The Gabaldon Legacy

The Gabaldon Legacy

Gabaldon-type school buildings , also known as Gabaldon schools, refer to schoolhouses built in thePhilippines between 1907 and 1946 that follow standard plans designed by rchitect !illia" Parsons#$hey are na"ed after sse"bly"an %sauro Gabaldon who authored ct 1&01# $he act, also known as theGabaldon ct of  1907, appropriated appropriated PhP 1 "illion between 1907 to 191' for the (construction (construction of schoolhouses of strong "aterials in barrios with guaranteed daily attendance of not less than si)typupils*(# +raneta, 006Gabaldon-type school buildings were built all o.er the country during the "erican /olonial Period,e)tending after the period prescribed by the act# $heir "ain distinct features are 1 single or two storeystructure  ele.ated ground 2oor, with 2ooring "ade of tongue and groo.e +$3G wood planks  largeawning windows with capi5-shelled panels and wooden fra"es 4 corrugated iron roof sheathing 'sy""etrical plan and front ele.ation 6 central porch and wide stairs +for single storey building and withidentical side staircases +for two-storey building 7 classroo"s connected by a corridor & roo"s ha.e twoswing-out doors and, 9  or  shape plan# +8ational istorical istorical /o""ission /o""ission of the Philippines, 011!ith the ratication of the 8ational eritage ct of 009 or : 10077, Gabaldon schools, being structuresdating at least fty +'0 years old, are considered ;%"portant /ultural Properties< +unless declaredotherwise by the 8ational istorical %nstitute, now 8ational istorical /o""ission of the Philippines# n;%"portant /ultural Propertyaro?ue churches were to the @panish period# %ntheir ti"e, both were the "ost i"posing structures in all our pro.inces, cities and towns# s @pain usedreligion to coloni5e and ispani5e, the nited @tates of "erica established the public education syste" for(pacication( for(pacication( and "ericani5ation# "ericani5ation# +raneta, 00 6  AP AP a g e %t is in the Gabaldon schools where where the foundation of the Philippine public school syste", which ga.e e.eryBilipino child the chance to ac?uire a for"al education, was laid down#Gabaldons schools, though designed by "erican rchitect !illia" Parsons +a consulting architect of the>ureau of Public !orks fro" 190'-1914, "ore known for his works on the Canila otel, Philippine Generalospital, and $he Cansion ouse in >aguio /ity, for" an i"portant part of Philippine architecture#$he standard design for the Gabaldon schools, particularly, the one-story buildings, has an  or  plan, withclassroo"s along one side of an open gallery, lifted oD the ground# Gabled nipa roofs +originally, but ha.esince been replaced with G#%# roong and the large swingout windows with capi5 panels recalls the bahay kubo # +Eillalon, 010$he o.erall design and orientation allow for "a)i"u" .entilation and acoustical re?uire"ents ideal forlearning spaces in a tropical en.iron"ent# t the sa"e ti"e, its architectural aesthetic and structuralele"ents like the calado, e)posed bea"s, awning windows, fascia ha.e designs that range fro" geo"etric"ini"alist geo"etric"ini"alist to intricate F adding to the whole character of the Gabaldon building as a bastion for learning#$he Gabaldon schoolhouse is not only a li.ing can.as of the e.olution of the Philippine educational syste"but a study on the creati.ity and the craft"anship of Bilipinos that, to this day, still runs through our .eins# Conservation of Gabaldon Schools Gabaldon schools, "ay be a"ong the "ore underrated Philippine heritage structures, but they are the"ost unre"itting, the "ost constant and incessant in "eeting the de"ands of their original use andpurpose, not only in their functionality but with their aesthetic faculties as well#$he epart"ent of Hducation +epHd Ce"o 164 @eries of 009 ;/onstituting a $ask Borce on the/onser.ation of eritage

@chool >uildingsohol# %n fact, there is reason to infer that, despite beingbuilt fro" a si"ilar prototype, no two Gabaldon schools all o.er the country are built e)actly alike# Hachlocality custo"i5ed according to the specic re?uire"ents of their locale, as well as inJecting details andorna"entation that dene local cultures and traditions#dditionally, "aJor alterations on the Gabaldon school buildings in the pro.ince ha.e been obser.ed# @o"eschool buildings that "ay ha.e been Gabaldontypes ha.e been de"olished without ruckus or concernfro" the co""unity, with reports of de"olition as recent as the last .e years +i#e# a structure in$agbilaran /ity Hast Hle"entary @chool#$his architectural research and docu"entation, anchoring upon the i"portance of cultural heritagepreser.ation, ai"s to1# %dentify, e)plore, "ap and docu"ent the Gabaldon schools of >ohol# Hducate and raise awareness on the socio-cultural, historical and architectural signicance of Gabaldon schools# Pro"ote the conser.ation of Gabaldon schools4# Pro"ote the adoption of the "ost eDecti.e architectural features and construction techni?ues of the Gabaldon-type schools in designing and constructing new learning spacesrchitectural docu"entation is the rst "ost i"portant step in the heritage conser.ation process andser.es to ele.ate and actuali5e the architectural and socio-cultural signicance of a heritage structure#Bollowing a syste"atic approach, architectural docu"entation enco"passes the inspection andintrospection of the e.olution of the physical conte)t of the structure, and e)tends into the e)a"ination of its "eaning and signicance in the socio-cultural fabric it ser.ed then and is ser.ing now#cti.ities will include1# %dentication and tagging of Gabaldon schools in >ohol# /onduct of key infor"ant inter.iews and gather historical= written data on the Gabaldon schools# H.aluating of the for"s, syste"s, co"ponents and construction details of the Gabaldon schoolbuildings4# ocu"enting of the architecture and structural particulars of the Gabaldon schools'# :e-establish the anato"y the Gabaldon schoolhouses through sketches and diagra"s andphotographs$he docu"entation also includes in.estigations of building use, social functions, cultural conte)t andpractical issues of conser.ation

and rehabilitation#%t is e"pirical, henceforth, that this study, after the abo.e acti.ities, will include the for"ulation of reco""endations on preser.ing the Gabaldon schools as well as present architectural solutions thatwill sustain the school buildings to adapt to current use and e"erging cli"atic and technologicalneeds without co"pro"ising their architectural integrity#

4 AP a g e  $he docu"entation of >ohol Gabaldon schools will be di.ided into .e +' subgroups1#  $agbilaran /ity, auis and Panglao# 8orthwestern >ohol towns fro" CariboJoc to %nabanga# @outhwestern >ohol towns fro" >aclayon to Garcia-ernande54# %nterior >ohol towns'#  $he rest of >ohol%t is hoped that with these initial steps of docu"enting the Gabaldon schoolhouses of >ohol, the "eaningand .alue of said structures not only as learning spaces, its rich social and historical signicance to>oholanos, but also as i"portant architectural land"arks that are testa"ent to the Bilipino and >olanoncrafts"anship#:e-establishing the i"portance of designed and built learning en.iron"ents, in general, and the Gabaldonschools, in particular will also reinforce the discourse on the .alue of education for all# The ProponentsAsia Center for Sustainable Futures !nc" +/@B is a non-stock, non-prot alternati.e research andad.ocacy center, established in 010 with the .ision of ad.ancing the interest of the people throughparticipation and creati.e collaboration in research and ad.ocacy towards sustainable futures# /@B isbased in $agbilaran /ity, >ohol# Arch" #deli$a %" &acalandag 'AP is an architect ad.ocating for social, cultural and ecologicalconsciousness in the designed en.iron"ent professions#  writer and de.elop"ent co""unicationspractitioner, she is the /o""unications and d.ocacy KLcer of /@B# %n Mune 011, she beca"e an adJunctlecturer in the epart"ent of rchitecture and %ndustrial esign, /ollege of Hngineering rchitecture at the>ohol %sland @tate ni.ersity F Cain /a"pus in $agbilaran /ity, >ohol# :eferences raneta, G# /# +006#  $hose Gabaldons# :etrie.ed ugust 1, 011, fro" Philippine eritage /onser.ation @ocietyhttp==www#heritage#org#ph=article#phpNidO9/onstituting a $ask Borce on the /onser.ation of eritage @chool >uildings# +009, pril 1'# epH Ce"orandu" 8o#164 @# 009 # Gabaldon @chools of %locos 8orte# +009, Carch# :etrie.ed ugust 1, 011, fro" Cuseo %locos 8ortehttp==www#"useoilocosnorte#co"=inde)#phpN optionOco"content3.iewOarticle3idO1gabaldon-schools-of-ilocosnorte3catidO1featured-e)hibits3%te"idO1&enares, %# +006, Carch &# Pillars of the Philippine educational syste"# :etrie.ed ugust 011, fro" $he GabaldonQegacy http==gabaldon#i.anhenares#co"=006=0=pillars-of-philippineeducational#ht"l8ational istorical /o""ission of the Philippines# +011# raft /opy of Gabaldon :estoration Guidelines 011#: 10066 8ational /ultural eritage ct of 009# +010, Carch 6#Eillalon, # +010, Cay 4# Pride of Place Philippine-ustralian cooperation restores Gabaldon-type school in/a"iguin# :etrie.ed ugust 011, fro" Philippine aily %n?uirerhttp==lifestyle#in?uirer#net=artsandbooks=artsandbooks=.iew=0100'47166'=Philippine-ustralian-cooperation-restores--Gabaldon-type-school-in/a"iguin

@ection 4& of the law pro.ides that whoe.er intentionally destroys, de"olishes, "utilates or da"ages a heritage building +that includes buildings '0 years or older or "odies, alters, or destroys the original features of or undertakes construction or real state de.elop"ent in any site protected by the 8/P, shall be, upon con.iction, (subJect to a ne of not less than P00,000#00 or i"prison"ent for a ter" of not less than ten +10 years, or both upon the discretion of the /ourt#( %t pro.ides further that (if the .iolation is co""itted by a Juridical person, the president, "anager, representati.e, director, agent or e"ployee of said Juridical person responsible for the act shall also be liable for the penalties pro.ided#( %t further states, (eads of depart"ents, co""issions, bureaus, agencies or oLces, oLcers and=or agents found to ha.e intentionally failed to perfor" their re?uired duty as prescribed by the deputi5ation order under @ection & of this ct shall be liable for nonfeasance and shall be penali5ed in accordance with applicable laws#(

%f we de"olish our heritage sites, we de"olish part of our history, Paolo >usta"ante#