised that the government did not own the home already since Rizal is our National Hero?? I mean how did it get to this point?
ReplyDeleteDesecrating the Alberto house is greed in its highest form which should have been nipped in the bud.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Alberto at this horrible state, frankly I don't mind who and where it is done, as long as it gets restored. Letting it rot and decay like this is more unforgivable.
ReplyDeleteThe City Government of Binan, Laguna already allotted funds to purchase the property. The plan really is to restore it. It's the Albertos who don't want to budge. So who is at fault?
ReplyDeleteThe house has been there for over 200 years. If the local government (heck national govt for that matter) was indeed serious about restoring the place, they should have done it years ago. Sadly, the people of Biñan have lost a treasure.. for 500 thousand. Laging nasa huli ang pagsisisi.
ReplyDeleteHow could they lose the house, it's still there. No demolition permit for the house. Ask permission first from the NCCA as per RA10066.
ReplyDeleteI also went there to take some pictures and post it to my blog
ReplyDeletehttp://christianprovido.blogspot.com/2011/07/save-alberto-house-in-binan-laguna.html
hello how can i exactly go to bahay alberto? thanks!
ReplyDeleteIsa po ako sa milyong- milyong tao na nagpapahalaga sa kaisa- isang kayamanan na nanatiling buhay sa loob ng mahigit dalawang daang taon, umaasa ako na huwag natin itong hayaang mawala, SAVE ALBERTOS HOUSE
ReplyDeletesalamat sa lahat...lalong lalo na sa mga alagad ng sining na nagbigay sa kanilang pagmamahal at pagpapahalaga sa ating kasaysayan...ang bahay alberto ay bahagi sa paghulma sa atin bilang mga makabagong pilipino sa ating panahon,dito sumilong ang ina ng ating bayani na syang humubog at nagsasalamin sa kultura at tapang ng mga pilipino na likas na mapagpalaya...kung walang bahay alberto,walang bahay ni rizal sa calamba at dapitan...
ReplyDeletealberto house is still standing thank god! shame on the developer of las casas filipinas in bataan for uprooting vintage houses. there are several old houses in Binan as well and just this year 2 houses were renovated and restored.
ReplyDeletei am after a heritage advocate. but i am at the opposite site of this issue. the greedy developer you are talking about is the azucar (bagac, bataan). while it is known that it is designed to be a heritage resort, pakitingnan naman po yung mga ginawa nila sa kinuha nilang ancestral home. restored and beautified. they too conduct tours on the history of the houses. earning go to the maintenance of the houses. the azucar is great example of adaptive re-use. if the ancestral houses can't be maintained by the goverment or its owners, why not give it to someone who can offer it new life. do all of us want these house stay put in theit original place and be in state of shame and distress like the old houses in hidalgo and rest of quiapo?
ReplyDeletepakitingnan po ang itsura at estado ng mga bahay before and after.
ReplyDeleteYes, better for them to rot and decay in site until we have funds to restore them rather than transfer them to a place where they are out of context, removed from the history they bear witness to. Vigan was decaying and falling apart 20 years ago. People wanted to demolish the houses because they were in such a bad state. But heritage advocates prevailed. And because of that, we have Vigan to be proud of today. Once you remove a heritage house from the community, there's now way you can bring it back.
ReplyDeleteTo Mr ivan sir we are architecture students from bulacan and we are now on our final year of studies, our thesis is all about revitalizing bulakan bulacan architectural heritage and we are looking for professionals having the same interest of preserving our heritage, to help us upon the development of our studies, is there any institutions group of people which we can consult advocating on preserving our architectural heritages? and where could we find them?
ReplyDeleteTama po si Sir Ivan, mas maganda kung sa original site mapapaganda o maisasaayos ang isang historical structure. Mas madali magbigay ng info about sa historical structure kung nasa original site ito. Example nalang e kung may historical significance ito sa mga kalapit na bahay o lugar. Mas maiintindihan yung historical story ng lugar pag ganun. :)
ReplyDeletemas maganda nga kung sa original site maayos ung Alberto House. pero ung mga nakikita nyo sa pictures eh part na lamang ng bahay. Kung may pakialam talaga ang municipalidad ng binan at may kamay na bakal ang National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, paanong naging grocery ung part ng bahay(which is UNI MEC). At narinig na ba natin ang opinyon ng kasalukyang nagma-may ari ng bahay? kelan lang ba ipinagtanggol ng lokal ng pamahalaan ang alberto House? nung nasa balita na ito? nasisira na po ang bahay na ito. bumagsak na ang mga shingles sa bubong at wala nang tibay ang pundasyon. mas mamabutihin ko pang mapunta ito sa ibang lugar, na alam kong tunay na pangangalagaan. may ibang intensyon ang lokal na pamahalaan dito dahil kung mahalaga ang Alberto House, dapat at pinagtugunan na nila ito ng pansin at hindi ngaun lang. at sa tingin ko ay hindi pa din. dahil unti unti nang nasisira ang bahay. na sana ay hindi.
ReplyDelete