Sta. Barbara as ‘Bricks Town’
STA. BARBARA–Intent on marking Sta. Barbara a “Brick-Town”, Mayor Reynaldo Velasco has ordered that all new buildings here to be constructed with public funds shall have a brick component.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Velasco said since he assumed office last year, 80 classrooms have so far been built with bricks.
“People know that our bricks built Ateneo and UP, so we have to patronize our own product, we are going to use it and, henceforth, our town shall be known as the Bricks Capital of Pangasinan“, the retired three-star police general said.
“It’s been with us since time immemorial. It was used to build old churches in Pangasinan. It’s time it goes with our identity,” he added.
Velasco said that they are also encouraging building contractors to apply bricks in the design of their construction projects.
He added he will also ask the cooperation of the subdivision owners to incorporate bricks in their design.
“Their biggest encouragement is what they see. They praise our newly refurbished municipal hall, our town plaza, our waiting sheds, our classrooms, among others, built with bricks or adorned with bricks” he said.
During the town fiesta celebration in December, Velasco said they were going to have a soft opening for their Lario Festival as part of their promotional effort.
“Lario” is the Pangasinan word for bricks.
A Lario Award is also being considered for buildings and homes with the best brick design.
Velasco has sought the help of the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Trade and Indus try and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for product innovation and modern technology to manufacture the bricks in lieu of the traditional ‘pugon’ (stove).
To this day, he notes that bricks producers in barangays Ventenilla and Primicias still use the crude means of bricks production, using the carabao or cow for the massing of the clay soil.
The mayor also plans to explore the conversion of the dug areas into fishponds or small water impounding projects for better efficiency.#
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