According to Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda, the construction of the building will start immediately following the original design of the late Architect Joel David. “We will do it now,” Pineda said when asked when construction will begin.
“Pero tukyan ke itang kang Architect David. Itang design na kasi tikyan ne itang old design e mu ne abayu (But I will follow the design of Architect David because his blueprint is patterned after the old plan which you can no longer change),” the governor explained.
Pineda said the Pampanga Museum is a project of Malacañang under the auspices of former President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo.
Pineda cited an earlier agreement where the Foundation for Lingap Kapampangan Inc. (FLKI) would give its share for the construction but was not able to deliver.
FLKI Trustee Jose “Babes” T. Lazatin, who is also the senior vice president and general manager of the San Fernando Light and Power Co. (Sfelapco), has said more than the P30 million is needed to complete the building for the museum.
“It is about time that we leave a legacy to the younger generation that can truly reflect our Kapampangan culture,” Lazatin said more than two years ago now.
On Monday, Pineda said it is not a good idea to merge funds from the government and money from the private sector or non-government organization like the FLKI.
“I don’t like to mix the money of the NGO and the government that is why the provincial government will construct the building and when it is finished, I will turn it over to the foundation as a private partner through a memorandum of agreement (MOA),” Pineda said.
The NGO, in this case the FLKI, will put in the artifacts and they will operate it under the MOA, she said.
“Kasi nung ing gobyerno ing mag operate pag likwan ke yan masalaula ya o kaya panakawan do pa reng gamit (Because if the government will operate it, after I leave it will just be vandalized or its artifacts stolen),” Pineda explained.
Pineda also said P50 million is not enough for the museum’s construction.
But she said, “I told Babes Lazatin what is important is misara ya, ma finish ya kaybat ikayu ng bala kanita mag dagdag ditak-ditak (…it will be constructed and finished and then it will be up to the foundation to contribute little by little),” the governor said.
But the provincial government will still need to monitor the museum’s operation which is not expected to generate income, she added.
“Kailangan magawa ya para kareng kayanakan. Ing kasalesayan na ning Pampanga atsu ngan karin (We need to do this for the sake of the younger generation. The history of Pampanga will all be placed in the museum,” Pineda said.
The museum will be located at the old site of the Pampanga High School near the Provincial Capitol here.
