LAOAG CITY – Heritage advocates refuse to throw in the towel on the conversion of Laoag City’s heritage school to a shopping center even as the mall project appears to be a done deal.

The conversion of the Laoag Central Elementary School, housing historic Gabaldon-type buildings, to a mall has caught the attention of conservationists who foresee another heritage disaster similar to the fate of other structures and buildings with historical significance.

Based on a marker inscribed on its façade, the school building was built in 1929 after the 1.3-hectare property, owned by the Roman Catholic Church, was donated to the then town of Laoag by Nueva Segovia Bishop Santiago Sancho in 1924.

The other Gabaldon structure within the lot is the Home Economics building.

Laoag is also home to another schoolhouse, the Gabaldon Elementary School, named after Rep. Isauro Gabaldon, who sponsored Act 1801 of the National Assembly for the construction of elementary schools around the country during the American period.

Travel writer and heritage advocate Ivan Anthony Henares started posting comments on his blog and generated reactions calling attention to the demolition and relocation of the LCES building to another area.

Misplaced priorities

“Another heritage school could soon become a victim of misplaced priorities if nothing is done to stop the rampage,” said Henares, a member of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) board of trustees.

He echoed the community’s concern that the proposed mall would disturb the city’s historical landscape while ground movements might pose a threat to the structural stability of the ancient belfry right beside the school compound. The belfry is a major historical, cultural and religious icon.

The need to relocate the school has been the subject of discussions for many years by the city government due to the growing congestion around the premises of the school in the middle of downtown’s commercial district.

The city government started public hearings in June last year following negotiations by officials with the mall developer.

Expectedly, the project was met with stiff opposition from small businessmen and the school’s Parents-Teachers Community Association.

The business community raised the fear that the presence of a giant mall would dominate competition and eventually render small business operators bankrupt.

The school’s PTCA lamented that the historical landmark would be erased in the name of commercialization.

“Education should never be sacrificed for commercialization, no matter the perceived increase in income that the Roman Catholic Church and the city government will realize from the conversion,” the parents and teachers said in a published manifesto.

“The LCES for its more than 80 years of existence has become a historical landmark of the City of Laoag as a bastion of education,” they said.

Restoration program

The Department of Education and the HCS have embarked on a project to restore historic school buildings through a heritage program. Funds are provided to restore one heritage schoolhouse per region around the country for the benefit of teachers and students.

There is no showing, however, that the Laoag school has been lined up for rehabilitation under the program.

Mayor Michael Fariñas is mindful of the community’s sentiments but he noted that the LCES has not been declared a historic site.

“[The school] is not in its original state. It has already undergone several renovations. What is there to preserve?” he asked.

Fariñas obtained a certification from the National Historical Institute that the LCES was not among the seven sites declared national shrines and national historical landmarks in Ilocos Norte.

He said benefits and drawbacks were carefully weighed before the city government and the Catholic Church decided to push through with the school’s relocation. The project, he said, would provide job opportunities, increase city revenues and perk up business activities.

“Ultimately, the LCES is no longer convenient for education purposes. Children and teachers are surrounded by constant distractions,” he said.

The expanding business district is a growing threat to the school necessitating its relocation to another area, the mayor said.

“We are not sacrificing education. We are offering a healthier environment for our children,” he said.

The mall project is covered by a 25-year lease agreement entered into by the city government, the Catholic Church and Pampanga-based mall developer Bellagio Holdings Inc.

The agreement was signed in December last year. The developers have not indicated when construction will begin.

Under the agreement, the school will be relocated to a five-hectare lot fronting the Laoag bishop’s residence at the northern section and away from downtown.