CASA COMUNIDAD CLEANING AND TRIMMING PROJECT OF CHPO/MUSEUM OFFICE

The Casa de Comunidad de Tayabas is one of the largest “Bahay na Bato” in the country and was built during the Spanish period in 1831. This house became jail, school, guesthouse of high officials and became the office of the local government after several years. For the past years, the preservation of Casa de Communidad did not pay well attention. Nowadays, the back of Casa de Communidad was filled with different materials of local government. It has an effect on the stone house because it started to sprout the moss, shrubbery and also large plants that entering the roots between the adobe of the stone house. Preservation is necessary to protect it from deterioration.

The City Museum Section has undertaken a project to preserve the condition of Casa de Communidad through eliminating the grown plants surround the structure. Last November 18, 2019, Mr. Jerry J. Salumbides ( the contractor of Elisa and Elison of Garden Landscaping and Supplies) went to the office to talk with Mr. Gener B. Abordo (CHPO- Focal Person) about the beginning of Cleaning and Trimming in Casa de Communidad. At first, they cleaned the wall of the stone house by pulling out the grown plants and brushing the wall covered by moss. After that, they removed the large tree and its root by using a pruning saw. They also put scaffolding made from bamboo in order to reach the weeds placed in a high part of the wall. After cleaning the stone house, they sprayed and applied herbicide to permanently kill the plants and moss that can cause damage to Casa de Comunidad. They always come back to the Casa de Communidad to spray herbicide to the plants till they died.

The removed vegetation in Casa de Communidad was put away by the team of Salumbides for the total cleaning of the stone house and to make sure that it will not grow again.

Contributed - OCM Cultural Heritage Preservation Office