Everything in this world has the beauty of their past. There is always a story to tell behind a story, and a history hidden behind a history. Once living, now passing away. Nevertheless, it would always leave a mark.
I took time to visit Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros to know the story of the ruined building.
Intramuros, the walled city, is the heart of Manila. Beautiful and historical buildings in it bear out the magnificence of the place. And if you would only dig deeper on the tale of it, you would rekindle the nationalism in you because the residences and offices of the principal public servants reside in it. Some edifices in Intramuros, throughout the years, are still preserved and restored, or either redesigned and reconstructed. But there is one that was left stagnant and ruined, leaving questions to one’s mind, “What will happen to it?” “Will it be totally destroyed?” “Will it be revived?” “Who will own it?” “Will it be deserted forever?”
Abandoned, damaged, deteriorated – these are the words to depict an existing building in the walled city that once served as the Customs House in Manila, the Aduana or more popularly known as the Intendencia.
If you happen to pass by Andres Soriano Avenue (which was the Aduana Street before it was renamed on Dec. 7, 1985), near the northern bank of Pasig, there still stands the Intendencia that was the Customs House during the Spanish period. The once handsome structure is now left ruined.
Browsing through the files of the Intramuros Administration in Palacio del Gobernador in Plaza Roma, General Luna Street, the books and pictures of the Intendencia when it was still functioning as customs until it was ruined, continually invigorate its olden times.
It was on 1796 when it was indicated that the Aduana or the Customs House be erected within the walled city to attract merchants, or what we call nowadays as entrepreneurs or businessmen, not to get outside but to remain doing trades within the walls.
Tomas Cortes, a Spanish engineer, was given charge of the project. The design of the building was entrusted under his care. In 1822, he began submitting plans for the project.
Before the Intendencia was the Alcaceria de San Fernando located in the northern bank of Pasig which was built on 1752. The Intendencia was built starting from the year 1823 and was completed on 1829. Its neoclassical design truly made its structure distinct. Put up around two halls, it had three arched entrances and two main staircases at the central bay. It was bordered by two proportioned wings of three stories. Its rectangular window design and French windows on the uppermost floor were embellished with rustication. The building roof was repaired in 1861 by the firm of Manuel Perez.
The beautiful structure was not just damaged once, but six times; repaired not just once, but twice.
An 1863 earthquake left the structure so unsafe, followed by 1869 and 1872 earthquakes, wherein on that same year of 1872, it was ordered to be demolished. The Customs office then transferred to the San Nicolas district across the river.
A new building was built in 1876 based on the reconstruction project of Luis Perez Yap-Sionjue who began the work in 1874, in which he was awarded in it. Some of the Customs offices were housed there such as the Intendencia General de Hacienda or the Central Administration, the Treasury, and the new Casa de Moneda or Mint.
The building was damaged for the fourth time by Japanese bombs in 1941 and for the fifth time by the American artillery in 1945. During the American period, the Customs offices moved to the new Port Area leaving the Intendencia and the Treasury in the Aduana building.
It was again restored and served as a central treasury. In the 20th century, it was used successively as the offices of the Central Bank of the Philippines where a cement vault was built in the atrium, the National Treasury, and the Commission on Elections.
For the sixth time, it was put to an end by a fire in 1979. Since then, it was abandoned for a long time.
A plan for restoration, several years after of being destroyed by fire, began to spring up in 1996 during the centennial of the Philippine Revolution. The work started to restore the building to house the Records Management and Archives Office (RMAO), or commonly known as the National Archives for the records of the Spanish colonial period.
In the present year, there is still no obvious progress about the restoration of the building for it still looked the same as the building that was gutted by the fire many years ago.
The Aduana or the Intendencia is hoping to be the new home of the National Archives but there is still no exact day on when will it come to pass. The historic structure and remarkable design will just be in shape for the continuous history that the National Archives stores.
The Intendencia, though called ‘ruined’, will always be a wonderful part of history not just in the entirety of Intramuros but will always part of the exceptional ones in the Philippine history. Its story and structure will always be a treasure in the land, that’s why there’s no way to throw it away. It will always live.
