UP Visayas unveils restored main building

ILOILO CITY -- The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) turned over on Friday the restored main building of the University of the Philippines - Visayas (UPV), Iloilo City Campus.

The main building used to be the Iloilo City Hall before it was donated to UP, Randy Madrid, director of the Center for West Visayan Studies, said in an interview.

“The building was constructed as City Hall in preparation for a chartered city in 1937 but eventually, after 1937, it was decided by the city government under mayor Fernando Lopez to donate the building to UP,” Madrid said.

Through the efforts of Senator Franklin Drilon and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda, the building was restored in 2017 through a PHP54-million fund from the NHCP.

In an interview, Drilon said the newly restored building was an additional pride for Ilonggos, making them conscious of their rich culture and historical background.

He added that the building reminded him of his high school years from 1957 to 1961.

“I am very pleased with what the NHCP has done under the leadership of Dr. (Rene) Escalante and we thank him on behalf of Iloilo. This is a part of our effort to restore culture and heritage,” he said.

Drilon also urged the UPV administration “to preserve the building”, which can also host activities promoting arts, culture, and heritage.

“We will continue to bring national artists here. We have brought already the Philharmonic Orchestra, Manila Symphony, UP Madrigal (Singers). We will continue that,” he said.

Madrid said UPV hopes to see visitors in the building to “reverberate its glory days.”

He also shared that aside from serving as Iloilo City Hall, the building also became a Japanese garrison during World War II in 1942.

“This was the most massive building that time, and thus it was used by the Japanese as a garrison. After the war, it was returned to the city government. But there’s a dream to have UP established in Iloilo, so they (city government) were able to abandon the building in favor of UP,” Madrid said.

The neo-classical building was designed by the Bureau of Public Works’ Consulting Architect Juan Arellano.

Madrid said the building emphasizes the “compactness of space and ventilation” for the two patios within the building, domes, and high-rise ceilings.

The Court Room and the Session Hall, also named as Lozano Hall, are the centerpiece of the building.

The two bronze male sculptures on both sides of the entrance, which are abstract representations of law and order, were made by Arellano's Italian friend Francesco Riccardo Monti.

The main building holds the office of the Center for West Visayan Studies and an art gallery. Madrid said it will soon hold art exhibits and activities on culture and heritage.

With the opening, he said the UPV was hoping that the structure could contribute to the development of Iloilo’s tourism industry. (PNA)

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