THE ICONIC City Hall is set to be restored to its original neoclassical facade in line with its 100th year celebration this year, coinciding with the Araw ng Davao next month.
During the iSpeak media forum on Thursday, Feb. 5, Oscar G. Casaysay, head of the Office of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, said the restoration works will include painting the building, which was approved by Mayor Sebastian Duterte.
“We sought guidance from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines because it’s not as easy as just repainting. So, they allowed us, and they proposed to go back to the original,” Casaysay said.
He added that Davao City Hall will be painted back to its original white color.
Casaysay also noted that the redundant signs bearing “City Hall of Davao” will be removed and leave only one sign in white.
The office also proposed restoring the windows and installing lights to illuminate the building, which was already approved.
The building was designed in 1926 by renowned architect Juan M. Arellano, when Davao was still a municipality.
The building was destroyed during World War II and restored in 1947 to its original design, but underwent renovations in 2017.
Arellano’s design for the Davao City Hall also became a prototype for other municipal structures, such as the Tabaco City Hall in Albay and the Municipality of Concepcion in Tarlac.
Casaysay consulted architects and historians for the correct color and had it approved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The official said the restorations will begin by the second week of February.
“The start of the repainting after a series of documentation and procurement will start next week, hopefully in time for the Araw ng Davao celebration,” he said.
