Standing at the middle of the Victorias public plaza and facing southeast, I was face-to-face with the stone município whose presence and history dwarfed me literally and figuratively.
It was completed in the late 1930s with the cost of 30,000 pesos under the town leadership of Don Felix Lozada Montinola (1934-1940), originally an Ilonggo after having been born in Jaro, Iloilo, with his ancestors coming from Malaga, Spain in the 18th century. Then, it was surrounded by trees, open spaces, and a few wooden houses in the surrounding plots.
In the morning, public servants, local politicians, and townspeople crowded its halls, while in the late afternoon, its façade was bathed with red-orange hues of the setting sun with its twin, stucco-ivory columns driving home the message that this building was more than just a huge office for public servants. (Read my separate blog about the history of the município here).
Back then, in the 1930s, tall stone buildings constructed near the national highway were rare on this part of Negros island as most mansions were hidden inside haciendas, and any visitor to Victorias would have been impressed by this elegant and massive structure, turning the município as a landmark. Any passing traveler would know this was Victorias when one saw the ivory building.
Unfortunately, as of this writing, it is painted tastelessly white and green, and is surrounded by a poorly maintained public plaza littered with dog poop (I always had to watch my step!😡) and garbage from undisciplined Victoriahanons, and is a favorite tambayan of high school students during the day when they cut classes.😓
Chapter 2. Daan Banwa, where everything began
Complete history blog: "Ang Kasaysayan Sang Victorias"
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