Gabaldon Building

Category: Significant Immovable Heritage
District of Numancia

Background Information

A. TYPE	[ ] GABALDON [ ] MARCOS TYPE	[ ] IMELDA TYPE [ ] OTHER
B. OWNERSHIP	[/ ] PUBLIC	[ ] PRIVATE

C. ADDRESS/LOCATION/COORDINATES (Longitude & Latitude):

D. AREA: 1. Total Land Area: no longer occupied

2. Structure: cemented

E. YEAR CONSTRUCTED/ESTIMATED AGE: 1950’s

F. OWNERSHIP/JURISDICTION: Numancia Integrated school

G. DECLARATION/LEGISLATION: none

Description

Physical Description

A ruined black rectangular cemented type structure measuring 96cm base length, 84cm width at a height of 93 to 104cm up to 105cm. It extends up to 18cm from the width of 93cm. It is found at the back of SPED-LWD room/conference room.

The ruined exit stairs along Marcos building measure 96 cm in length, similar to the length in the entrance stair. It is found in front of Ms. Nikki Templonuevo’s classroom.

History of the Structure

In 1946-1948, Dr. Reinalda Ibabao Magdaluyo, an alumna of Numancia Elementary School, now Numancia Integrated School, where she spent her intermediate grades in the central school; NIS, the rooms then were temporary and was built with “butong and pawod” with cemented flooring aligned straight fronting the national highway. Upon entering the entrance gate along F. Kimpo Street, is the office of the District Supervisor, now Public Schools district Supervisor (PSDS) and the Principal’s office and at far end is the Homeroom Economics building which is still evident until now.

Adjacent to these offices inside the school premises, in 1950’s, rise a long-elevated classroom. Dr. Magdaluyo, testify that the said building has wooden floor, stairs and base as foundation with “silong”, or base underneath the floor. She calls it “semi-permanent building”. They are lined along Marcos buildings.

In 1960’s, Mrs. Florentina “Puyen” E. Fulgencio, retired Home Economics teacher, narrated that there were six rooms made of “butong and pawod”, aligned straight along the national highway including the Kindergarten room and the H. E. building next to it. Along F. Kimpo Street is the entrance gate, office of the District Supervisor, Principal’s office and a library under Consortia Maypa.

The semi-permanent building then, which she called “new building” has an entrance stair at the center and an exit stair on its far right. In the advent of having complete elementary level and being the central school in Numancia, the said building was used in 1950’s.

Status

[ ] Occupied [/ ] Not occupied

Stories Associated with the Structure

Since semi -permanent building are long elevated classrooms made of wood and was typically built with “silong”, or with concrete stilt base on the floor. It serves as ground floor then of the elevated building. Presumably, wood worn out, so school officials prefer to replace it with cemented stairs, thus the ruins stand still until now.

Many of the townsfolks quoted that it serves as their playing area during recess time or even during class hours. They can still hear their teachers having their class as they keep on playing under the “silong” of the building. Common games are “tatsing”, “paya”, “tumbo”, and “jolens”, mostly games that requires steady sitting positions. The height of the underground flooring just suits to Grade 5 and 6 school children. Naughty pupils peep in cracked flooring to check on their classes and teachers having class, perhaps they can still attend to their classes even though they are under the ground playing.

Significance

Historical

Gabaldon school houses are structures act as a significant reminder of the distinctive identity, rich history, and culture of our nation. They are referred to as Gabaldon schools. They were built in the 1950s after the war as temporary classrooms primarily to ease classroom shortage or congestion especially in the provinces. They were built during the American colonial period (1898–1966). Gabaldon structures constructed between 1907 and 1946.

Gabaldon buildings are heritage school buildings in the Philippines.

Social

The Gabaldon building of Numancia Integrated School was at the center of the town with a full primary level in the 1960’s. It is used as a training site for various school-related activities for teachers. They do this on purpose to provide students and teachers with access to sufficient, structurally sound, and physically secure buildings, grounds, and facilities.

Aesthetic

Gabaldon School Buildings have a unique infrastructure: “these one- to two-storey structures are H or U shape buildings that distinctly featured elevated flooring, Capiz-shelled windows with wooden frames, and classrooms connected by corridors. It was inspired by a combination of Traditional

Filipino bahay kubo, bahay na bato and American architecture.

A standard size of 7 by 9 meters (23 ft × 30 ft) was conceptualized by Parsons for the school buildings regardless of the number of classrooms for swift construction of public schools. The buildings sat on wood or concrete stilt as foundations. In large cities, buildings were made of concrete while in smaller barangays they were made of wood.

Conservation

Status/Condition of Structure

[ ] Fair

[ ] Deteriorated

[ / ] Ruins

Remarks: Not functional because they are no longer classified as school building.

Integrity of the Structure

1.		[ / ] altered	2.	[ ] moved
		[ ] unaltered		[ / ] original site

Remarks: The structure appears as ruins of the entrance stairs of the semi-permanent building at the back of SPED classroom-LWD and Grade 2 classrooms.

Constraints/Threats/Issues

Hindrance on pathways of the school in the elementary level and along Marcos building in the secondary level.