Gala-Rodriguez Ancestral House 2.27

On May 14, 2008, the two-storey Gala–Rodriguez house was declared by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines as one of the three heritage houses in Sariaya, because of its notable historical and cultural significance. The house was designed by Dr. Juan Nakpil in the early 1930s and was owned by one of the most distinguished couples in Quezon, Dr. Isidro Rodriguez and Doña Gregoria Gala. The house is located in Rizal Street along with other opulent houses owned by the illustrados of old Sariaya. The Gala–Rodriguez House is listed as one of the Ancestral Houses in the Philippines, under Region IV-A.HistoryThe Gala–Rodriguez mansion was built in the 1930s as Dr Isidro Rodriguez' gift to his ailing wife, Doña Gregoria, who had long wished to have her dream house for their seven children. During the house construction, Sariaya and the Province of Quezon were suffering from a crisis brought by a pest called leaf miners. Most of the coconut plantations which were the primary source of income in Quezon were greatly affected. In this depressing period, Doña Gregoria feared that the house may not be finished in full but the crisis later proved to be beneficial for them because the labor cost went down to 50 centavos per day and P12.00 for the master carpenter. On May 4, 1935, in time for Doña Gregoria’s birthday the house was finally completed and the family decided to occupy the place. Unfortunately, two days before her birthday, Doña Gregoria died of her illness.In the year 1942, during World War II, Japanese Imperial Officers used the house as their headquarter. Three Japanese Officials occupied the second floor while the family was allowed to stay at the ground floor. According to the current owner of the house, one of the Japanese Officers, General Ashima, fell in love and courted Carmen, the oldest daughter of the owner. To win Carmen’s heart, General Ashima would provide the family with supply of foods and clothing materials. He would also serenade Carmen by playing the guitar and by dedicating love songs for the beautiful lady. Nonetheless, the family was doubtful about the real intention of the Japanese officer so they would hide Carmen in the Cellar.