How the Pangasinan capitol building was built

Here is an interesting account of the engineer who supervised the construction of the Pangasinan capitol in Lingayen, Pangasinan. His account was published on pp. 7-11 of the October 1, 1918 issue of the Quarterly Bulletin, a publication of the Bureau of Public Works at that time.  

By SOTERO BALUYUT

(Bureau of Public Works district engineer for the provinces of Isabela, Antique, Ilocos Norte, Bulacan and Pangasinan from 1912 to 1919.)

AIM. About the year 1886, during the Spanish régime a mixed building, of wood and adobe, with iron roofing was built to house the then provincial government. This building is located in the heart of Lingayen.

Since that time the Government has changed and this Spanish-designed building has become too small for adequately housing the new provincial government under American sovereignty. In 1911, a committee composed of the provincial board and the district engineer decided to plan for the erection of a new provincial center as soon as sufficient funds were available.

PLANS. The proposed center is probably the most elaborate yet planned, and calls for a capitol, court house, executive building, jail, garage, hospital, and residences for the provincial governor and the provincial treasurer. All the buildings are to be constructed of reinforced concrete, at a cost to the province of about a million pesos.

In view of the limited amount of money obtainable for expenditure, it was decided to build the capitol first. A tract of land containing 25 hectares bordering on the gulf of Lingayen and affording a magnificent view was obtained in the municipality of Lingayen, and on April 21st, 1917, a representative body of people of this province assembled at the beach to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone of the new provincial building, the plans of which, designed by Mr. Ralph Harrington Doane, Consulting Architect, were accepted and approved by the provincial board. This was the first real tangible act toward the consummation of more than 6 years of labor. Excavation was started on July 2d, 1917, and the construction of the capitol building was completed in about 18 months.

APPROPRIATIONS AND COSTS. To make possible the construction of this edifice — the largest and most elaborate ever undertaken by any province in the Philippines — the sum of P360,000 was appropriated, P265,000 of which was loaned by the Insular Government. Of the amount expended in this building P108,285.03 were spent for labor, representing 30 percent of the total cost. Due to war conditions the cost of the building has proportionately exceeded the original estimate.

It may be of interest to note that only first class materials were employed in the erection of this building as can be seen from the following list:

Cement barrels 8,104
Steel kilos 1,091,122
Crushed stone cubic meters 4,830
Gravel 750
Sand 1,636
White limestone 239
Form lumber, Redwood, Lauan,
Apitong and Lumbayao board feet 214.684
Narra, Yacal and Molave 108,181

ORGANIZATION . Rapidity in the construction of a building of this kind necessitated the employment of a big force of skilled and non-skilled laborers, including technical men. One Filipino assistant engineer was employed for the technical parts of the work and an American foreman to direct the construction. The force of men handled by the foreman in charge was subdivided into groups under Filipino foremen. Practically all the men were Filipinos, with the exception of 2 Japanese carpenters. There were 145 Filipino carpenters and one Spanish mason for the stucco finish. The Spaniard stayed only about two weeks to start this work, which was continued by Filipino skilled masons who readily learned to do this kind of work.

The construction force employed can be appreciated by the list below:

1 Filipino assistant engineer 
48 concrete men
1 American foreman 
3 plumbers
1 chief carpenter on plans and 
1 capataz on stucco finish details 
15 masons
145 carpenters 
1 clerk and 1 timekeeper
1 foreman of masons 
3 engineers (steam)
53 masons 
3 firemen
1 blacksmith capataz 
5 miscellaneous employees
6 blacksmiths 
1 foreman on transportation
1 concrete foreman 
15 laborers

PLANT AND EQUIPMENT. The difficulties encountered in the transportation of materials from Dagupan to Lingayen, 13 kilometers distant, were met by the employment of 2 road rollers with 26 wagons. In addition, 30 bull carts were employed for transporting materials about the building and 4 wooden scows were used in transporting crushed rock from the quarry at Labrador to Lingayen, about the same distance as Dagupan. A concrete mixer with elevator was erected to properly handle the distribution of the concrete.

SPECIAL FEATURES. In the erection of the 8.5 meters high hollow concrete columns, concrete moulds divided into several sections were employed. A total of 48 of these columns were constructed.

Seven ornamental lamps of carved wood, iron, and concha shells, demonstrative of Filipino skill in wood carving, adorn the main lobby, main hallways and staircase and the session hall of the provincial board. To properly light the building, 112 denzar lights are distributed throughout the building, besides small electric lights installed in minor places. The chipping of the outer surface of concrete has produced the appearance of natural stone.

The capitol building, elevated on a terrace, commands on one front a vista down a wide and imposing boulevard to the municipality, on the other front a seascape broken only by the rugged outlines of Mount Santo Tomas on the east and the wooded highlands of the Zambales mountains and Cape Bolinao on the west. The grounds are of sufficient extent and contour to furnish ample opportunity for extensive parking, which will add greatly to the present natural beauty of the site. This building, itself the central one of a group to be erected in the future, as necessity demands and funds are available, is fifty-five meters long by eighteen and four-tenths meters wide, constructed of reinforced concrete with a stucco finish to imitate limestone, and stands on a balustrated terrace. The terrace is so arranged, on the north and south, as to allow the use of the basement for an immense storeroom, which gives it the appearance of an additional story. The basement is lighted and ventilated by areas protected by wrought iron grills.

The exterior walls of the edifice are designed in a series of similar columns with maximum window openings which are protected from the elements by the deep recesses of the colonnade and the over-hanging cornice. The ornaments used to enrich the appearance are only such as are strictly in accordance with the classic architectural features of the structure. The concrete specialities for the ornamentation were manufactured in Manila and shipped to the site as needed.

Windows throughout the structure are of concha shell with narra frames, protected by wrought iron grills. A crystalline limestone, recently found in unlimited quantities near Alaminos and which resembles the beautiful Italian marble Botticcino, was used in the exterior finish, producing a warm bright color in harmony with its tropical setting. This is a marked improvement over the dull, dead, gray so characteristic of the previously constructed concrete buildings throughout the islands.

In planning this building, the most important factor taken into consideration was to supply ample, attractive, well lighted, and ventilated offices for the various officials. This was obtained first by the large window openings and by designing the interior in large open spaces, interior walls being omitted so far as possible This gives the building the appearance of a large open pavilion.

The lobby on the first fioor, the stair hall, the court room on the second floor with its balcony, as regards architectural effect, produce an interior suitable to the dignity of the province and surpassing in grandeur and beauty anything yet obtained in provincial capitol buildings.

Reference to the plans shows that the arrangement of offices is as simple and convenient as possible. The first floor on account of the large number of transactions each day with the general public, is occupied by the offices of the provincial treasurer, the district auditor, the district engineer and the provincial assessor. The second floor is occupied by the court, the governor, the district health officer, and the superintendent of schools. The beauty of the design and the completeness and convenience of its arrangements have created wide spread enthusiasm and interest among the people.

The charm and beauty of this building is due to a large extent to its good proportions, good materials and well studied details. As the characteristic traits of the people are formed by their surroundings, this beautiful building, the attractive grounds and the broad boulevard will have an effect on the present and future generations in reaching their desired attainments.

Pangasinan Province has an area of 620,000 hectares, a population of 550,000 people, and an estimated income of P600,000 per year. During the past 15 years, the total expenditures for road construction exceeded P1,120,000 as a result of which there new exist 271 kilometers of first class road with an equal kilometerage of second class roads, all properly maintained. Bridge construction during the same period amounts to P1,233,000 and public buildings, to P830,000.