Laguna

The Ghosts of the Alberto House

I’ve recorded audio of one strange experience I had in Biñan many years ago. This was in the old Alberto house, the ancestral home of Rizal’s mother. When people find out that I’ve inspected bahay-na-batos all over the country they always ask: Are they haunted? Below is my favorite story to tell. They don’t get […]

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Historia | Laguna

Captain Remo of San Pedro Tunasan

My friend, Pepe Alas, handed me a copy of his first book, “Captain Remo,” last Sunday. It’s short but a good read even if you’re not the history buff kind. I finished it on my flight back to Singapore yesterday.   There are interesting historical anecdotes in the book. Like how San Pedro Tunasan, the old name, […]

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Historia | Laguna

Soon to Rise: Alberto House of Biñan?

I saw a link (Facebook) earlier of plans to acquire land in Biñan to reconstruct the historic Alberto mansion. This most likely would be a total reconstruction since most parts of the house has been transplanted in Bataan. If you haven’t been to Las Casas I suggest you see the Alberto house there. They recreated it […]

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Laguna

Majayjay’s Tulay Pigue II

I observed that the article I wrote about Majayjay’s “Tulay Pigue” is receiving hits lately. Some years has passed since the last time I saw Majayjay. I managed to obtain some more details about the bridge that has become a symbol of Friar’s abuse of power to many. I consulted the historian Pio Andrade Jr. […]

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Laguna

Notes on the First La Laguna Tour

A good time was had by all in the first La Laguna Tour last Sunday. We were blessed with good weather and enthusiastic participants. We expected to spend less than 1 hour in Calamba but because there was a massive crowd gathered in Rizal shrine we end up surpassing the allotted time I originally planned. Fortunately, the traffic […]

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Laguna

The Lake Shore Town Show & my First Kopi Luwak

tag: calamba, victoria laguna, paete, lumban, pila, pagsanjan, paquil, laguna Last Sunday, we did an ocular tour of the lake shore towns of Laguna. We’re planning to do a history tour. My historian cum blogger friend, Pepe Alas, would deliver content and overall direction for the project. A few years ago, he was tasked to write […]

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Laguna

Another Rizal Monument, This Time in Calamba…

I visited the new monument dedicated to José Rizal located just in front of Calamba’s city hall yesterday and was surprised to find a monument made with great reverence, historical enthusiasm and respect! I’ve seen my share of Rizal monuments around the country. This one was obviously well planned unlike the other ones.  In the  past all municipalities were encouraged to put […]

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Laguna

puto biñan and an alberto house-less biñan

A few weeks ago a colleague shared with me his baon.  Now, usually I’d politely decline such offers but when I found out that it’s puto biñan I just dug in. The last time I had one was two years ago. puto biñan is the most delectable of all puto. And I could say this […]

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Laguna

They were there, watching…

Still on the Alberto mansion… The last time I saw casa alberto was with my friend a few days after the super typhoon ondoy. We heard that it was in pretty bad shape so we decided to pay a visit. When we got there the house was still soaking wet. The whole house smelled like […]

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Laguna

The Alberto of Biñan and the Vigan Wife

The collapsing centuries old bahay na bato in Biñan reminded me of the curious case of Lorenzo Alberto of Biñan who married into a prominent family up north but settled back in his home province – with another woman. Lorenzo was an educated mestizo that reached the pinnacle of political power of his time – […]

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Laguna

Calls to Save Casa Alberto of Biñan…Too Late the Hero

It’s a little too late. Casa Alberto has already been gutted from the inside. I’m not surprised that it collapsed. The house that caved in was just the exterior shell. The owner who sold the house, piece by piece, must be welcoming this development. The heir of the house has expressed willingness to have the […]

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