BAGUIO CITY—Conservationists have been campaigning over social networking sites to stop the November demolition of the Mt. Province capitol, which was patterned after the American colonial building that was built there in 1908.
Gov. Leonardo Mayaen on Wednesday said the provincial board had authorized him to build a P30-million concrete structure to replace the old wooden facility that served as capitol at Bontoc, Mt. Province, for more than 50 years.
He said the original building rose after the Philippine Commission formed the Mountain Provinces in 1907, but it was replaced and improved in the 1930s, “so our building is no longer as authentic as people assume.”
Advocates of Save the Bontoc Capitol campaign, such as blogger Ivan Henares, said government needs to preserve the wooden colonial design similar to the preserved American cottages and buildings of Teachers’ Camp.
The design reflected the legacy of the original Mountain Provinces, which was a single administrative unit that isolated communities of “highland non-Christians” to protect them from lowlander mischief, according to accounts written by several historians, including Howard Fry, who authored the book, “A History of the Mountain Province.”
The clamor had drawn the attention of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
Governor Mayaen said he received a letter this month from NHCP Chair Maria Serena Diokno, who asked him to stop the project and change the design to preserve aspects of the century-old historical landmark.
He said he suspended work last week and instructed the provincial engineer to draft a new plan.
“But I was surprised to hear about the objections,” said the governor. “We have had older buildings demolished and replaced in this province and we did not hear complaints,” he said.