Mission Statement

La Castilla, Museum of Philippine Household Heirlooms and Antiques in the 20th Century is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage found in the personal memorabilia of the Founders of the Liceo de Cagayan University and instill an appreciation for them in the context of local history and culture.

Specific Objectives

• To keep alive the memory of the Founding couple of the Liceo de Cagayan University, Atty. Rodolfo N. Pelaez and Sra. Doña Elsa P. Pelaez through their personal collection of household heirlooms and antiques representative of both local and foreign cultures.
• To familiarize future generations with a Filipino lifestyle in the 20th century.
• To instill a sense of nationalism, awareness and appreciation of Cagay-anon local history and culture.

La Castilla was constructed as the summer residence of Atty. Rodolfo N. Pelaez and his wife, Mrs. Elsa Pelaez-Pelaez, founders of what was then known simply as Liceo de Cagayan. Now, half a century later, La Castilla continues to inspire its visitors as it seems to continue to have a life of its own, apart from that of her owners. As a Museum of Philippine Household Heirlooms and Antiques in the 20th Century, it is dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage found in the personal memorabilia of the Founders of the Liceo de Cagayan University and instill an appreciation for them in the context of local history and culture. Inside the walls of La Castilla one may get insights into their lives and their times. Every item – from the hand made ceramic grape tray fashioned by Mrs. Pelaez, to the sola pieza narra dining table, to the portable sewing machine – has a story to tell that seems to leap out from the pages of time and come to life anew. The museum also aims to educate the future generations with a Filipino lifestyle in the 20th century. Their experience in La Castilla will magnify in them a sense of nationalism, awareness and appreciation of Cagay-anon local history and culture.

The Story of La Castilla

La Castilla was christened by the lady of the House, Mrs. Pelaez. Its grounds used to be part of a six-hectare property belonging to the Pelaez family; originally planned to corn and coconut along what was once a two-lane dirt country road that was known as Kauswagan Road. This thorough fare provided the only access to Kauswagan and the fishing community of Bonbon. In 1976, with the construction of the Marcos Bridge, part of the property was expropriated by the government to give way to the inexorable march of progress. Today, an abbreviated portion of the original grounds of La Castilla is all that remains of its landscaped gardens.

In 1968, six years after Atty. Pelaez transferred the campus of Liceo de Cagayan from its original site fronting Gaston Park across the St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown Cagayan de Oro to its present location at the junction of Patag and Kauswagan Roads (now Rodolfo N. Pelaez Blvd.), La Castilla also served as a guest house- until the magnitude six earthquake that shook Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro included, in July 1976 which precipitated the Founders’ decision to take up residence in La Castilla from the third floor of what has always been their residence in Rizal Street in the Poblacion. La Castilla then served as their home until the demise of Atty. Pelaez on August 10, 1980.