Davao Oriental’s White Capitol Building
Text and photos by Jojie Alcantara (Published in SunStar Davao)

The beautiful three-storey white Capitol Building loomed in the sky like an imposing presence, described to have been patterned after the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the US White House.

Many years ago, I used to frequent the old Capitol in my childhood and early teens. Outside the old building was a park where we spent hours playing and running about with my cousins. This provincial building has become a landmark in the city of Mati.

The New Capitol building was opened to the public in 2010, with a blessing led by Provincial Governor Cora Malanyaon, and attended by more than a hundred employees, officials, and a special guest of honor, former Governor Elena Palma Gil.

The Capitol building’s construction started during the term of former Gov. Palma Gil, and Gov. Cora deemed it fitting to acknowledge the efforts she has started. The establishment was a legacy created for the people of Davao Oriental, through concerted efforts of both governors, former Vice Governors Thelma Almario and Edgardo Lopez, as well as the 11th and 12th Congress.

As soon as Gov. Malanyaon took over in 2007, she endeavored to oversee the completion of the structure in a vision to unify Davao Oriental’s politics and people. This reconciliatory gesture was soon reciprocated among one another during its grand opening.

The new building is a sight to behold, as I toured the conspicuously clean interiors that surely inspired the employees to work comfortably with this morale boost in its new and relaxing environment.

The Grand Conference Room looks like a classy hotel’s lobby, while the Investor’s Lounge resembles a posh coffee club in an elite corporate building.

This New Capitol Building worth millions is already a tourist attraction in itself. Governor Malanyaon was said to have encouraged all the employees to work harder in improving their services to the public.

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