GABALDON SCHOOL

BUILDINGS

E N T I A , K E L LY C H RYS N E I L
N E P O M U C E N O, V I A C H R I ST I N E D.
GABALDON SCHOOL BUILDINGS
History of Gabaldon
The Gabaldon School Buildings or simply known
as the Gabaldons is a term used to refer to
heritage school buildings in the Philippines
b u i l t d u r i n g t h e   A m e r i c a n c o l o n i a l e r a. T h e y a r e
noted for the architecture inspired from the 
b a h a y k u b o  a n d   b a h a y n a b a t o.

The Gabaldon School Buildings also referred to

as the Gabaldons originated from Act No. 1801
or the Gabaldon Law, a legislation wrote by 
I s a u r o G a b a l d o n  o f t h e   P h i l i p p i n e A s s e m b l y  i n
1907. The law provided for the funding of ₱1
million the construction of modern public
schools across the Philippine Islands from 1907
to 1915. Buildings constructed under the
legislation are later referred to as the Gabaldon
buildings.
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GABALDON SCHOOL BUILDINGS
General Architecture
The Gabaldons were built by the American
colonial government with American architect, 
W i l l i a m E . P a r s o n s  a s t h e d e s i g n e r o f t h e
blueprints of said buildings. A standard size of
7 by 9 meters (23 ft × 30 ft) was conceptualized
by Parsons for the school buildings regardless
of the number of classrooms for swift
construction of public schools.

According to historians, the buildings are

modern in design while drawing elements from
t h e   b a h a y k u b o  a n d   b a h a y n a b a t o  c o m m o n i n m o s t
towns at that time. The Gabaldons are raised
1.2 meters (3.9 ft) on a platform made of wood
or concrete. The buildings also exhibits large
windows and high ceilings for ventilation and
lighting purposes.
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GABALDON SCHOOL BUILDINGS
Heritage Status
The Gabaldons are protected under Philippine
law under Republic Act No. 11194 or the
Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act.
Under the law the "modification, alteration,
destruction, demolition or relocation" of
Gabaldon buildings are illegal.The particular
legislation also designates the Gabaldons as
cultural properties citing another legislation
known as the Republic Act 10066 or the 
N a t i o n a l C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e A c t o f 2 0 0 9.

T h e l a w m a n d a t e s   l o c a l g o v e r n m e n t u n i t s  t o
adopt measures for the protection and
conversation of Gabaldon buildings under their
jurisdiction.

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 GABALDON SCHOOL
BUILDINGS IN LA UNION

 L a U n i o n N ati o n a l H i g h S c h o o l
 D r. H . F. B e l e n E l e m . S c h o o l
 S o u t h C e nt ra l I nte grate d S c h o o l
LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
S a n F e r n a n d o C i t y, L a U n i o n
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LA
UNION NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
GABALDON

March 1, 1901
The Philippine Commission passed Republic
Act No. 372 authorizing provincial boards to
provide funds for the establishment of
secondary schools.
 
January 19, 1903
San Fernando High School, the first
secondary school in the province of La Union,
opened its first doors, it was established
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LA
UNION NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
GABALDON

Don Lucino Almelda, Presidente Provincial of

La Union during the Goblerno Revolution in
1898, donated the land where the school
stands,
The first batch of students was composed of
51 boys and four (4) girls. Mr William H.
Rosenkrans was the Teacher-in-charge.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF
LA UNION NATIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL GABALDON

During 1923
A Filipino , Mr. Cecilio Putong, was
appointed Principal after 17 other
Americans who followed Mr.J.W. Johnson,
Mr. Putong later became Secretary of
Education in the 1950’s.
 
The La Union TAB was the first regularly
issued printed high school newspaper in
Philippines.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
OF LA UNION NATIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL GABALDON

October 24, 1977

LUHS was nationalized under
Presidential Decree No. 1050 during
the administration of Mr. Valeriano
Q. Lopez, Principal. The school was
renamed La Union National High
School.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
OF LA UNION NATIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL GABALDON

August 8, 2016
The La Union National High School
Alumni Association (LUNHSA.A), Inc.,
organized in 2003, was finally
registered with the securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) as a
legal and legitimate umbrella alumni
association based in the Philippines.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
OF LA UNION NATIONAL HIGH
SCHOOL GABALDON

2016-2017
The School Library building razed by
fire in 2013 was restored by the
LUNHS Alumni association of the
school registered in the United State
of America. It serves as a
coordinating body of alumni groups
based in the US. The total cost of the
project was Faithfully assumed by the
generous and kind-hearted men and
women of the organization
 LUNHS GABALDON
BUILDING

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RESTORATION OF LUNHS
GABALDON BUILDING
 RESTORATION OF LUNHS
GABALDON BUILDING

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 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• THE GABALDON INSIDE THE
LUNHS IS LOCATED BESIDE THE
MAIN GATE OF THE LA UNION
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.

• COVERED WALKWAYS CONNECT

THE GABALDON BUILDING TO THE
MAIN BUILDINGS OF LA UNION
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• THE COURTYARD IS
APPROXIMATELY 20M X 30M
WIDE AND IS WHERE THE
SCIENCE-RELATED
ACTIVITIES HELD SINCE IT IS
CURRENTLY THE SPECIAL
SCIENCE CLASS CURRICULUM
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING.

• THE 2.5M WIDE HALLWAY HAS

TILE FLOORING THAT ADDED
MODERN FEELING IN THE
GABALDON BUILDING
• IT IS ONLY ON THE HALLWAY
OF THE STRUCTURE THAT
THEY USED FLOOR TILES,
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• THE CLASSROOMS AND THE
FACULTY ROOM USED TONGUE
AND GROOVE FLOORING. THIS
WAS REDEVELOPED. MEANING,
IT’S NOT THE SAME MATERIAL
USED WHEN IT WAS BUILT BUT
SINCE THE FIRST
REDEVELOPMENT, THE FLOORING
IS MAINTAINED.

• FOR VENTILATION, THE

CLASSROOMS HAS ALSO WOODEN
BALLUSTERS NEAR THE CEILING
SO THAT THE AIR / WIND WILL
FLOW THROUGH THE ROOMS.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• THE MOST OUTSTANDING FEATURE
OF THE GABALDON BUILDING IS
THE PRESERVED CAPIZ SHELL
WINDOWS. THESE ARE STILL FROM
THE VERY FIRST CONSTRUCTED
GABALDON IN THE 1915. THESE
WERE WELL-PRESERVED AND ARE
STILL IN GOOD CONDITION.

• HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL MADE A

LITTLE MODIFICATION BELOW THE
CAPIZ SHELLS. ACCORDING TO
THE TEACHER WE INTERVIEWED,
THE WINDOW BELOW THE CAPIZ
SHELLS BACK IN TIME ARE THE
SAME WINDOWS USED IN NIPA
HUTS. NOW, THE WINDOWS ARE
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• EXTERIOR VIEWOF THE
WINDOW (FRONT)

• EXTERIOR VIEWOF THE

WINDOW (REAR)

• IRON WORKS ARE ALSO PRESENT

IN THE EXISTING GABALDON
BUILDING JUST LIKE THE BACK
GATE OF THE BUILDING AND THE
RAILINGS. ONE ALSO OF THE
MODIFICATIONS MADE IN THE
BUILDING.
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• THE ARCHES WERE ALSO
MODIFIED JUST LIKE THE CEILING
AND FLOORING.

• RECTANGULAR COLUMNS HELD

THE STRUCTURE FOR A
CENTURYRECTANGULAR COLUMNS
HELD THE STRUCTURE FOR A
CENTURY

• IN THE REAR AND SIDES OF

GABALDON BUILDING, THE
STRUCTURE REVEALS IT’S ARCHED
COLUMNS. WITH THE DIMENSION
OF 1.50M x 0.40M, THE COLUMNS
MADE THE STRUCTURE DURABLE
 LA UNION NATIONAL HIGHSCHOOL
GABALDON
• BENEATH THE GABALDON
BUILDING, WILL SHOW THE
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM USED IN
THE STRUCTURE THAT MADE IT
UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT FROM
OTHER SCHOOL BUILDINGS

• THE FLOOR JOISTS WERE VISIBLE

FROM BENEATH. AND TO MAINTAIN
THE INTEGRITY OF THE WOOD AND
TO PROTECT IT FROM STUDENTS’
WRONGDOING, THE SCHOOL
COVERED IT WITH WROUGHT IRON
FENCE.
DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL
Naguilian, La Union
 DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL
• HISTORY

THE DR.BELEN ELEM. SCHOOL

GABALDON WAS CONSTRUCTED IN
1903 BY VIRTUE OF THE GABALDON
ACT WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOLHOUSES
OF STRONG MATERIALS IN BARRIOS
WITH GUARANTEED DAILY
ATTENDANCE OF NOT LESS THAN
SIXTY(60) PUPILS.

IT IS NOW THE ONLY THE STANDING

INSTITUITIONAL BLDG. IN THE
NAGUILIAN BUILT BEFORE THE ACT
OF DESTRUCTIVE WORLD WAR II IN
 DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL
• HISTORY

THE SCHOOL WAS NAMED FROM THE

FAMOUS ILOKO CREATIVE WRITER
BORN IN NAGUILIAN, LA UNION
WHICH IS DR. HERMOGENES F.
BELEN.
 DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL
• PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

IT IS A SINGLE DETACHED STRUCTURE. THE CEILING IS HIGH,

ABOUT FIVE METERS. IT HAS A LONG-FIVE TREAD FLIGHT OF STAIRS
LEADING TO ITS ELEVATED PORTICO, WHICH SERVES AS A STAGE ON
SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

THE CENTER ROOMS ARE DIVIDED BY COLLAPSIBLE WOODEN

PARTITIONS THAT COULD BE FOLDED TO CONVERT THE CLASSROOM
INTO A PAVILION. THE WINDOWS ARE HUGE AND SASHED AND ARE
MADE OF LATTICED CAPIZ-TAGKAWAYAN. ITS FAÇADE HAS THOSE
ROMANESQUE DORIC-LIKE PILLARS.

THE ROOMS ARE BIG AND WIDE, WITH LAUAN FLOORS. ITS DOORS
ARE IMPOSING AND MADE FROM THICK AND HEAVY NARRA. IT HAS A
 DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL
• Before and After photos

BEFORE AFTER
 DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL
• Before and After photos

BEFORE AFTER
 DR. HERMOGENES F. BELEN ELEM.
SCHOOL

SCHOOL BELL
SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
S a n F e r n a n d o C i t y, L a U n i o n
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
• HISTORY
The construction of the Gabaldon
building of the San Fernando
Elementary School, now the San
Fernando South Central Integrated
School, started in 1907
simultaneously with other central
schools in other municipalities of La
Union lie Bauang and San Juan. The
school’s operation as an educational
institution was made possible
through the efforts of the former
governor Sixto Zanduets after its
construction in 1909 with American
and Filipino member starting the
primary grades Governor Zandueta
noted the harmony among American
teachers, Filipino teachers and
municipal officials in his inspection,
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
• H I S TO R I C A L D E V E L O P M E N T
OF SOUTH CENTRAL
I N T E G R AT E D S C H O O L

It was in 1912 that the

intermediate grades were
o ff e r e d a n d c l a s s e s w e r e
conducted at the other
buildings constructed just
across the streets where North
C e n t r a l S c h o o l i s s i t u a t e d n o w.
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
H o w e v e r, d e s p i t e t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t s
of the intermediate grades, it was
noted that while every year the
n u m b e r o f a p p l i c a ti o n s fo r
e n r o l l m e n t fo r p u b l i c s c h o o l s w a s
growing, the number of the teachers
o f t h e s c h o o l w a s p r o p o r ti o n a t e l y
f a l l i n g b e h i n d . T h e p r o p o r ti o n f o r
e n r o l l e e s t o e a c h t e a c h e r p e a ke d t o
an average of 77 to 1. Due to the
s c a r c i t y o f f a c u l t y a n d f a c i l i t y, m a n y
of the school children dropped out
o f s c h o o l o r f a i l e d t o b e a d m i tt e d
d u e t o d i s p r o p o r ti o n a t e r a ti o
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL

It is also noteworthy that the

Gabaldon type of school house is
n a m e d a ft e r C o m m i s s i o n e r G a b a l d o n
who was in charge of the
c o n s t r u c ti o n b u i l d i n g s o f t h i s s o r t
during the American regime.
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
The Gabaldon Building at the South
Central School housed the primary
pupils (Grade I to III) and across the
h i g h w a y, a n o t h e r G a b a l d o n b u i l d i n g
housed the intermediate pupils
Grade IV to VI). Due to the growing
number of pupils in the early 70s,
the schoolhouse on the northern
side was registered as a separate
school named San Fernando North
Central School and the schoolhouses
in the southern side was named San
Fernando South Central School.
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL

N o w, t h e G A b a l d o n b u i l d i n g i s s ti l l i n
place with all with its sixteen
classrooms and social hall being used
a s t h e s c h o o l l i b r a r y. T h e e a s t e r n
wing, western wing and the northern
wing were rehabilitated in 2010. The
southern wing was rehabilitated in
2 0 1 1 . A c o v e r e d c o u r t- o n c e a g r a s s -
fi l l e d c o u r t- i s l o c a t e d a t t h e c e n t e r
surrounded y the Gabaldon Building.
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
On June 04, 2012, the Regional
O ffi c e I a p p r o v e d t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t s
of an integrated School and the
school was named San Fernando
South Central Integrated School.

As an integrated school, SFSCIS

o ff e r s t h e fo l l o w i n g t h r e e l e v e l s o f
e d u c a ti o n : E l e m e n t a r y, J u n i o r H i g h s
chool, and Senior High school.as an
e d u c a ti o n a l I n s ti t u ti o n p r o m o ti n g
q u a l i t y a n d e q u i t a b l e e d u a ti o n , t h e
s c h o o l s ti l l o ff e r s t h e S p e c i a l S c i e n c e
Elementary Schools (SSES) Project
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL

San Fernando South Central

Integrated Schools stands today as
a n I n s ti t u ti o n t h a t c o n ti n u o u s t o
g r o w – p r o v i d i n g q u a l i t y e d u c a ti o n
t h a t c a t e r s t o d i ff e r e n t t y p e s o f
l e a r n e r s – m a k i n g a d i ff e r e n c e ,
m a k i n g b e tt e r l i v e s . F r o m t h e n , ti l l
n o w.
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
GABALDON BUILDING NOW:

The capiz shells windows

a r e r e s t o r e d a n d s ti l l
f u n c ti o n a l . T h e a e s t h e ti c
v a l u e o f t h e w i n d o w s s ti l l
remains.
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
GABALDON BUILDING NOW:

T h e e x i s ti n g i n t e r i o r
fl o o r i n g o f t h e G a b a l d o n
rooms are made of wood.
S o m e p a r t s o f t h e fl o o r a r e
i n fe s t e d b y t h e t e r m i t e s .
 SOUTH CENTRAL INTEGRATED SCHOOL
GABALDON BUILDING
NOW:

One of the room of the

gabaldon building is used
as a librarary and a
temporary classroom of
the students.
THANK YOU

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