Provincial Jail eyed as museum
CASA REAL COMPLEX
LINGAYEN— The Pangasinan Provincial Jail building in the capital town is being considered to be used as a museum and become part of the Casa Real Complex which is now undergoing renovation.
The proposal was made after the ocular inspection of the Casa Real (Royal House) restoration by a team from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) led by Executive Director Ludovico Badoy on last Wednesday, July 20.
Second District Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, one of the prime movers of the restoration project in partnership with the provincial government, said the inclusion of provincial jail in the project was suggested by Badoy.
He noted the provincial jail can be part of the heritage complex for development, if the inmates can be relocated somewhere else.
“He (Badoy) cited the Cebu Provincial Jail and the Iloilo Provincial Jail that are now being used as museums. We can copy those examples,” Bataoil said.
On hearing the suggestion, Gov. Amado Espino III, expressed support to relocate the provincial jail to give way to the expanded development of the whole Casa Real complex.
He noted, “Sinasabi ng history ng Pangasinan that provincial jail was part of the Casa Real, iisang compound lang.”
“Napakagandang lugar dapat pagandahin na rin ‘yong paligid,” he added.
The governor said he will look into the available lot in Dasol town as the possible site for the new provincial jail.
Mr. Bataoil said the provincial government can actually consider putting up two provincial jails, one in the eastern and one in the western, because of the size of the province.
Meanwhile, Badoy said the Casa Real’s structural restoration is 85 percent completed. The project is now nearing its third phase to be implemented by the Department of Tourism through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
NHCP is in charge of developing the plans, helps to monitor the progress of the restoration and will train locals as curators of the museum.
According to the Governor, an additional P10 million will be allocated by the provincial government for the curatorial development.
The restoration will be completed in April 2017, in time for the Agew na Pangasinan (Pangasinan Foundation Day) celebration, Badoy said.
With Badoy during the inspection were: Cris David, Phase 2 Contractor from Pampanga; Provincial Engineer Antonietta Delos Santos; Pangasinan Heritage Society Chairperson Arabella Arcinue; and DPWH officials led by Second Pangasinan Engineering District chief Rodolfo Dion. (Johanne Macob/Leonardo Micua)
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