The Houses and Structures in Sta. Cruz, Laguna

* definitely a once magnificent house; found just across Sta. Cruz church

* a detail of the mansion showing its decaying state

* a larger view of the mansion,
showing a staircase that could have been magnificent in its heyday

* I am still in the belief that this is an old public toilet as this one is found just along a street!

* one compact, old house; much like the ones found along the main road in Pila, Laguna town proper

The seeming distance of Sta. Cruz, Laguna from the towns of busy industries such as Calamba or Sta. Rosa is not a disadvantage at all. After all, it has kept its identity as the province’s capital since 1885 and is not lagging behind the other progressing towns and cities in Laguna.

* might have been a magnificent house; this one now houses the Provincial Disaster Operation Center, PDCC-Laguna

* a closer look at the balcony of the mansion

* the Sta. Cruz Town Hall; from its general appearance, it must have been constructed during or around the American period, much like the old San Pablo City Hall; too bad I was not able to find a note about it

* Colum-what?: Columbia? Columbus? It seems to me like a former theater

* the Resilient Wall: this might have been part of a once big house, found along a street going to the market place; I wonder if the house was destroyed during WWII

During our visit to this town capital, I suddenly got lost in thought, thinking at that time that I was in Lucena. It was because of the crisscrossing streets which are laid-out in a large land area. If I may venture to speculate, it was this spread-out street outlines that helped the old houses survived. Unlike in San Pablo City, where a main street, called by the a war veteran I have interviewed as Avenida Rizal, served as a pool for building the elegant houses. No such houses survive today probably because of the fire of 1938 or of the need to build business establishments along the avenue. I cannot identify one such main street in Sta. Cruz, and so the mansions are dispersed.

* a breath-taking view of a mansion along the Sta. Cruz river, the place is named Villa Valenzuela

* the lights of the restaurant that now houses the villa gives it a different feeling to me; should have made them a little more fitting, lamps should do the trick

* a detail of a window in the villa

I would leave out for now the historical details, as in reality we went there to do some unplanned shopping. I have searched the internet for some details but I feel that it would betray the aims of Back Trails to repost them. I have mentioned anyway a plan to revisit the town. Much more can still be learned about its past. I hope that by that time I shall be able to share more here.

[How to go to Sta. Cruz, Laguna: If you're from Manila, simply look for buses bound for Sta. Cruz via Calamba and College. There are bus stations along EDSA and near the Gil Puyat LRT Station.]