Mayor casa (Boutique hotel showcases old glory of Tayabas)

Right out of a reverie, it must be – the house of Tayabas City Mayor Alandy Dondi Silang, whose innate love for the arts can be viewed daily around the various corners of his home-cum-hotel called “Mi Casa en Tayabas.”

Walls of different sections have varied colors, ranging from red to terra cotta to purple, their texture also changing according to the mood and function of the room.

Floors are not the usual paved cement listlessly painted over with one color. Here, extra effort can be noticed as quirky patterns add life to what should be a drab surface.

Each of the eight guestrooms is expected to be a unique and special sanctuary. For the romantics, the house could be a perfect honeymoon rendezvous – its furniture and decor eliciting sentimental notions from a forlorn era of kundimans and balagtasans.

Pillars emanate from the ground to break the monotony of space. Stairs are lined with Machucca-like tiles for drama, each landing presenting a different medley of ornaments. To say there is no boring spot in the house would be a fitting statement.

And the accents… whoa! Antique farm implements, bottles, clocks, lamps, jars, chests, wooden furniture, santos, and vintage items are lovingly displayed and carefully assigned special nooks so that they stand out on their own, making each corner of the house alive with excitement.

The house for a fact, is not your typical dwelling of a public official. It’s actually a boutique hotel and business establishment that is open to Tayabasins and any guest who can appreciate art and style.

"This is my dream house," Mayor Dondi declared to us during our stay at Mi Casa. We were actually scheduled to interview the mayor after dinner, but it was further delayed because of his meeting in the same building with health workers which lasted past 10 in the evening. To keep us entertained, his assistant Noni Reyes treated us to a tipo (bottle) of lambanog.

In Tayabas, everyone drinks lambanog, a local drink which Mayor Dondi believes should be ranked alongside Mexico’s tequila and Russia’s vodka.

When he finally got down to meet us, the Mayor was still in high spirits, and inspite of his busy day looked fresh after his final meeting, which also led to a pleasant drinking session.

Mayor Dondi related that he inherited the 800 sqm. property from his grandmother on the Alandy side. He decided to build around the old structure, even careful not to hit its ruined walls and existing trees. The result is a structure with an irregular form, slowly evolving one portion at a time. In effect, he managed to come up with a courtyard and lots of shade from the lush trees and foliage.

"Initially, it was intended to become my house, but the demand for decent accommodations in Tayabas inspired me to transform it into a boutique hotel. During my first few years in office as mayor, I was promoting Tayabas tourism a lot, to erase its negative image. But how can we invite tourists if we didn’t have the facilities?"

Mi Casa then emerged to offer a different hotel experience for guests, through its facilities that showcase the "old glory" of Tayabas.

"I began collecting antique furniture in Sariaya and surrounding towns, and I was amazed to find out that most of the items were acquired from Tayabas. Since then, I vowed that our town should get its precious treasures back."

Today, his collections can be found within Mi Casa, including old aparadors and other furniture from his grandmother’s original house, which they saved when the poblacion, was bombarded during the war. Even during construction around the grounds, they also unearthed priceless treasures of the past, including a 12th century jar from Palawan.

"I developed this house room per room, floor by floor. I usually achieve the look of each area according to the furniture I feel like putting there. Fortunately, everything matches, even though they come from different places and eras. I’m also not afraid to experiment when it comes to color combinations and patterns. It’s almost magical each time I create a character and find the whole setup to my liking," Mayor Dondi said.

His inherent taste and eye for detail contributed a lot for a structured and elegant style of his hotel, something which otherwise could appear gawdy if executed wrongly.

Through self-study he also discovered that polyurethane can be applied as varnish on some of his furniture to protect them from moist and humidity. He has likewise learned to create new furniture from discarded pieces, such as a wrought iron sewing machine stand which is now the base of a lavatory.

Another improvisation is Mariwasa tiles affixed on the side of the stairs to achieve the look of Machucca and farm implements that take on a new function as striking wall hangings. Old bottles in different colors and sizes filter natural light into the room as they line one side of the wall. Even old softdrink cases have become room decor, casually stacked atop an old cabinet.

From a hotel, the establishment had to diversify to accommodate the whims of its market. As Tayabas embraced urbanity, Mi Casa put up a bistro bar, an Internet café, KTV room, coffeeshop, and salon. Currently on the drawing board are more rooms, a pool, and a spa.

Mayor Dondi shared that he had wanted to become an architect when he was young, but his father, who was a former mayor of Tayabas and also a surgeon, insisted that he take up medicine in college. He followed their wishes and earned a degree in dentistry at Centro Escolar University in Manila, but practised for two and a half years only. Politics became his life thereafter.

Through Mi Casa however, he can still harness his innate love for the arts. This obvious devotion explains the name by which he calls his prized property, but with it, as mayor, he opens his home to the beloved Tayabasins and other guests.

Perhaps, it should be changed to Mi Casa – Su Casa – en Tayabas