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, 006Gabaldon-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 ratication 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 Property<, as dened in : 10077, refer to a cultural property ha.ing e)ceptionalcultural, artistic, and historical signicance to the Philippines, and which shall be gi.en, a"ong others,priority go.ern"ent funding for its protection, conser.ation and=or restoration# Gabaldon Schools as bastions of Philippine education Gabaldon schools are of historic, architectural and socio-political signicance to the Philippines#Public schools were to the "erican colonial regi"e what >aro?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(pacication( for(pacication( 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 Generalospital, 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#%# roong 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 $ask Borce on the/onser.ation of eritage
@chool >uildings<, in recogni5ing the signicance of the Gabaldon schools,"andates the strengthening of its @chool >uilding :estoration Progra" with the creation of a task force toidentify and restore the heritage school houses of the regions#$he @ection of the 8ational eritage ct of 009 also iterates the role of epHd, working closely with the8ational /o""ission on /ulture and rts, the 8ational istorical /o""ission of the Philippines and otherappropriate institutions in ;the conser.ation and restoration of its built heritage such as the signicantGabaldon @chool buildings<#%n fact, the 8ational istorical /o""ission of the Philippines is rearing for the full i"ple"entation of theconser.ation of heritage school building and is in the process of co"pleting and disse"inating theGabaldon :estoration Guidelines#Hducation on the i"portance of Gabaldon schools is particularly urgent, as reports of de"olition and=orplans of de"olition of Gabaldon schools across the Philippines are increasing by the year# Documenting the Gabaldon Schools of Bohol >ohol has an esti"able nu"ber of Gabaldon schools# $hese schoolhouses stand in pro"inence withinusually well-appointed ca"puses, "ostly located within or near the poblacion or town centers, for"ing ani"portant part of the "unicipalityIs ci.ic pride#
AP a g e pon initial in.estigation on the "erican-era school buildings around the pro.ince, uni?ue details ha.ebeen obser.ed in the Gabaldon schools built in >ohol# %n fact, there is reason to infer that, despite beingbuilt fro" a si"ilar prototype, no two Gabaldon schools all o.er the country are built e)actly alike# Hachlocality custo"i5ed according to the specic re?uire"ents of their locale, as well as inJecting details andorna"entation that dene local cultures and traditions#dditionally, "aJor alterations on the Gabaldon school buildings in the pro.ince ha.e been obser.ed# @o"eschool buildings that "ay ha.e been Gabaldontypes ha.e been de"olished without ruckus or concernfro" the co""unity, with reports of de"olition as recent as the last .e years +i#e# a structure in$agbilaran /ity Hast Hle"entary @chool#$his architectural research and docu"entation, anchoring upon the i"portance of cultural heritagepreser.ation, ai"s to1# %dentify, e)plore, "ap and docu"ent the Gabaldon schools of >ohol# Hducate and raise awareness on the socio-cultural, historical and architectural signicance of Gabaldon schools# Pro"ote the conser.ation of Gabaldon schools4# Pro"ote the adoption of the "ost eDecti.e architectural features and construction techni?ues of the Gabaldon-type schools in designing and constructing new learning spacesrchitectural docu"entation is the rst "ost i"portant step in the heritage conser.ation process andser.es to ele.ate and actuali5e the architectural and socio-cultural signicance of a heritage structure#Bollowing a syste"atic approach, architectural docu"entation enco"passes the inspection andintrospection of the e.olution of the physical conte)t of the structure, and e)tends into the e)a"ination of its "eaning and signicance in the socio-cultural fabric it ser.ed then and is ser.ing now#cti.ities will include1# %dentication and tagging of Gabaldon schools in >ohol# /onduct of key infor"ant inter.iews and gather historical= written data on the Gabaldon schools# H.aluating of the for"s, syste"s, co"ponents and construction details of the Gabaldon schoolbuildings4# ocu"enting of the architecture and structural particulars of the Gabaldon schools'# :e-establish the anato"y the Gabaldon schoolhouses through sketches and diagra"s andphotographs$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 +' subgroups1# $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 signicance 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-prot 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 @ocietyhttp==www#heritage#org#ph=article#phpNidO9/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 8ortehttp==www#"useoilocosnorte#co"=inde)#phpN optionOco"content3.iewOarticle3idO1gabaldon-schools-of-ilocosnorte3catidO1featured-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?uirerhttp==lifestyle#in?uirer#net=artsandbooks=artsandbooks=.iew=0100'47166'=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 "odies, 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 P00,000#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#
