The Ninoy Aquino ancestral house is situated right in the heart of the town of Concepcion, making it the source of blood that runs the town. Throughout the history of the town, life in the antique mansion is interspersed along with its history.

Our prominent hero, Benigno S. Aquino Jr. was born in this mansion to prominent hacienderos who were among, if not the social, political and business leaders of the time. In the early 1940s, it was teeming with the young blood of the Aquino siblings who ran around its spacious gardens, its paneled walls and its beautiful front lawn.

Life in the household must have been idyllic, with Dona Aurora and Don Benigno, Sr. hosting beautiful parties on the wide terrace. A spacious swimming pool was built at the back for the various Aquino siblings to frolic in. Guests from the different strata of society would have been coming and going out of its walls and visitors Manila and from all over the Philippines would have been entertained here.

When Ninoy was 17, he was the youngest war correspondent to cover the Korean War for the newspaper The Manila Times of Chino Roces for which he received a Philippine Legion of Honor award. In early 1954, he was appointed to act as personal emissary to Luis Taruc by President Ramon Magsaysay. He was able to convince the Hukbalahap rebel leader Taruc to surrender.

In 1955, he became mayor of Concepcion at the age of 22, the youngest to ever serve the town. He married Corazon Cojuangco who was to become a Philippine President, in the same year and they took up residence in the Aquino mansion with their five children, Maria Elena, Aurora Corazon, Sen Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, Victoria Elisa and Kris Aquino.

Location

San Jose
Concepcion, Tarlac

Ownership

Paul A. Aquino
Melanie Aquino