Tags: Historical Places
By Edzelle Peña
SARIAYA, QUEZON — It used to be called “the pink house” because of its pink-painted walls and ceilings. Today however, the Emralino’s mansion has lost its gleam and glory. Forgotten and abandoned, it stands quietly in the historical town of Sariaya, Quezon.
Built in 1929, the house was witness to America’s colonization of he country. It is situated across the town plaza and the church and is right beside the municipal hall of Sariaya.
The house’s grand symmetrical façade features an entrance with a high ceiling. On the main door are the initials “JR” which stands for J. Rodriguez, the man who had the mansion constructed. The Rodriguezes, a prominent family in the town of Sariaya, originally owned the mansion. However, an inopportune event forced them to sell the abode to the Emralinos.
When we got to the place, we initially saw a lot of rusty, old cars parked on the right side of the house. Two dogs were guarding the main door and another one appeared as we approached the entrance.
As we went inside, we were absolutely amazed by the sheer immensity of the place. The grand staircase was an astounding sight. The railings were delicately designed while two statuettes stood atop the newels, the upright posts about which the steps of a circular staircase winds.
Also noticeable were the stained-glass panels on interior doors which had a variety of designs. The upper edges of the walls were painted with flowers and other embellishments, a display consistent throughout the house. On the first floor were five rooms and three washrooms.
Seventy-year-old Patria Emralino, owner of the house, says the first floor was mainly used for parties or gatherings when they were still living in the house. She, her sister and her parents moved into the mansion in the late1960s. She remembers having lots of visitors every so often. Among the guests were the elites in the province of Quezon.
We went up the second floor to see the main living area. Since the mansion has long been abandoned, it was noticeably dusty and bird feces were all over the place. Some parts of the walls and ceilings were also deteriorating. Yet it was overwhelming to see the exquisite narra furniture as well as the many antique possessions of the Emralinos, including the vintage wine collection of Patria’s father. It was like being in a museum, and a very big museum at that.
On the second floor were two bedrooms and an adjoining comfort room. There was also a balcony projecting gracefully from the bedrooms with art-deco inspired iron railings. Also, the pink dining room used to be found on this floor.
As we went up the third level where the family chapel was loacted, Patria showed us a secret passageway on a wall beside the stairs. A portion of the wall can be opened, and one needs to crawl to get in. She said this was used by the Rodriguezes as a hiding place during the war.
Strangely enough, I felt particularly cold while we were in that spot. Although there was a window behind us, it was tightly locked and I could not understand where the cold air was coming from.
A wooden altar almost as big as the altar in an actual church was housed on the third level. The Rodriguezes were said to regularly hold masses in this chapel.
Although the house is still in good condition, Patria says their family has decided to sell the mansion. She is not particularly happy about the decision but because the cost of maintenance is too high, she has no other choice but to let it go. They are now selling the property but with the condition that it should neither be remodeled nor demolished.
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