BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The National Museum has declared two timeworn structures in the province as National Cultural properties of the country.
These structures are the Dampol Bridge in Dupax del Sur town and the old Provincial Capitol building situated in this town.
The Dampol Arch Bridge, built by Spanish Dominican friar Fr. Francisco Rocamora in 1818, was considered as one of the very few remaining historic landmarks in the southern part of Nueva Vizcaya
The two centuries old structure is a single-arched brick bridge that spans the Abanatan creek which divides Dupax Sur and Dupax Norte towns.
The early Isinay tribe, with other indigenous groups living in the old ‘Ituy’ area, built the bridge.
Native hands crafted the red-colored brick from an old adobe workshop near the Dominican church of San Vicente Ferrer in Dupax when Fr. Rocamora was its vicar.
The bridge connected the two Dupaxes to nearby towns and facilitated the transport of people and products for trade in horse-driven carts during the earlier period.
Earlier, attempts to widen the narrow bridge through the Department of Public Works and Highways was met by protests from the Isinai tribe because of its historical and cultural value.
Meanwhile, the Old Provincial Capitol Building was constructed during the pre-war era and served as the first structural seat of governance of Nueva Vizcaya.
Since 2001, it was used as the provincial museum, managed by the provincial government through the Provincial Tourism Office(PTO).
At present, it houses several cultural artefacts and other items of historical value.
Jeremy Barns of the National Museum (NA) said that, the inclusion of these important cultural properties “is taken with pride by the NA and consider them as an important part of the country’s significant structural heritage”.
Jen Costales, supervising tourism officer said the formal blessing, inauguration and unveiling of the structure’s marker as an important cultural property will be held on March 23.
She said the repair, restoration and improvement of the Old Capitol Building is now on-going after the provincial government allotted P3 million for the purpose.
