Section 5Sec./Art. 5

Conservation of Gabaldon School Buildings. - The Department of Education (DepEd), in consultation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Museum (NM), shall implement a program for the identification and conservation of all Gabaldon school buildings nationwide.

For this purpose, an inventory of all Gabaldon school buildings, whether fully functional or condemned, in all pubic elementary and secondary schools, shall be jointly undertaken by the DepEd and the NCCA to determine the physical status of each structure, School heads shall submit to their respective Schools Division Superintendents, for appropriate action, a report indicating the existence of or any structural damage to any Gabaldon school building in schools under their respective supervisions.

Local government units that have Gabaldon school buildings under their jurisdiction shall likewise adopt measures for the protection and conservation of these structures and shall provide the DepEd with the necessary assistance in the implementation of any conservation project.

Any modification, alteration, destruction, demolition, or relocation of Gabaldon school buildings shall be strictly prohibited.1wphi1 In cases where conservation measures are necessary, the DepEd, in coordination with the NCCA, the NHCP, and the NM, shall provide proper technical assistance to school heads to ensure that the original architectural design of the school building is maintained: Provided, however, That, subject to the issuance of a permit from the NCCA, any modification or alteration of the original architectural design of Gabaldon school buildings may be allowed in public elementary and secondary schools where the exigency of constructing new school buildings is a priority in anticipation of the increase in student population by virtue of the implementation of Republic Act No. 10533, or the "Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013": Provided, further, That the façade and other distinct features of the original Gabaldon school buildings shall, as much as possible, be preserved.