Leonor Rivera’s 18th century piano finally back in Dagupan

Photograph of Leonor Rivera, the childhood sweetheart of Philipino national hero José Rizal. (Photo By Unknown – Biographical book about José Rizalhttp://jinkysjourney.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/the-family-tree-abbreviated/, Public Domain)

DAGUPAN CITY— The 18th century piano of Leonor Rivera, ladylove of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, is finally back in Dagupan and now under the care of the Arts and Culture Office at the city museum here.

Councilor Jeslito “Jigs” Seen, chairman of Culture and Arts Committee of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), along with Culture and Arts officer Zenaida Sinlao, brought the piano back to the city on November 23 from Malolos City, Bulacan.

The return of Rivera’s piano to the city was facilitated by Mayor Belen Fernandez.

Rivera, daughter of a cloth merchant from Camiling, then still part of Pangasinan, lived in Dagupan for a while, where she was serenaded by Dr. Rizal.

But the two ended their relationship while Rizal was abroad at the instigation of Leonor’s mother as she was not inclined to have a son-in-law who enraged the Spanish authorities because of his novels “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo”.

After their break-up, Leonor had reportedly refused to play piano.

She married Charles Henry Kipping, a railroad engineer who helped build the first railroad track from Manila to Dagupan.

Manolo M. Tenorio, curator of the Hiyas ng Bulacan Museum in Malolos, said the piano has been on display at their museum since 1971 after being brought there by someone from Bustos, Bulacan.

There, it was simply labeled as the piano which used to be played by Leonor Rivera, a name which did not mean anything to the Bulakenos.

“All that we know was this piano belonged to Leonor Rivera. Since the piano has no connection with our history and culture in Bulacan, we decided to give it back to where it belongs, the city of Dagupan,” said Tenorio.

Sinlao, who made a thorough research on the history of the piano, learned this piano was once owned by Doña Carmen Villamil, a classmate of Rivera at La Concordia College.

It was while studying at La Concordia College where Leonor met Rizal. The Rivera family had a house in Manila where Rizal was among the boarders.

“The piano was actually owned by Villamil and that the same was used to be played by Rivera whenever she visited Villamil at their residence in Dagupan,” said Sinlao.

Rivera also had a piano in their rented house in a street named after her in Dagupan City. Seen said it might had been taken by the Kippings when they moved to Camiling.

When the Villamil moved to Bustos, Bulacan they brought the piano with them, which explained how the piano reached the province.

Seen said the piano will be restored to its original form and will be displayed at the city museum for future generations of Dagupenos as part of Dagupan’s colorful history.