Location: Lipa, Batangas
Casa De Segunda is the home of Jose Rizal’s first love – Segunda Solis Katigbak.
- Blog Review: Casa De Segunda: Exploring The Home of Rizal’s First Love
- Address: 198 Rizal Street, Lipa City, Batangas
- Phone Number: +63 43 784 1952
- Facebook Page: Casa De Segunda
I thought we will be dining here for lunch pero nag side trip lang pala kami. Hehe.
Casa De Segunda in Lipa, Batangas is very rich in history as this casa was built in the year 1880. This 136-year-old house surpassed World War I and II already and is the only remaining old house in Lipa.
A Tour Inside Casa De Segunda
Lola Lilet Malabanan, the granddaughter of Segunda Katigbak (she calls her Lola Unday), has been the tour guide of the casa for over 20 years already.
She started to tour us around the first floor of the house. As she was looking back, she noted about how the Katigbak Family were so prominent before, how the Japanese invaded the big houses of Lipa, and how Lipa has been one of the richest towns before because it was once the sole coffee maker/exporter worldwide.
The first floor now looks like a receiving area with a big painting of Segunda Katigbak, old sala set, and some old pots and ornaments.
After checking out the living room, we went straight to their dining area. Plates and glasses used by the Katigbak’s were still there and intact together with the cooking wares.
While Lola Milet was talking about their dining area, I was actually thinking I hope our family also tried to keep some of the old things and bauls of our great-great grandparents. What we only have now is the aparador of our Lola. Hope our Lolo’s baul is still in our ancestral house in Masbate.
I don’t know but the makabayan in me is proud that there’s a house that was spared in wars because this tells so much about the past.
Ever since I went to Corregidor and Bataan, I’m glad that my trips are all connected with history. I am not really interested before with history even in my highschool and college years, but everything has changed after my trip to Corregidor. Its like really going back to your roots and knowing what really happened then.
If you are around Lipa and would like to have a sidetrip at Casa De Segunda, please see below details.