Duterte signs law mandating protection of Gabaldon school buildings

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law mandating the conservation of Gabaldon school buildings nationwide as part of the government's policy to preserve the country's cultural heritage.

Duterte approved Republic Act 11194 on January 18, a copy of which was released by Malacañang on Thursday.

Designed by American architect William Parsons, the school buildings were named after the late Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija who authored Act 180, which appropriated P1 million for the construction of 3,000 school buildings nationwide from 1907 to 1946.

Under the law, the Department of Education (DepEd), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Museum (NM) should implement a program for the identification and conservation of the remaining Gabaldon school buildings nationwide.

The law also tasked the DepEd and NCCA to conduct an inventory of all Gabaldon school buildings, whether fully functional or condemned, in all public elementary and secondary schools.

Local government units that have Gabaldon school buildings under their jurisdiction should adopt measures for the protection and conservation of these structures and must provide the DepEd with the necessary assistance in the implementation of any conservation project.

“Any modification, alteration, destruction, demolition, or relocation of Gabaldon school buildings shall be strictly prohibited,” the law stated.

In cases where conservation measures are necessary, the DepEd, in coordination with the NCCA, NHCP and NM, should provide proper technical assistance to school heads to ensure that the original architectural design of the building is maintained.

The initial funding for the law's implementation should be charged to the 2019 budget of DepEd. For succeeding years, the budget should be sourced from the General Appropriations Act. — BAP, GMA News