Apong Lakay’s House (Bondoc's House)

 Apong Lakay’s House

In the quiet heart of Brgy. Inirangan, Bayambang, Pangasinan, where the breeze carried the scent of rice fields and life flowed with the steady rhythm of the countryside, a home began to rise in 1954 — a house destined to cradle the memories of generations.

It was built for Adriano dela Cruz Bondoc and Crescencia Yadao Alcantara, whose dream was not simply to construct a dwelling, but to plant roots for their growing family — Simeon, Natividad, Eulogia, and Eugenia. Every post and plank reflected hope, sacrifice, and a vision for the future.

While the house was being built, Adriano worked far away as an OFW in the United States. Though distance separated him from those he loved, his purpose was clear: to create a home where his family would always belong. When he retired and returned to the Philippines in 1967, the house stood ready, patiently waiting to welcome him back.

Through the years, Apong Lakay’s House became more than wood and concrete — it became the keeper of stories. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren filled its rooms with laughter, turning ordinary days into cherished memories. It was a place of gatherings, celebrations, and quiet moments that stitched the family closer together.

Adriano lived a full and extraordinary life, reaching the remarkable age of 100 years old. His strength and devotion became the very foundation upon which the family continued to stand.

Time, however, spares nothing made by human hands. After decades of sheltering the family, the ancestral home eventually weakened under the relentless damage of termites. With heavy hearts, the decision was made to put the house down in 2024.

Yet while the structure is no longer there, Apong Lakay’s House was never just the timber that held it upright.

The walls may have fallen, but the love it witnessed remains unshaken. The rooms may be gone, but the laughter still echoes in memory. The house that once stood in Inirangan is now carried within each heart it nurtured.

For what it built inside the family is stronger than wood, deeper than foundations, and far more enduring than time.

The ancestral home was lovingly passed on to Ramon Mabanglo Bondoc and his wife, Teresita Romero Bondoc, who became part of its continuing legacy — a reminder that while houses may disappear, heritage never does.

Today, we remember Apong Lakay’s House not with sadness, but with gratitude.

Because some homes are not meant to last forever in form — only forever in the hearts of those who were blessed to live within them.

And there, it still stands.