History: The Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol

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The construction of the Provincial Capitol was planned during the time of Gov. Jose C. Locsin when the Provincial Government held office at the Luzuriaga Mansion in Bacolod City. Construction started on June 18, 1927 using the classical Neo-Roman architectural design of American Daniel Burnham executed by foremost Filipino Architect Juan Arellano. On October 16, 1931, when the center structure was completed, the Provincial Government under Gov. Isaac Lacson moved in. Construction of its north and south wings was finished on Oct. 21, 1933.

 

The Provincial Capitol has withstood the tests of time and war. It was the site of the surrender in May 1942 of the Filipino-American troops to the Japanese Imperial Army, which used it as their Administration Office from 1942 to 1944. Japanese planes strafed it in early 1942, followed by American planes in 1944, but it was never burned nor bombed. It became the U.S. Army 40th Division Headquarters from April to October 1945. The Provincial Government reoccupied the Capitol at the end of the war.

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In 1979, the Provincial Government under Gov. Alfredo L. Montelibano, Jr. transferred to the new Provincial Administration Center, and the Capitol housed national agencies and the courts. The center structure of the Capitol was converted into a museum in the early 1990s.

When Gov. Joseph G. Marañon assumed office in July 2001, he initiated the rehabilitation of the Capitol. Designed by MPV Architects, rehab work supervised by the Provincial Engineer's Office started in 2002. In early 2003, the Negros Museum relocated to its own home across the street. By July 2003, the Offices of the Vice Governor and of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan occupied the south wing of the Capitol Building. On December 27, 2003, the Office of the Governor formally transferred to the north wing.

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On June 23, 2004, the Capitol was formally inaugurated, during the oath-taking of the newly elected provincial officials. Thus, the Provincial Government was returned to its historic grounds and corridors, restoring the dignity and prestige that it truly deserves - a legacy to the Negrenses!

 

In recognition of the Provincial Capitol's historical and architectural significance, the National Historical Institute, in a Board Resolution signed on July 19, 2004, has declared the building, including the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon, as a National Historical Landmark. An NHI marker was installed on the building on November 5 of the same year.* 

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Source: Provincial Information Office Division, Office of the Governor, Province of Negros Occidental