Biñan execs warn of rap over Rizal mom’s house

SAN PEDRO, Laguna—Even after a huge chunk of its roof collapsed, the city government of Biñan is not giving up the 200-year-old Alberto Mansion, which the city government in 2011 declared as a cultural heritage.

The city government and heritage advocates may even go as far as pressing charges against the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) over its alleged inaction to preserve the house that originally belonged to the family of Teodora Alonso, mother of national hero Jose Rizal.

Expropriation

Biñan Councilor Gat Alatiit on Tuesday said NHCP should declare the house a National Historical Landmark to allow its expropriation by government.

“If the NHCP still won’t, we might be forced to file charges against them,” Alatiit said. Alatiit, who chairs the committee on public welfare and safety, called for a meeting on Monday after fears were raised that the rest of the structure would collapse.

Spanish era

The Alberto Mansion is one of the remaining Spanish-era houses in Biñan. Sometime in 2009 and 2010, its current owner, Gerardo Alberto, sold the house to Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, a heritage resort in Bagac, Bataan.