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Posted by Lani Estepa on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Any town in the country that was under the Spaniards bears a typical feature: the Catholic Church and the municipio (town hall) are constructed so near each other, in most cases, facing each other. This set-up probably facilitated the running of the town by the Spanish friar and the capitan municipal, prior to the separation of church and state. This is about to change in Lapog. The LGU is poised to start the construction of the new town hall in the former site of the public market, costing around 40 million pesos (the last time I heard).
Historical records indicate that the original municipal hall (there was an old one that was razed to the ground during the American occupation in the 1900s) was constructed in 1930, during the term of Melchor Padua, Sr. as the local chief executive. The building was destroyed during the war and reconstructed in the early 1950s during the administration of Mayor Francisco Quilala. Since then, it has served as the seat of local government in San Juan. I don’t know what purpose it will serve when the LGU transfers office to the new location along the national highway in Bannuar.
The new municipal hall will definitely give San Juan, the LGU, more visibility especially to non-residents. With the current set-up, a stranger motorist passing by the town wouldn’t know that this is a local government unit owing to the absence of a visible landmark, i.e. a town hall, especially since the other major landmark, the Catholic church, is also not visible along the highway. This development is indeed a big change in the local landscape. A new gymnasium (actually a multi-purpose structure from the looks of it) has just been finished and is now being used for basketball games. This, also at the same site.
Somehow I feel sentimental about the transfer. I feel that we are saying goodbye to an old set-up that we have all been used to – the church and the municipio defining the center of the town. There is a certain sadness that something familiar would soon be gone. But some changes have got to take place and this one sure is a welcome change. Does this mean that, finally, San Juan is moving forward? As they say, better late than never.
Happy New Year to all of you! Hope everyone had a good start – New Beginning of Life!
I don’t want to be off the topic here but I heard it many times from the older generations before regarding the old highway. I heard that the old highway (after the Lapog Bridge) en route to the front of the Municipal Hall, The School, and The Church. But because of many disastrous conditions, many accidents, and other sad happenings of the Town, the Officials then approved to make the Highway a straight line for a short cut instead of going around towards the Church all the way to the market and made a right turn connecting to the now highway.
On the topic, can the LGU provide the people of San Juan (Lapog), and the outsiders, where they will get 40 million pesos in constructing this beautiful New Town? I’ll stand corrected here, will it come from the pocket of the Mayor of San Juan, The Tax Payers of Lapog, The many Contributions of Clubs abroad, The Towns budget, and/or from the generous supporters of Lapog? It would be nice to see breakdown list of people contributing to this worthy cause. It is a beautiful artwork done by an architect, and it’ll be really good to see changes done for our beloved San Juan (Lapog) and the proud spirited people of our town! I’ll say it’s FINALLY moving on…I will refresh my soul with prayers for this change and nurture my spirits on the new agendas to come!
1 | Jane Ventura January 17th, 2009 at 8:11 amHappy new year to you, too, Jane!
Re: off topic – What I remember is, when the present national highway was under construction (in the ’70s) traffic was rerouted from the bridge through to the road in front of the present town hall and church. What you heard from your elders might be right, though.
Re: new town hall – I learned from various reliable sources that the LGU applied for a loan to finance this construction – around Php40M and will be paid for in scheduled amortizations. Where will they get the money to pay the loan? Probably from LGU income and the internal revenue allotment. So that means residents all share in this debt, but then, that’s the way things work. Even Magsingal secured a loan to construct their new public market.
Let’s all stand back and wait until our new town hall is finished.
2 | Lani January 17th, 2009 at 4:40 pmI’ll move forward on this topic and my wish of luck goes to the very intellectual models of knowledgeable wise and trusted group of men, the LGU Group, in pursuing this construction in Lapog. Being there to continue a legacy of the old, and example to the young for change, being there to shape the crooked, or shape the undisturbed actions in politics, I am proud of their up-front decisions! Your continued support of our town will make this time a monumental art of victory by making this possible, my high CONGRATULATIONS to each one of you, whoever you are! I’ll raise the roof for your undying love for our town, Cheers! You guys are the reason why Lapog is going Strong and that you are making the residents happy and content with their own birth town including myself. I hope this is the START for the government to step-in and support the cause and for the betterment of its people. Amen to that!
3 | Jane Ventura January 21st, 2009 at 4:34 am