One of Pampanga’s most iconic and photographed landmarks is located in the quiet town of Guagua, Pampanga. The Guagua Mansion, or popularly known as the following; Lopez Mansion, Bale Matua which means old house, and Bale Kastila which means spanish house, is an imposing concrete residence and office built by the sugar magnate, Don Alejandro S. Lopez (b. 16 May 1883).
Don Alejandro Lopez y Siongco had humble beginnings. As a teaching graduate of the Philippine Normal School, he taught at Pampanga High School from 1912-1913 and rose to succeed Benito Pangilinan as a Division Superintendent of the Bureau of Education.But with the thriving sugar industry in 1920, he engaged in commerce and agriculture, where he became a successful planter, and found his fortune and established the Lopez Rice Mill, Co. He rose to prominence as director and vice president of the Pampanga Sugar Mills Planters Association.
In 1929, Don Alejandro built the grand Villa Jacinta for his wife Doña Jacinta Lopez y Limson (b. 10 Aug 1978). It was coined as the first all-concrete house in Pampanga, which used APO Cement at the cost of P28,000, a big sum in 1929. It also used Puyat Steel for its foundation which still stands strong up until today.
“Done in the Greek Revival style, the façade is dominated by Grecian columns accented with reliefs of foliate swags flowing down from the column's capital. Sandwiched in between are glass-paneled openings that lead to individual room balconies.
Concrete balusters line the building perimeter as well as the 2nd floor protruding balconies where one can stand to watch the world go by. These were topped with eaves with simple geometric patterns, a design that recurs around the house. Mini-pediments, evenly spaced out, crown the imposing structure, with cast-cement Grecian urns.
The landing features a short flight of steps that leads to the main arched double doors. Two narrower doors flank the main portal, protected from the elements with a gracefully curving concrete canopy.
A grand staircase linked the ground level to the upper rooms. The mansion was furnished with the latest styles from Puyat Furniture, the leading furniture and woodworking company of the day. Gonzalo Puyat, also from Guagua, established the factory that manufactured cabinets, bedroom suites, sala sets, tocadores, vegillas, sillas and even billiard tables of tangile and narra that became staples in wealthy Philippine homes.
The grounds were beautifully landscaped with flowering trees, small plants, and shrubs. The perimeter is defined by a simple concrete and wrought iron fence.
In its time, the mansion was an object of awe and attention, meriting write-ups in the Pampanga Social Register and Pampanga Directory, who books about Kapampangan high society. In the 1935 telephone directory, the house was named as “The Pride of Guagua Pampanga”.”
During the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1942, Japanese Col. Gempachi Sato, commander of the 61st infantry occupied the mansion and ordered to burn down the houses surrounding it for him to see from afar if enemies were coming. During this time Don Alejandro and Doña Jacinta were forced to leave and traveled to Manila.
Excerpts from Morton, Louis. The Fall of the Philippines. Center of Military History United States Army Washington, D.C., 1993.
"The first, which was landing on Corregidor on the night of the 5th, consisted of the 61st Infantry, reinforced with tanks from the 7th Tank Regiment, and artillery and service elements. It was led by Col. Gempachi Sato, commander of the 61st.
"Guagua became an important battleground at the height of the Imperial Japanese forces towards Bataan. A line of defense stretching from Porac to Guagua was established to delay the onrush of Japanese troops. The Filipinos and Americans fought bravely, but, overpowered by the numerically and well-armed enemy, they fell back after leaving the town of Guagua in flames. The rampaging throng of Japanese soldiers brought further destruction to the town when they set the commercial section to the torch and reduce it to ruins.
"The Lopez’ went back to the mansion when the Japanese left the Philippines in 1945. Don Alejandro and Doña Jacinta adopted a daughter, Juanita, who later on was disinherited by Don Alejandro Lopez because of family issues.
During this time, relatives often visited and accompanied the couple. Regular visitors were, Rogato Henson Gueco (January 12, 1929 - June 16, 2001) and his wife Emerenciana Vitug Gueco (May 22, 1928 - January 21, 1993), daughter of Juliana Tasic (d. March 1978) and Fernando Vitug, Don Alejandro’s nephew.
On the 19th of July 1956, Emerenciana gave birth to a baby boy named Jose Ronrico “Rico” Vitug Gueco.
Don Alejandro “Lolo Andu” being very close to Emerenciana and Rogato, fetched the new family from the hospital. From then on Lolo Andu and Lola Sinta (Doña Jacinta) became very close to Rico and eventually took care of the child as if he was their own.
Don Alejandro became more attached to his grandchild when Doña Jacinta passed away on the 20th of January 1956.
Rico celebrated most of his birthdays in the mansion and lived with his grandfather up until he finished elementary school. Don Alejandro only let Rico visit his family in Caloocan City during weekends and was brought back to Guagua on Sunday night because Rico had to go to school the following day.
With Don Alejandro’s passing on September 22, 1969, he made Rico, then aged 13, the heir of the mansion and made the Gueco’s heirs of his remaining properties, as stated in his last will and testament.
Emerenciana “Mer”, Rogato together with their children; Rico, the twins; Romwel (Romy) and Merlyn, and their youngest son, Roel moved to Caloocan City. The family continued to take care of the mansion and carried on the tradition of the Mater Dolorosa.
Excerpts from Castro, A (2016, June 19). Guagua’s Dolorous Virgins I: THE LOPEZ DOLOROSA. Retrieved from https://andalltheangelsandsaints.blogspot.com/2016/06/255-guaguas-dolorous-virgins-lopez.html“
One of the sure signs of wealth in those days was the ownership of a religious image. The wooden processional Dolorosa was created by an unknown sculptor from a taller in Madrid, Spain called Casa Garin. The classically carved Dolorosa, with its beautiful mournful features, had only a conical frame for its lower body, without legs or feet. It was outfitted with a silver rostrillo and a silver heart pierced with 7 daggers. The Spanish-made Dolorosa was shipped to the Philippines and arrived in Guagua in 1952.
Even as it was being made, Don Alejandro also ordered from Victoriano Siongco, a magnificent carroza fit for the Dolorosa. The result was a grand carroza triunfal, shaped like a chariot, which was wrapped in silver-plated panels. The float was prefaced by two trumpet bearing angels up front, and light-carrying standing angels flanking its sides. The border of the carroza was lined with cherubs and puttis.
On 9 April 1952, the Lopez’ Mater Dolorosa arrayed in richly-embroidered vestments was enthroned on her fabulous carroza triunfal, and was blessed and inaugurated at the Villa Jacinta with the family and VIP guests in attendance”
Rico was married in June 1983 to Maria Theresa “Matet” Santos Bolaños and lived in Manila. The couple eventually had children namely Don Therone Gueco, Erika Therese Gueco-Masangkay, Aron Marc Gueco, and Angelo Gabriel Gueco.
During the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, the basement of the mansion was buried in lahar. A group of do-it-yourself treasure hunters excavated the basement of the mansion to look for the rumored “treasures” left by the Japanese but only found insignificant artifacts. Another rumor circulating was the basement had tunnels leading to various places in Guagua which served as escape or secret routes during the Japanese occupation. The hunt not only debunked some rumors but also weakened the structure which resulted in the deterioration of the mansion. The rumored tunnels were not proven true or not.
Plans of restoring the mansion was delayed because of disputes and the tradition of the procession of the Mater Dolorosa was also halted because of this.
Even though the mansion was not well maintained, it’s stories and grandiose appealed to movie directors and was used as filming locations for local movies.
One of which is the movie “Walang Piring ang Katarungan” a 1990 action, drama, thriller film under Regal Films starring Lito Lapid, Monica Herrera, Efren Reyes Jr., and other prominent actors and actresses during that time.
The film also starred Philip Henson (Roel Gueco), Rico’s youngest brother who is also known for Hulihin si... Nardong Toothpick (1990), Walang Piring ang Katarungan (1990) and Hanggang saan ang tapang mo (1990).
In 2010, the mansion was used for the movie “Rosario”, a drama film directed by Albert Martinez. Starring; Jennylyn Mercado, Dennis Trillo, Isabel Oli, Sid Lucero, and Eula Valdez and with a special participation by Dolphy.
Only the exterior of the mansion was used for the movie since the internal structure was dilapidated, making it unsafe for the cast and crew to film.
The film was an official entry to the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival. Which won Second Best Picture and several awards in the same event. The film also received the Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award, which gives lifetime achievement awards to films in the annual film festivals that portrays Philippine culture and Filipino people to the world.
The mansion was used for the GMA series, "Anak ni Waray vs Anak ni Biday" in 2020. The series is a remake based on the 1984 Philippine film of the same title. Directed by Mark Sicat dela Cruz, it stars Barbie Forteza and Kate Valdez as well as Snooky Serna and Dina Bonnevie.
It was only in the year 2016 that the long overdue case has been resolved and was awarded to the rightful heir, Jose Ronrico “Rico” Vitug Gueco. It was also in the same year that Rico, together with his family and friends decided to restore the Pride of Guagua, Pampanga back to its former glory to preserve its rich history and the stories it had to tell.
The architect who helped in restoring the mansion was Arch. Jose Antonio Aguilos son of Jose “Pepe” Aguilos Jr., a distinguished Architect who devotes his spare time painting, sculpting and playing classical violin music. “Pepe” is the oldest of the nine children of Jose Aguilos, Sr. of Guagua and Brigida Gomez of Lubao, Pampanga.
After 90 years, it is fortunate that the Mansion still stands today. The Lopez Mansion now called The Guagua Mansion is a dedication to the people of Guagua, Pampanga.
“Indeed, the magnificence of this mansion would rival even some opulent residences in Europe, a singular showcase to the lifestyle of wealth and splendor as lived by Pampanga’s self-made men.” -Alex R. Castro, author.
Credits and References
Compiled and written by: Don Therone B. Gueco
Castro, A (2008, June 30). Bale Matua: THE LOPEZ MANSION, Guagua. Retrieved from http://viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com/2008/06/90-bale-matua-lopez-mansion-guagua.html
Castro, A (2016, June 19). Guagua’s Dolorous Virgins I: THE LOPEZ DOLOROSA. Retrieved from https://andalltheangelsandsaints.blogspot.com/2016/06/255-guaguas-dolorous-virgins-lopez.html
Morton, Louis. The Fall of the Philippines. Center of Military History United States Army Washington, D.C., 1993.
