THE GABALDON/ HERITAGE BUILDING

The Gabaldon type buildings were established through Republic Act (RA) 1801 known as the Gabaldon Act authored by then Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija. Under the RA 1801, between 1907 and 1915. PIM was appropriated for the construction of schoolhouses of strong material in the barangays and municipalities with guaranteed daily attendance of no less than 60 students.

In 1911, at least 51 Gabaldon buildings were constructed in the country and 405 others were completed in 1916, bringing the total number of classrooms to 1,852 where 377 of which were made of concrete.

Lopez West Elementary School Bldg. had been benefited of the above-mentioned program. The Gabaldon classrooms were constructed in 1920, consisted of the front part plus some rooms on the both sides. in 1924, 22 classrooms completed the Gabaldon building.

Every rooms has large sliding kapis windows above ventanillas that almost reach to the floor open up large sections of wall to the outdoors. To maximize the interior airflow, interior partitions have rows of pierced wooden fretwork (calado) panels that meet the high ceiling, allowing air to freely circulate within the building.

Its high-pitched, galvanized-iron roofing sweeps way past windows and walls with a generous overhang that shades the building and keeps rain away.

Attuned to the tropics, the building is breezy and cool. Being inside the restored building today proves that old-style tropical architecture is still the best for our climate. Mature shade trees cool the breeze that once again flows through the large windows.

To date, the following comprises the Gabaldon Bldg.: front part — Data Bank

Room; Computer Room and the School Library. The horseshoe-shaped part of the building is consisted of the following: 9 classrooms each on both left and right wing: and three classrooms facing the back of the front rooms. The property room is situated at the right wing of the horseshoe-shaped part.

To ensure the safety of the classrooms. through the innovative efforts of the administrators, faculty, parents and the community, the Gabaldon building is now surrounded by grills, even classroom windows, grills were installed.

Sad to say, last June 25, 2010, one of the classrooms at the left wing collapsed caused fear to the pupils and the teacher-in-charge occupying it.

The administrators had informed the Local Government Unit about what had happen and with hope that the said classroom be given immediale attention. Further, the administrators, teachers and parents of the pupils occupying the Gabaldon Bldg. hope that not only the collapsed classroom be given attention but the entire building itself, to ensure a 100% assurance that the incident will not happen again, thereby, they do believe that by restoring classrooms at the Gabaldon building, Lopez West Elementary School Bldg. 1, will ensure safety to the pupils and teachers; and once the Gabaldon building be given attention, its heritage will surely be preserved and restored; thus, it drives home the lesson that patrimony lives and continues to be relevant to the lives ot the pupils. Classes in heritage classrooms provide experiential learning on patrimony with a stronger impact than textbook instruction.