Naglaho'ng Gusali

I always enjoy reading Dr Jaime Laya's column in the Manila Bulletin.

This morning Dr. Laya enumerates a slew of buildings that might have been heritage sites. Buildings that were notable either because they were designed by a famous architect, they captured the best aspects of a particular art period or style or represented an era that was significant in the formation of the Philippines as a nation.

Among the buildings Dr Laya mentioned were:


- The Insular Iceplant - constructed in 1901 between the Post Office and the Metropolitan Theater near the Arroceros area. The ice plant had to give way to the LRT tracks. Now it's a vacant lot fronting the Pasig River Ferry station in Plaza Lawton.

- Casa Vizantina - Byzantine Inspired house in Binondo which was eventually dismantled and restored at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar a heritage resort in Bataan.

- Casa Mision - built in Sta. Ana, Manila which was sadly demolished by the new owners even before the permit was issued.

-King's Theater - Ongpin Street. Believed to be a Pablo Antonio design. Sacrificed
for a high-rise.

-Camp John Hay - Baguio City (1911). Originally a camp for the US Armed Forces until the 1980s when the US bases were expelled was turned over to a private developer.

- Casa Hacienda - Makati near JP Rizal near Makati Avenue. Formerly the headquarters of the Roxas-Ayala family's Hacienda de Makati. It was torn down after being declared city property.

- Jai-Alai Building - Taft Avenue (1940-2000) One of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture. Torn down supposedly to house the City Courts of Manila despite pleas from the National Historical Institute . Now an idle lot after the building was bulldozed. the supposed building to replace it was never built.

-Faro de Punta - Linao, Cagayan (1894-1985) eroded by pounding waves.

-Puente de Mabacao - Maragondon, Cavite (1890-2008) Rare steel braced span now a run-of-the-mill bridge.

-Pines Hotel - Baguio City, Now a popular mall

-Philippine Racing Club - Sta Ana, Manila (1935-2009) Art Deco race track complex again demolished to be replaced by a mall.

- Iglesia de la Transfiguracion de Nstra. Sra. - Palo Leyte (1718-1970) the 250 year old church which survived WWII did not escape the demolition by the faithful who wanted a larger new shrine. ( how terribly sad!)

WE do the same thing with our streets. We keep changing the names of streets even the more historical names like Duque, Nueva, Sacristia, Rosario streets in favor of the rich and famous...

Dr Laya laments that at the rate we're going, all we'll have left are "photographs to remind us of our distinguished and non-generic architectural past". It's a shame we have to let go of vestiges of our rich cultural past for malls that have no historical significance whatsoever.