Legarda to help restore Gabaldon school building

SENATOR LOREN Legarda is presented a letter-request for support for the restoration of a Gabaldon-type school building in Bayambang, Pangasinan province, by Rosendo So, head of the agriculture group Sinag. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Senator Loren Legarda has committed to the restoration of a Gabaldon school building in response to a request from the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of Bayambang Central School made through the head of an agriculture group.

In a statement, the group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said Legarda had made her advocacy the restoration of Gabaldon school buildings not only as part of heritage conservation but also to reuse these for their original purpose as places of learning.

“These structures symbolize the first foundation of the Philippine public school system during the American colonial regime, in which each Filipino child, even from the most remote areas of the country, had access to formal education,” Legarda was quoted as telling Rosendo So, Sinag president, during their meeting recently.

Gabaldon school buildings were designed by American architect William Parsons and funded through Act No. 1801 authored by Philippine Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon.

So, an engineer, described Gabaldon school buildings as structures with high ceilings, spacious corridors and rooms divided by wooden collapsible partitions with wide windows.

Legarda is author of Senate Resolution No. 800, asking the Senate to inquire about the status of the implementation of the Department of Education’s heritage school building restoration program.