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| ELMIS Gabaldon Building, a Filipino style heritage structure was situated in Brgy Paraiso, Sagay City Negros Occidental, Philippines, previuosly part of Brgy Fabrica during spanish colonization. This building was used as hideout of our Filipino Armed Forces in combating Japanese during World War 2. The building was burned and destroyed during the war. Currently, the structure has been restored and used as Grade School Building. (See photo attributions below). |
The Philippines is full of stories and culture that come alive through its historic buildings - think about pre-colonial vernacular houses, colonial homes, ancestral homes, and public buildings. These places aren't just old landmarks; they’re a reflection of Filipino identity, skills, and shared memories. But with city growth speeding up and climate change becoming a bigger concern, fixing up and protecting these buildings isn’t just urgent; it’s also an incredible chance to celebrate our heritage.
OBJECTIVE
In this post, we’ll look at how restoring these old buildings, even though it can be tricky, plays a big role in building a sustainable future for Filipino architecture. This is the 3rd and last part in a series of the same title. To get the full picture, you may want to read the previous episodes first before proceeding. Below are the links:
Challenges in Heritage Restoration in the Philippines
• Funding and Maintenance Issues
Restoring old buildings isn’t cheap—it needs skilled workers, traditional materials, and usually takes quite a bit of time. Many historical sites, especially those way out in rural areas, tend to fall apart because there’s not enough funding to keep them up which eventually becomes one of the biggest challenges in heritage conservation. Without some kind of financial support or incentives, it’s tough to take care of these places, so they end up getting worse over time.
• Balancing Modern Use with Preservation
Restoring old buildings for modern use, whether it’s for homes, shops, or public spaces, takes a careful touch. How do we add things like air conditioning or plumbing into a 200-year-old structure without spoiling its historic charm? Sometimes, bad renovations can ruin important architectural details, while being too strict about preservation can make buildings feel outdated or unusable. Finding that perfect balance between keeping the original feel and making the space functional, that’s the tricky part, both ethically and creatively.
• Lack of Awareness or Undervaluing of Heritage
There are still people who are not really aware, or should I say not interested on how to appreciate the value of heritage buildings, especially younger folks or in developed places that are rapidly modernizing. Many see old structures as outdated, not making enough money, or just not worth keeping. Because of this, they often end up getting torn down or left to decay, especially when the land could be much more profitable for shopping malls, condos, or new infrastructure projects.
• Natural Disasters and Climate Change Impacts
Since it's located right in the Pacific Ring of Fire and often struck by typhoons, the Philippines is pretty vulnerable to natural disasters. Earthquakes, flooding, and storms can cause serious damage, especially to older buildings that weren’t really designed to handle today’s environmental challenges. Plus, with climate change ramping up these problems, protecting these structures over the long run just gets more complicated and expensive.
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| Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park Sales Office is a concrete structure but still preserved the culture of Bahay Kubo by using indigenous sustainable materials such as bamboo and nipa. This is a good example of Filipino architectural heritage preservation. |
Moving Forward: Recommendations and Call to Action
• Support Government Policies That Integrate Cultural Heritage into Building Practice
We really need to support laws that see heritage buildings as part of a bigger picture of sustainability. Offering perks like incentives for reusing old structures, tax breaks for preservation work, and guidelines that blend keeping history with eco-friendly features, like installing solar panels or designing for passive cooling, can help make sure these buildings stay around and remain environmentally friendly.
• Encourage Youth Education on Filipino Architecture
Bringing heritage education into the school program, whether through field trips, community projects, or design contests. These can really get kids interested and proud of Filipino architecture early on. When young folks learn why these heritage buildings matter, they’re more likely to grow up wanting to protect, appreciate, and maybe even work in this field one day.
• Promote Community-Led Restorations
Communities that actually use and care for heritage sites tend to take better care of them. When you teach local artisans traditional building skills, involve the community in making decisions, and give barangays the power to handle restoration projects, it really creates a sense of pride and ownership. Plus, it helps make sure that the work stays true to local traditions and tells the story of the place.
• Foster Tourism That Respects Heritage
Heritage tourism can be a great way to fund restoration projects and help people connect with different cultures. With that being said, it’s important to keep things monitored so that things don’t get overrun with commercial stuff or end up damaging delicate historic sites. By focusing on sustainable tourism, things like education, preservation, and giving back to local communities, these historic buildings can become bright museums that fit right into today’s world without losing their charm.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Reviving our heritage buildings isn’t just about looking back; it’s a smart move for our future. These old structures, built with traditional materials and techniques that are often better suited to our climate, hold ecological and cultural value. By fixing them up, we cut down on the environmental impact of building new stuff and stay connected to our roots. Our heritage architecture shows who we are as Filipinos - our resilience, creativity, and stories. Taking care of these buildings means future generations will not only have useful spaces but also meaningful places that tell our story.
“Preserving the past is building a more sustainable future.”
Ar J CASTANEDA
Architect, Sustainable Architecture
Link in account for architectural works.
PHOTO ATTRIBUTION
ELMIS Gabaldon Building in Brgy Paraiso, Sagay City Negros Occidental
Jay Castor, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ELMIS_GABALDON_BUILDING.jpg
ELMIS Gabaldon Building was situated in Brgy Paraiso, Sagay City Negros Occidental, previuosly part of Brgy Fabrica during spanish colonization. This building was used as hideout of our Filipino Armed Forces in combating Japanese during World War 2. The building was burned and distroyed during the war. Currently, the structure was restored and used as Grade School Building
Himlayang Pilipino Memorial Park Sales office Bahay Kubo
CNEcija12345, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
