Capiz State University- Main Campus

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Fuentes Drive Roxas City

A HERITAGE CONSERVATION EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIP OUTPUT

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in course

SPECS 421: Heritage Conservation

Submitted by:

Angelo S. Dongon
BS Architecture 4 – A

Submitted to:

Rev. Fr. Ar. Dennis Dexter A. Sontillano, S.Th.L. – M.A.

Part-time Instructor

April 16, 2024

 I. Introduction

As the world continuously grows and modernizes, many structures that are considered

to be “old” and “past-its-time” are often marked as structures for condemnation—from old

warehouses, to towns or districts— or demolished to make way for new development and for

putting up structures that are more modern and deemed to generate and attract more income.

We have, however, also developed a new architectural approach known as "Adaptive Reuse"

since the field of architecture continues to grow and diversify.

According to Prosoco Inc. (2021), The process of modifying or changing an old

structure for a new use or purpose is known as "adaptive reuse." The notion of adaptive reuse

bears some relation to historic preservation or restoration projects, but it is distinct from them.

Restoring a building's original feature or component is a common goal of historic preservation

and restoration. As we delve further into this paper, I will now be introducing my chosen

structure which is the “Aduana De Iloilo” also known as “Iloilo Customs House”. It is located

Muelle Loney St. in Iloilo City. The two-storey building with a tower rising at the middle was

built in 1916 following the plans done by Ralph Harrington Doane, the consulting Architect of

the Bureau of Public Works. The structure became more prominent in the port of Iloilo because

of the Tower rising at the center of the building and it also is strategically located as it overlooks

the Batiano River and the Straits of Iloilo. It is the second largest and second oldest of the three

American-era customs houses in the Philippines (after Manila's, currently called Malacañang

sa Sugbo).

II. Historical Significance

The Aduana De Iloilo was built in 1916 and is linked to the historical growth of Iloilo since the

founding of the international port in 1855. The Building was mainly utilized by various office
 such as trading operations,

including registering the kind and

quantity of products and paying

the associated charges imposed on

them. Iloilo has been a major city

outside of Manila and Luzon when

it comes to exporting and importing

Figure 1. Iloilo Customs House under construction and
commodities to and from other
nearing completion, 1916 | Elizabeth Tower Baird |
Ortigas Foundation Library via Nereo Cajilig Luján
regions of the world, as evidenced

by the port and customs house. This expansion is in line with Iloilo's rapidly expanding

economy, which is centered on the production of sugar and extensive sugarcane farming. As

Iloilo developed into a major trading hub with direct access to the world market, it earned the

moniker "Queen City of the South."

The Iloilo Custons House underwent repair and reconstruction in 1983-1984 during the

administration and incumbency of commissioner Ramon J. Farolan And Iloilo District

Collector Gilberto G. Castro. Through the initiative and effort of Budget Minister Manuel 5.

Alba, Assemblymen Niel D. Tupa's and Fermin Z. Caram, Jr. Supervised by Mpwh Regional

Office Under regional director Rodolfo T. Lataquin.

Recognized as a heritage structure, the Iloilo customs house underwent renovation from

2017 to 2018, and the project was initiated by the National Historical Commission of the

Philippines (NHCP). The renovation project entails refinishing the floor, repairing the windows

and doors, and strengthening the concrete walls. The building's roof was replaced, and the eaves

were reinforced as well. The customs building's tower, a significant component of the complex,
has been returned to its original condition.

In 2021, additional repair work was done on

the Iloilo customs house in order to prepare

the ground floor for the Museum of

Philippine Maritime History. Partition

removal, replacing missing or damaged

decorative moldings, installing new

Figure 2. Albeit in need of restoration, the
flooring, doors, and windows, repainting, Aduana Building on Muelle Loney Street remains
imposing | Photo scanned: Reynaldo Gamboa
plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work Alejandro and Vicente Roman Santos in Estilo
Ilonggo: Philippine Southern Lifestyle published
were some of the tasks completed. by KCC Innovations in cooperation
And as it stands Today, The Iloilo Customs House is currently being housed by the

“Museum of Philippine Maritime History” of NHCP at the ground floor and the office of”

Bureau of Customs” at the upper ground floor.

III. Artistic Significance

As one approaches the port of Iloilo, the

customs building is a prominent landmark because of

its distinctive architecture and neo-classical style. The

Iloilo Customs House is designed in the neoclassical

architectural style, which is distinguished by its great

scale, the simplicity of its geometric shapes, its

dramatic use of columns, and its predilection for empty

walls.
Figure 3. Iloilo Customs House as seen
from the Bridge. Photo taken by:
Angelo S. Dongon
 The photo shows how the current

state of the Museum of Philippine Maritime

History used a wise application of the empty

walls to create a sense of grandeur and

evokes a strong contrast of the scale of the

building compared to its visitors or

occupants.
Figure 4. Interior of the Receiving Area of the
Museum. Photo Taken by: Angelo S. Dongon

Another notable feature of the interior of the

Museum is the elaborate ceiling design in which they

use a repetitive octagon and diamond pattern creating

this welcoming vibe as the gold and white color

scheme seems to capture your attention and draws in

guests, making them want to go inside and look further

into the museum.

Figure 5. Ceiling Design of the

Museum. Photo Taken by: Jovit Laton
BSA-4B
And lastly the facade that captures the essence of

a Neo-classical Architectural style with its great scale,

the simplicity of its geometric shapes and its dramatic

use of columns which could also be seen in the interior.

Figure 6. Facade of The Museum of

Philippine Maritime History. Photo
Taken by: Angelo S. Dongon
 IV. Conclusion

Our generation's rapid urbanization and the development of new technological

advancements in architecture are widely evident in the way urban districts have planned the

land or space. As a result of these developments, a plethora of interconnected structures that

are invisible to the naked eye have been created. And because of the belief that everything that

isn't profitable or doesn't look "modern," it should be demolished, this poses a threat to our

heritage structures. On the other hand, despite all of the modernism, urban and city planners

have chosen to preserve and conserve our cultural heritage structures. They have taken on this

challenge because they recognize the importance of these structures in shaping or paving the

way for the city or community to flourish into its current state.

The reason as to why we preserve or protect them is that they hold a specific moment

of time, they hold our history, our identity as citizens of that city. Aside from its distinct

architectural value, it embodies our values, our cultural identity and historic continuity. Our

legacy is the foundation of mankind and gives us association with our verifiable past and human

culture, as well as these sites helps maintain a connection to the past, fostering a sense of

belonging and continuity for present and future generations and protecting our patrimony helps

remind people of their historical roots and identity and can serve to bind the nation together.

One thing that planners could not see is that our connection to our past is an essential

factor to understand the identity and how the city emerged from that, and disregarding that

mere fact, will alienate any existing development for it has forgotten its connection with the

city or community cultural identity. On a final note let me ask you a question, will we succumb

to these modernist ideologies and let our dwindling sense of history being razed to the ground?

Or will we endure and preserve these structures for they hold a moment in history, the stories

these structures tell, for the future generation to inherit a diverse and culturally rich urban

landscape? Let that sink in for a bit.