Bizmen seek repair of People's Center and Library in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 18 (PNA) – A group of businessmen in this city is asking the national government to rehabilitate the People’s Center and Library built during the Marcos regime.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Tacloban-Leyte chapter formally asked the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to repair the building and make it a fully functional convention center.

Palo, Leyte town councilor Wilson Uy, the PCCI local chapter president, expressed disappointment over the poor maintenance of the center that led to its deterioration in the past years.

Uy believes the structure could be put into more productive use if rehabilitated with improved facilities.

“There are only few establishments in the city who can host huge gatherings as much as the center can hold. With enough investments to refurbish the building and provide appropriate facilities, the center can strongly compete in hosting many conferences, conventions and many other events,” Uy explained.

The business group sees the facility as an important landmark as local tour operators have been including the structure as among the landmarks worth visiting.

The PCGG repeatedly admitted that budget constraint is a major setback to maintain or repair the structure. The government agency largely depends on income from sequestered properties to fund maintenance works.

The People’s Center and Library located on Real Street is one of the city’s landmark built through the initiative of then First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos who hails from Leyte.

On its ground floor is a huge function hall, which can accommodate around 2,000 people. It used to be a venue of various social gatherings, concerts and important events.

Presently, the ground floor is rented by a surplus store of Japanese furniture products.

The upper floor was designed as a public library. It has a vast collection of historical documents, a collection of dioramas of the 82 ethnic tribes of the Philippines, a compilation of books on humanities and award-winning novels and writings housed with antique tables and chairs along the hallways.

The library is believed to contain more than 55,000 hardbound books from renowned authors like William Shakespeare, James Joyce, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Stephen Hawking and even the original Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal.

After Martial Law, the structure was among the properties sequestered by PCGG. Due to lack of budget allocation for proper upkeep and maintenance, the center started to deteriorate. The government was compelled to open the facility to various uses so it can generate funds for its maintenance.

For quite a time, the People’s Center and Library was a shopping center, dance studio, Christmas bazaar, and a venue of graduation and prom events of public high schools. It also became a place for social gatherings of private groups for a fee.

The condition of the building further worsened after it was also damaged by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Even as repairs had been made to restore the functionality of the building, its present state still require a major restoration work. (PNA)
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