Seat of Ecija capital undergoes major face-lift

PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – The seat of the city government in this provincial capital is undergoing a major face-lift under the fledgling administration of neophyte Mayor Rianne Cuevas who – barely two months in office – has undertaken drastic political and administrative reforms.

          The makeover of this city, Cuevas explained, is intended to claim for it a rightful place among the emerging modern urbanizing areas in the province.

          For a start, the City Hall is being renovated to make it more elegant and attractive to local constituents and visitors.

Cuevas has hired as her consultant architect Margie Angeles for the physical makeover of the City Hall which – at present – appears dry and an “eyesore” because of its dark-blue colors.

          Angeles is the same architect who exquisitely designed the renovation of the new Gapan City Hall during the administration of former mayor Christian Tinio. Before it was renovated, the Gapan City Hall was also far from  attractive.

          Angeles said the city hall is now being repainted with a kaleidoscope of colors ranging from a stone beige, chocolate brown, white, mocha and cream color scheme that creates a modern distinction.

“These are neutral colors personally chosen by the mayor herself,” she said, adding these are intended to make the City Hall cozy and a homey, conducive workplace for personnel complete with a garden landscape.

At the façade, stainless steel bold letters emphasizing the city as the “Capital of Nueva Ecija” will be installed. 

The renovated City Hall, once completed, would provide a breath-taking, relaxing and rejuvenating atmosphere from the hustle and bustle of daily city living.

          The existing two-story City Hall building, which stands in a two-hectare complex in Barangay Singalat, was constructed through a P50-million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines in 1998. The main building was designed by architect Reynaldo Flores.

          This city was created as the new capital of Nueva Ecija on June 19,1965 by virtue of Republic Act 4475 signed by then-President Diosdado Macapagal. It first rose to prominence when it hosted the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in 1969 at its campsite, attended by thousands of scouts from Asia-Pacific countries. 

          The campsite is considered the BSP’s largest regional campsite where the Josefa Llanes Escoda national training center is also housed.

          Cuevas said that as part of the administrative reforms she is currently implementing, she has ordered dismantled curtains hanging in each of the offices at City Hall. That way, she explained, visitors and Palayanos can easily peep from outside and see people inside the mayor’s office and the various offices.

          “This will show to the people that we are transparent, that we are not hiding anything and that they are welcome to enter our offices,” she said.

Cuevas has expressed optimism that the city – which also hosts the headquarters of the Army’s 7^th Infantry Division at the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation - would eventually evolve into one of the urbanized cities in the province and in Central Luzon. (Manny Galvez)