THE VILLA Perez Mansion in Lucena City before it was demolished. DELFIN T. MALLARI JR.
The demolition of the Villa Perez Mansion, a popular historical landmark in Lucena City, to clear the way for the construction of a schoolbuilding has heightened public concern over the fate of other heritage sites and structures in Quezon province.
“When we lose our past, we lose our identity, our tradition and our self-respect,” Rogg Villar, a financial analyst and graduate of Quezon Provincial High School (QPHS), posted in the Facebook page of the school’s alumni, QPHS Mahal Ko.
Many other graduates of QPHS, one of the oldest secondary schools in the province, have expressed similar heartbreaking comments in the social network site. Amelia Solana, a retired high school teacher, cried when she saw the old, three-story Villa Perez going down in pieces. She used to bring her students to the old mansion along Quezon Avenue for a glimpse of Quezon’s colorful past.
The demolition job of the wood-and-concrete structure started on Jan. 2 and took only a week to finish. A six-story building of Systems Technology Institute (STI) is to rise from the site after the groundbreaking program on Jan. 9.
“The owners should have preserved it with the help of the local and national government,” Solana said.
Built in the early 1900s, Villa Perez was the residential house of former Quezon Gov. Felimon Perez, who served as a Cabinet secretary during the administration of then President Manuel L. Quezon.
According to Carlos Villariba, historical consultant of the provincial government, the structure was completed sometime in 1907 after Perez, then 24, returned to the country from his study in the United States.
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Citing accounts of his late father Cesar, a known local historian, Villariba said the house was a gift of Don Simeon Perez, who earned a reputation of being the “coconut king” for his vast coconut plantation, to his only child, Felimon.
Despite its antiquity and place in history, Villa Perez bore no marker from the National Historical Institute (NHI). Don Felimon, who died in the United States in 1938, is remembered by Lucena residents as the donor of a seven-hectare land next to his mansion, which is currently occupied by the provincial capitol building and other provincial offices, the mammoth Quezon Convention Center, judicial courthouse, provincial jail compound and the widely popular Perez Park.
The park, which was built in the early 1920s, is one of the few sunken public recreation areas in the country. It faces one of the four terraces of the destroyed Perez mansion.
According to historical accounts, Don Felimon was fond of listening to the concerts of top musicians performing in the park from the comfort of his terrace. The musicians played inside the manmade cave at the center of the first block of the park that also doubles as bandstand.
Some residents privy to the mansion’s past say the Perez descendants sold the old house and the lot with an area of close to half a hectare in the early 1980s.
But the unnamed buyer opted not to take full ownership of the property for as long as there was a living member of the Perez clan, one of them says. This was meant out of respect to the memory of Don Felimon.
The last descendant and Felimon’s granddaughter, Cristy Fajardo-Ocampo, died in 2003. The woman was known among local socialites for her class and finesse, and for having founded Avanti Theater and Arts, a popular school for dance, music and arts, in the 70s.
“It was the decision of the family to sell their private properties, so be it. Let us all respect the historical legacy of Don Felimon Perez to the province,” Conrado Baradas, a close friend of Cristy and one of the pioneers of Avanti, said.
On his Facebook page, Baradas posted old photos of the mansion and Perez clan members in the company of Quezon and some of the country’s influential leaders in the early 1900s.
Gov. David Suarez said he was surprised by the demolition of Villa Perez and called it “disheartening.” He chided the NHI for not extending financial assistance to the protection and preservation of remaining historical structures in the province.
He described the Perez clan as “very important to the history of Quezon,” especially Don Felimon’s legacy as former governor and Cabinet secretary to the late President Quezon. However, he said he respected the decision of the family to sell the property. “It was a private matter,” he said.
Demolition workers said the old house was already empty when they tore it down. “We were told that the house had long been empty of furniture, beds, chairs and tables. It was totally bare,” one of them said.
The caretaker of the mansion refused to provide information on the contents of the old house. Some old portraits of clan members have been donated to the provincial library.
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Suarez called on other owners of historical houses and sites to preserve and protect their properties for their significance to the rich cultural legacy of Quezon.
Villariba, a passionate collector of rare historical photos, identified some old houses in the city which were built during the Spanish and American periods.
“The owners of the antique houses, most of them still inhabited, should preserve and protect their properties. They were all gems in the city’s rich cultural history,” he said.
He also appealed to local officials not to demolish the old City Hall building with the planned construction of a new government building on the outskirts of the city.
Villariba asked the local government to provide assistance to their protection and preservation.
Suarez said the thrust of his administration was to protect, restore and rehabilitate the long-forgotten historical treasures of Quezon, starting with the capitol building.
He said the capitol building would be restored this year, with an initial funding of P50 million. The Perez Park would also be rehabilitated, he said.
Stretching four blocks, the park is frequented by students rehearsing dance routines, early morning physical fitness buffs and evening promenaders.
“If the provincial government can be of help, we will readily provide assistance. They just have to let us know of their intention,” Suarez said.