Pacete: The Nelly Gardens

Thursday, February 2, 2012

NOSTALGIA colored my days when a friend facilitated that I could stay at the guest house of Nelly Gardens while I was in Iloilo City for an official business. The beaux art mansion of the Lopez clan is standing in the midst of a traditional garden and reminds us of Iloilo’s genteel past.

This socio-cultural landmark of Iloilo was a love gift of Don Vicente Lopez for his wife Dona Elena Hofilena in 1928. The two-hectare compound was once a rice farm in the Jaro area. The latifundium was named after the favorite daughter of Vicente and Elena, Nelly. Nelly had a green thumb. She personally attended to the flower gardens. Eight gardeners tended the pleasance planted with orchids, roses, milflores and other flowering and ornamental plants.

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Later, Don Vicente ordered his staff to add lagoon for boat rides, a tennis court, a mini-golf course and a swimming pool. The all-concrete mansion was designed by Don Vicente himself and Mariano Salas, the civil engineer, executed the plan. The floor was made of ‘tindalo’, the hardest and rarest Philippine forest tree, and the entire house had ‘narra’ for its wall.

When the Japanese Imperial Army entered Iloilo during the Second World War, the other family members scampered for safety. The younger daughter, Dona Lilia Lopez and her husband, Don Francisco Jison, decided to stay with their family at Nelly Garden. Gen. Macario Peralta, the leader of the guerillas operating in Western Visayas, ordered the burning of the mansion so that the Japanese soldiers could not make it as their headquarters. The fedayeen that were sent there were so engrossed looking at the house that they forgot to execute their mission. It was too late for them to have the first move because the Japs were almost there at the vicinity. They fled to the mountains to join their comrades.

The Japs did not destroy the work of art. They respected it as they respected their temples in Kyoto. The Jisons returned to Nelly Gardens when the Americans occupied the city. Lilia and Frank operated a nipa restaurant for the GIs on the grounds of the gardens. The commanding officers were given the chance to eat with the Jisons.

After the war, Lilia and Frank travelled in Asia and Europe, purchased antiquities for the house and restored what was damaged. The mansion was a witness to the reshaping of the political landscape of Iloilo.

Presidents, first ladies, senators, congressmen, businessmen and political handlers stayed as guests at Nelly Gardens during the open political season.

In 1953, President Ramon Magsaysay stayed there with his CIA political adviser. The Nacionalista Magsaysay was trying to look for a guy who could do a combat with Cong. Pascualing Espinosa who was the kingpin of the water front. The CIA guy spotted a 22-year old tough guy who was a first councilor of Iloilo City. He was rugged and raging like a bull. He was a BAR topnotch and his voice in the campaign arena was that of a hulk… sure to win! He was Rodolfo ‘Roding’ Ganzon, ‘ang inanak sang timawa’. The rest was destiny!

In 1965, Imelda Marcos was at Nelly Garden using her “Imeldefic charisma” to court the Lopezes. Imelda was a nobody in Iloilo… an afuera in the Lopez territory. Her political seduction on Fernando Lopez caused tachycardia to one of the Lopez pillars. Tiyo Nanding said “YES” and committed himself to Marcos. The brother, Eugenio Lopez, who was more of a businessman than a politician, argued with Tiyo Nanding. “You should have made an ex-deal with the Marcoses.” It was too late for them to realize that it was not a fair bargain. But, Tiyo Nanding said, “I have given my palabra de honor.” And that was it!

To date, the mansion still stands majestically. There is the family heritage room loaded with extensive photographs and albums to peruse. The family members played musical instruments so well. Vicente and Elena played the piano, Benito the violin, Nelly the piano, Lilia the piano and harp, and Tiking the cello. The dining room has long narra table that can accommodate 24 guests and the middle of the table has pots of flowering bougainvillea. The palco caters to guests who want to watch dancing below. The 5 suites in the second floor have pieces of furniture from different historical periods.

I am glad to have lived at Nelly Gardens. I became part of history. I knew that the mansion will still be there for future generations. It will be a bold witness to what is going to unfold…the rise and fall of a political dynasty, the surge and collapse of an economic empire, the mutation of religions, the convergence of technologies, the end of an era and the beginning of a Zodiacal Age!