DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 6 February) – The century-old Davao City Hall will be repainted to restore its original pre-World War II appearance, highlighting its historical grandeur, according to an official of the Davao City Culture and Arts Office.
Oscar Casaysay, head of the Davao City Culture and Arts Office, told the ISpeak Media Forum on Thursday that the local government has obtained approval from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) for the repainting of the historical building, including repairs of the windows.
Casaysay told MindaNews in a text message on Friday that a meeting was being held at the City Mayor’s Office, and that the exact schedule for the repainting works would be known after.
According to the proposal, the repainting will take approximately 75 days. Casaysay, however, said they aim to complete the job next month, in time for the Araw ng Dabaw celebration on March 16.
Dabawenyos will see the City Hall Building repainted entirely in white, he said.
“It’s a neoclassical design, which was very popular during the American period in the 1920s. If you look at the Manila Post Office, it’s almost the same. It has pillars, which is the trademark of Juan Arellano, who was a known architect also at the time,” he said.
NHCP Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo wrote Casaysay a letter dated December 4, 2025, recommending “adopting a color palette consistent with the contemporary American-period neoclassical government buildings, such as the Tabaco Presidencia in Albay.”
“Based on our historical data, the Tabaco Presidencia is likewise categorized as a Davao-type municipal building, making it an appropriate reference for your proposed repainting,” she said.
The structure, then a municipal hall, was constructed in 1926.
President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 51, creating the City of Davao on October 16, 1936.
The city hall was inaugurated on March 1, 1937, with then Interior Secretary Elpidio Quirino. It was destroyed by war in 1945 and restored two years later based on its original design.
It was declared a heritage building on November 17, 2012.
Based on the proposal, the repainting aims to “showcase the majestic design of Juan Arellano,” the Filipino architect who designed some of the country’s historical buildings, including the Metropolitan Theater, Legislative Building, which now houses the National Museum of Fine Arts, and the Manila Central Post Office Building.
He said the city hall shares the same design as the Pulupandan Municipal Hall in Negros Occidental, the Tabaco Municipal Building in Albay, and the Concepcion Municipal Building in Tarlac, all of which were designed by Arellano. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
