Arts & Culture of Zamboanga City

by contributing writer & local artist: Icelle G. Borja

IcelleARTicles: Restoration of City Hall

The Administration of Mayor Maria Clara L. Lobregat, had emphasized the full thrust to preserve our "Patrimonial Properties, Legacies, History," through the preservation and restoration of old buildings and Historical Sites. Such effort is being carried out in the present project to restore the City Hall, formerly the Provincial Capitol Building. The restoration project will cost P26 Million pesos, and it will take around eight (8) months to one (1) year for completion. I will use the word "Restoration" and not "construction" ( or "re-construction" ), for it will follow faithfully the materials and the architectural details originally in existence.

This edifice is steeped with history, built in 1905 and was completed in 1907, with U.S. Federal Funds. It cost 200,000.00 pesos at that time, and was adjudged as the "Handsome building" in the whole of Mindanao. Built of first class Philippine hardwoods, Yakal, Tindalo, Molave, Cubi, and Ipil, and used blocks of concrete. The ground floor is lined with" "Azulejo"- (click hyperlink to view detail!) Spanish tiles, the ceilings are decorated with "Baroque" styled stamped metal sheets joined together, creating a beautiful elegant silver backdrop for the chandeliers and lights.  Its roofing is made of Spanish red tiles.  Its windows are made of the sliding type Capiz shells panes, latticed together in between strips of wood.

The American team of Architects chose the "Spanish Renaissance" architectural style for a Civic Building such as this. It is built sprawling occupying a letter "L" lining two city streets creating a court-like garden ambiance in the center, with two fountains as the focal point for the ingress and egress.

The edifice is lorded by the Tower, which was the lookout tower, and the siren. It is a two-storey edifice with wide corridor that ribbons around the building, built with the decorative wooden brackets (corbels - click hyperlink to view detail!) fashioned like "calado" embroideries hewn on wood. It is a functional architectural detail used to support the overhanging corridors, at the same time it serves to provide shade unto the windows of offices in the ground floor. The use for cast iron metal grilles are used extensively on the ground floor windows for utmost security and protection, and so with the heavy metal gates that secures the two entrances.

Both entrance floors are lined with the durable "piedra China"- (click hyperlink to view detail!) in beveled cut, and the concrete blocks were used on the walls and entrances to the tower and pavilions.

The team of workers are a mix of nationalities; Prison labor for the earthworks and excavation, that includes, Moros, and "deportados," political prisoners from the San Ramon Penal Colony, American engineers and architects, and Japanese carpenters (for the finishing touches and delicate woodworks). It is electrically wired all throughout, and had toilets and water closets in each department. It was inaugurated in 1907 under the American administrator Bliss amidst fanfare, fireworks, parade of nations, and exhibit of the agro-industrial fair. By the year 2005, the City Hall will be a century old.

It was the residence-office of all the American Military Governors, the seat of Government from the time of the American Period up to the present.

Editor's note: Icelle Gloria Borja is Executive Assistant I of the Office of The City Mayor of the City of Zamboanga, Republic of The Philippines.  You may contact her directly about the details and current updates of this City Hall Restoration Project, of which she is the official Architectural and Historical Researcher and Overseer, at her city hall office phone number: (062) 991-2295, or by e-mail at: icellearts@yahoo.com.  Responsibility and Accountability of project details are at your disposal, so you can act or help accordingly.