If you spent your early education in public schools, chances are you’re school looked a certain way. There’s a name for this kind of schoolbuilding: the Gabaldon.
Among the byproducts of American colonial rule during their time in the Philippines is their cultural and architectural influence, including how schools everywhere in the country looked. It was an objective of the American settlers to build schools and educate the Filipinos with western teaching. Part of this advocacy was to build physical schools. From 1907 to 1945, school buildings were built from across the country. One of the renowned school building types was the Gabaldon Schools.
Here is the story.
In 1907, Governor Isauro Gabaldon enacted Act No. 1801, an act that led to the construction of school buildings in barangays across the country. During this time, the budget of the school building was P1 million each. There were about 1,800 schools built during this time.
William Parson, a famous American architect, and a city planner who was famous in the United States during this time was commissioned to design the school building which was later going to be known as Gabaldon Schoolhouses.
What makes the Gabaldon schoolhouses unique?
It was designed to reflect both the pre-Spanish and Spanish heritage of the Philippine dwellings, the Bahay Kubo, and Bahay na Bato.
The Gabaldon buildings were elevated 1.2 meters from the ground on a wooden or concrete platform or higher depending on the situation of the site. Meaning, one has to climb around seven steps or more before landing on the first floor.
It opens to a wide veranda prior to the main classroom with huge columns and posts on the facade. The classrooms have high ceilings with large capiz windows sometimes as swing or an awning for proper ventilation and lighting for students.
At present some Gabaldon schools are being conserved by the Department of Education and National Historical Commission of the Philippines following the Republic Act No. 11194 or the “Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act” signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Reference:
Lopez, Elyssa Christine. 2019 “Those School Buildings We Grew Up With Are Called Gabaldons.” Esquire Magazine. June 3,2020.
Quizon, Alvin and Garciano Lessandro. 2019. “Reliability Assessment of Wooden Trusses of A Historical School.”International Journal of GEOMATE, Vol.17, Issue 60, pp.130-135. https://www.geomatejournal.com/sites/default/files/articles/130-135-8224-Alvin-Aug-2019-60.pdf