NAGA COLLEGE FOUNDATION
CENTER FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
M.T. VILLANUEVA AVENUE, NAGA CITY
IRS 1 – NCEAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Lolo Mel: The Founder’s Biography
Dr. Melchor T. Villanueva (Lolo Mel) was born on January 6, 1907 in Malabon, Rizal. His parents are Maria
Isabel Trinidad and Leon Dela Cruz Villanueva. Maria was a widow with three children namely: Maximo, Felix,
and Anastasya. Melchor T. Villanueva, the founder, was the first-born of Maria and Leon, followed by Eugenia
and Francisco.
Leon Villanueva was a Spanish mestizo and an only child. Leon worked as a bodigero-cargador in a
pharmacy to support his family’s needs while Isabel was a housewife. Isabel was a strict parent to her children
but she was also a loving and caring mother.
When he was young, Lolo Mel was enthusiastic to learn music. His interest in music started when his
godfather gave him an inexpensive violin. Though his parents did not have enough money to send him to a
school of music, he learned how to play the violin. With perseverance and love for music, he walked four
kilometers just to meet a teacher to teach him how to play the violin. He paid his teacher fifty cents.
It was in 1913 when a tragedy happened to the family. The Villanueva’s house burnt to the ground and
this greatly affected their living. This incident left them with no choice but to move to Leon’s barrio in Niyugan,
Malabon, a place known for poverty. This was when Lolo Mel’s life changed. He did not have the time for music
because he had to help his family to survive. He woke up early in the morning to help his mother sell tomatoes,
fish, and meat in the Malabon market. It was at this time that Lolo Mel’s father started gambling to cope with
depression. Though Lolo Mel felt bad about this, he opted to keep his disappointment to himself and continued
to help his mother.
It was poverty which made Lolo Mel dream and seek a good life. He wanted to enrol in the Philippine
Military Academy to be a great soldier and to give honour to the country. His mother opposed him because she
wanted him to become a lawyer to help poor people.
In 1920, Lolo Mel graduated elementary at Malabon Elementary School. He spent his first-year high
school in Pasig High School. With ambition, Lolo Mel began the first step in fulfilling his dreams with resilience
and courage.
The young Villanueva pursued high school at the Philippine Normal School while working as a barber in
downtown Manila and as a farmhand in Malabon during weekends. During his second year in high school,
another tragedy happened in Lolo Mel’s life. His mother died due to illness. The death of his mother was never
easy for the young Melchor for it caused him to lose hope in pursuing his dreams.
Lolo Mel graduated at the Philippine Normal School (1926) at the age of nineteen. He accepted a teaching
job at the Pasay Pilot School (1926). After a year of teaching, he transferred to San Rafael Elementary School
in Pasay. He resigned in 1928.
Lolo Mel worked as a magazine agent and writer of the Philippine Education Magazine. Meanwhile, Lolo
Mel continued to pursue his education and financed his college studies at the University of the Philippines until
he finished his master’s degree in 1937.
In the same year, Dr. Villanueva accepted a teaching assignment at the Camarines Sur High School in
Naga City where he also became the principal. He then taught in Ateneo de Naga, Colegio de Sta. Isabel, and
Southern Luzon College. He pursued his doctorate degree as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Iowa and
the Missouri State University in the United States of America. After two years, he came back to the Philippines
NAGA COLLEGE FOUNDATION
CENTER FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
M.T. VILLANUEVA AVENUE, NAGA CITY
IRS 1 – NCEAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
and continued his post-doctorate degree at the University of the Philippines where he earned the Degree of
Doctor of Education.
Dr. Villanueva served valiantly as a lieutenant in the guerrilla movement under Col. Agustin Marking’s
Fil-American troops during World War II. He was presented with the prestigious Presidential Gold Medal Award
for his courage and heroism.
Aside from being an educator, Dr. Villanueva loved music: he played the violin, and became a conductor
of the Philippine Normal College Orchestra. In the field of sports, he was a boxer and weightlifter, lifting well into
his nineties. He died on June 13, 2000 at the age of 93 due to colon cancer, leaving behind a legacy of education
and service in Naga City.
Lola Lourdes: The Founder’s Wife Biography
“I will cherish her memory as a good wife, mother, and grandmother. Naga College is what it is today because
of my grandfather Lolo Mel. But I sincerely believe Lolo Mel was successful because of my Lola Lourdes who is
now everyone’s inspiration at the early days of NCF. Indeed, my Lola Lourdes is the Gabay sa Paglalakbay ni
Lolo Mel in putting up the Naga Teachers College to now, Naga College Foundation.” – President Mario C.
Villanueva
Lourdes Estrella Delicano Peckson-Villanueva was born on October 7, 1908 in Calasiao, Pangasinan,
being the 2nd child and only daughter from the six children of Don Jose Peckson and Aurea Delicano. She had
5 siblings namely Juan (eldest), Alfredo, Rodolfo, Edilberto, and Arthur (youngest). Peckson family was known
in their area during this time as Don Jose served as municipal mayor for three terms and as an assemblyman of
the 2nd Philippine Assembly. Their family also had a great interest in music. In fact, the whole family knew how
to play a piano and other musical instrument. Lourdes was a pianist herself.
Lourdes grew up in a happy home which taught her to do household chores, attend Sunday masses,
pray, and give importance to education. She also learned to be a good cook because of her mother. Her
childhood was full of fun as she and her brothers always played, together with their childhood friends. It is said
that because of Lourdes’ kind nature, she gained many friends and playmates which made her childhood lively.
Her kindness and obedience were honed by the stories full of life lessons told by her mother.
After finishing Lourdes’ elementary and high school years at Calasiao Elementary School and Calasiao
High School, respectively, the Peckson family decided to move in Manila where the children could continue their
studies, especially for college. They bought a two-story Spanish house in Pasay and later, built an apartment as
their business.
Lourdes wanted to be a teacher; most probably because of her diligence in studying and reading. She
took Elementary Education as her course in Philippine Normal School where she also met many friends. As she
was studying, she also enjoyed her youth by hanging out with friends on picnics, excursions, and watching
movies. Her youth was spent like these; also, she was fond of taking care of pet dogs and cats, and planting.
Lourdes’ and her mother’s hobby in planting was evident as their house’s yard was decorated with flowering
plants; with white lily as Lourdes’ favorite flower.
Just like most of college students, Lourdes had delightful and meaningful experiences while studying in
Philippine Normal School. It is said that Lourdes was a modest and simple lady which made her really pleasing
NAGA COLLEGE FOUNDATION
CENTER FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
M.T. VILLANUEVA AVENUE, NAGA CITY
IRS 1 – NCEAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
and beautiful. It was also during this time when she met a man who would later be her husband, Melchor
Villanueva. Their love story began when Melchor sends love letters to Lourdes as she borrows books from the
library. The love letters were often inserted in books that she borrowed. Melchor, back then, was an assistant
librarian at Philippine Normal School.
Because of Melchor’s perseverance to win Lourdes’ and her family’s heart and trust, they soon got
married on December 27, 1930 at 6:00 am at a church in Pasay. They were together for 58 years, blessed with
8 children namely Roland, Rizal, Melchor Jr, Carlo, Emerita, Benjamin, Albert, and Fortuno. On December 27,
1980, the lovely couple had made their wedding vows again as they celebrated their Golden Wedding
Anniversary at Peñafrancia Parish.
Lolo Mel and Lola Lourdes had an opportunity to start their growing family in Naga City as Lolo Mel was
offered to be a teacher at Camarines Sur National High School. Together with their 3 children, Lolo Mel and Lola
Lourdes moved into a rental home at Peñafrancia Avenue and would later on be residents of Liboton street
where they had a bigger house for their then 5 children. Lolo Mel eventually became the school principal of
Camarines Sur National High School and also, a teacher at Colegio de Sta. Isabel, Ateneo de Naga, and
Southern Luzon College. Lola Lourdes was also a teacher at Naga Elementary School. During this time, they
bought a land property where Naga College Foundation is now located. In 1947, Naga Teachers College was
established by Lolo Mel and Lola Lourdes. The said school was located at Peñafrancia Avenue where they
rented the Villafrancia Building. Lolo Mel was the Administrator/President while Lola Lourdes was the Registrar,
Finance Officer, and also, a teacher. In 1953, Lola Lourdes had to do the administrative tasks as Lolo Mel had
to study in America for his Doctorate Degree. This was a great challenge for Lola Lourdes – administrating the
school, taking care of her children – but she was able to manage all these with the help of her friends, colleagues,
and children. Naga Teachers College became a known school and was able to prosper because of Lolo Mel’s
and Lola Lourdes’ hard work and strength.
On April 27, 1989, the Peckson-Villanueva family had to face a devastating event. At the age of 81, Lola
Lourdes passed away. When she left, sadness took over the family, especially, Lolo Mel whom Lola Lourdes
spent her life with. It is evident that Lola Lourdes had a great impact on Lolo Mel’s life – growth, successes and
failures, happiness and sadness. To her children and grandchildren, she became an inspiration as she portrayed
being a loving and patient wife and a mother.
