Source:
February 22-28, 2005 issue

Posted by:

EVERY town in the country that existed as of 1889 has a schoolhouse known as Gabaldon building. We have one in Dagupan City. It is now 96 years old; the oldest school house in town. It was constructed in 1909. We refer to the Dagupan City West Central School.

Among all Gabaldon school buildings of the country, the one we have in Dagupan has a unique history. While built as a schoolhouse, the one we have in Dagupan City served as the Provincial Capitol of Pangasinan from 1942 up to 1945.

Our local cultural and historical committee should take note of this and act accordingly. An appropriate historical marker should be placed in the building.

Dagupan was the war time capital town of Pangasinan from 1942 up to 1945. The Gabaldon school house served as the Provincial Capitol. It was here where our war time governor, Santiago V. Estrada, Sr. and his provincial board members, held office for the duration of the Pacific war.

The provincial board secretary during the war period was BLAS F. RAYOS, founder and president of the Dagupan Institute, which later became UNIVERSITY OF PANGASINAN.

The war time mayor of Dagupan was Amado Ll. Ayson, associate of Rayos at the Dagupan Institute.

How did the schoolhouse come to be known as the Gabaldon building?

It was named in honor of Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija, who was assemblyman for two terms from 1907-1909 and from 1909-1911. He was also elected for two terms as senator of the third senatorial district.

When he was assemblyman, Gabaldon authored the law which came to be popularly known as the Gabaldon Act of 1909. Under this law, the sum of P1 million was appropriated for the construction of a concrete schoolhouse in every poblacion. This was a huge amount in 1909.

The Department of Public Works, in consultation with the Department of Education, prepared the design of the school building. It was uniform throughout the country.

Santiago Estrada was elected governor of Pangasinan in the November 1941 elections with Sofronio Quimson and Elias Cabangon as his two provincial board members.

Estrada was conscripted by the Japanese imperial army to serve as governor under Japanese imperial army to serve as governor under Japanese rule. His two board members, Quimson and Cabangon, successfully evaded the Japanese in their place. Pastor Gomez of Malasiqui and Dr. Oviedo Rous of Binalonan were installed as provincial board members.

The horse drawn caromata was the common vehicle of transportation during the war. There was no gasoline supply. Besides, all the motor vehicles were sequestered by the Philippine Army when the war broke out. These vehicles were used to transport Filipino soldiers and war supplies to Bataan in accordance with War Plan Ornage No. 3.

It is to be recalled that on December 8, 1941 when the Pacific war broke out, General Douglas MacArthur, the top military authority in the country at the time, ordered that all the towns along the Lingayen gulf be evacuated. It was anticipated that the Japanese invasion army will land at the Lingayen Gulf.

Lingayen was abandoned as the capital town. The provincial government was moved to Tayug. The Tayug convent served as the capitol building.

When Pangasinan came under Japanese rule, Dagupan was made the capital town. Thus on January 9, 1945, when General Douglas MacArthur landed at the Lingayen Gulf, he came ashore in Dagupan to capture the provincial government and then establish his headquarters at the town.

MacArthur used the Gabaldon building as his military headquarters. He used the Home Economics building as his Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ).

Dagupan remained as the capital town up to June 30, 1945. After that, the provincial government was returned to Lingayen.

The capitol building in Lingayen was heavily damaged by Lingayen bombardment prior to the landing of the U.S. liberation forces.

Digital Pictures of the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol courtesy of: