Laguda Mansion in Iloilo

Old local folks say that it used to be the most prominent edifice in what used to be the “high street” of the city and province of Iloilo before the outbreak of the Second World War. It is located in Brgy. Gen Hughes-Montes in the City Proper District of Iloilo City. It still stands there. Its grounds are still vacant and not so punctuated with illegal structures.

Despite its being in ruins, the structure that remains definitely still stands strong. It must have been done by capable and competent carpenters and masons. The structure appears to have some tint of Greek architectural design. The building is supported by columns—Corinthian columns. These are rounded pillars or columns that support a heavy load. If you happen to pass by this Mansion, try to look at the columns. Some are gone—but the building still stands. Were the other concrete columns blown away by the Japanese bombs?

The construction of rounded and intricately designed columns requires particular attention to shapes and proportion. By just looking at it, one might think that it is just an easy job. But it is not. Try measuring the columns and you will find out that the perimeter at the midsection is bigger than the perimeter at its base or upper portion. This is done in order to create an optical illusion that the columns are “straight” and not skewed. In doing it, one has to follow a prescribed mathematical formula applied in architecture. There has to be a correct design. And the design should be adhered to strictly. In implementing the work to be done, one has to have competent persons to do it. Surely, it must have involved a lot of money.

On the occasion of the Commemoration of the Liberation of Panay, Guimaras, and Romblon last March 18, we happened to listen to a Col. Lataquin who was a WW II veteran when interviewed over Aksyon Radyo. He said that along with the Army Headquarters at Fort San Pedro (now Camp Delgado), the Laguda Mansion was also directly hit by the Japanese bomber planes. Maybe it was mistaken to be an official residence or something.

With the passage of time, the Laguda mansion stands as among the most visible reminders of the woeful effects of the Second World War. There it stands silently still — like that bombed out building in Hiroshima, Japan. The first atomic weapon used in warfare had exploded 600 meters directly above its roof. Now, only the steel reinforcement of its concrete ceiling remains. The Japanese preserved it in order to remind their future generation of the devastating effects of attacking a giant country in its sleep.

The Laguda Mansion still stands there almost 70 years after being bombed. It has survived earthquakes and typhoons. It will most likely survive another 70 years. Thanks to the internet, its existence is now known worldwide. We thank the Tourism offices and other concerned Ilongos for featuring it in their websites. Thanks too, to local tour outfits for including it in their list of historical places to visit in the city of Iloilo. Maybe its time that moves should be done to have it physically protected and preserved against a more destructive force: the “bakal” boys.