FROM SEAT OF GOV’T INTO HOUSE OF ARTIFACTS. The century-old Leyte provincial capitol in Tacloban City will be converted into a museum as the provincial government will transfer the seat of the local government to nearby town of Palo, Leyte. The plan was confirmed by Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla on Friday (June 7, 2019) (PNA photo by Roel Amazona)

TACLOBAN CITY -- Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla confirmed on Friday the plan to relocate the provincial government to nearby Palo town after it was abandoned last month due to cracks sustained after the magnitude 6.5 earthquake last April 23.

“Imagine what the building had gone through in the past 100 years. The Japanese forces bombarded the building during World War II. It was hit by storm surges when Super Typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013. Several earthquakes also shook the building. Even if retrofitting is done, no one could guarantee if the building is really safe for occupancy,” Petilla said.

The historic structure is planned to be converted into a museum.

Petilla said the new Provincial Capitol will rise along the new Palo West Bypass Road in Palo town, 13 km. from Tacloban. Several regional offices of national government agencies are also located in Palo.

The governor is eyeing to complete the construction of the new building within three years.

“We will find ways to finance the construction of the new capitol not from our internal revenue allotment share. The provincial engineer has yet to come up with the budget required to construct the building,” Petilla added.

Since the third week of May, departments of the provincial government have been using office spaces of nearby facilities, such as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development building, makeshift offices of the Office of Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, newly-renovated provincial gymnasium, and the Leyte Academic Center in Palo town.

Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto said his office will coordinate with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on how to develop the old capitol building into a museum.

“As part of the restoration of the building, the governor tasked me to talk with the NHCP and the National Museum to look into the possibility of creating a network of museum in the province, which means, any files or artifacts that we have in the capitol will also have a copy in other places in the province for preservation in case a calamity happens,” Loreto said in a phone interview.

The capitol building was constructed in 1917 during the administration of then-governor Salvador Demetrio. It was completed and inaugurated in 1924 during the term of governor Honorio Lopez.

The building was the seat of the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines (Oct. 23, 1944 to Feb. 27, 1945) when then-president Sergio Osmeña came into power in 1944 with the World War II Liberation Forces.

Gen. Douglas McArthur had sworn Osmeña into office inside the building.

In 1964, the original edifice was renovated, expanded and improved 40 years after upon assumption to office of then-governor Norberto Romualdez Jr., brother of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos. (PNA)