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And the pivotal roles of artists in this journey
Dr. Jose Rizal once said, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan.” For the current owners of the First United Building (FUB) in Escolta, Manila City, the same principle can be applied to the restoration and preservation of historical sites and buildings.
Down the memory lane
Established in 1928, the FUB was designed by architect Andres P. Luna, son of Juan Luna. During that period, the infrastructure became a notable and iconic landmark because of its Art Deco style, which was popular during the American Colonial Period. In the same year it was built, the City Government of Manila named it and awarded it the title of Most Beautiful Office Building.
Looking at its history, the FUB is among the buildings that survived World War II, which took place from 1939 to 1945. This dark period affected the beauty and charm of the then-famous Escolta and Chinatown. After the war, in 1979, Sy Lian Teng, a self-made Chinese business tycoon and owner of Berg’s Department Store, bought the building.
“When my father-in-law, Sy Lian Teng, bought the building in 1979, it was out of a sense of necessity. Everyone was moving out of Manila. He owned Berg’s Department Store and sales were falling. He realized that if he didn’t buy the building, he would not last at Escolta,” Lorraine Y. Sylianteng, vice president of the FUB, told Style Weekend in an exclusive interview. “In 1988, I started to work at the FUB. It was very cut and dry at the beginning. We inherited many headaches from the former owners of the building.”
With inherited love and passion for Escolta from the late tycoon, the family didn’t give up on the FUB. Lorraine said they got in touch with various groups and individuals and attended training and seminars to learn about heritage preservation.
“We were introduced to the meaning and value of heritage from the Heritage Conservation Society. Then in 2011, we were invited by Mayor Alfredo Lim and Ms. Gemma Cruz-Araneta at the City Hall. We met with many developers and architects who spoke about old Escolta and how they wished to preserve and revive it. I was so truly inspired at how many people still cherished the memory of Escolta,” she said. “From that day, I promised myself we would try to do something different for Escolta. And if we can do it ourselves, we’d try to do that. If we get help from the government, that will be a plus.”
Fulfilling the promise
But the road toward fulfilling that promise and aspiration was not easy. Since the FUB was already an old building, lots of maintenance and restoration should be done, and with the small budget and earnings the family was getting from the tenants, they were slowly doing it.
“When we first took over, we had a few non-paying tenants. Many also just abandoned their office, and we were at a loss as to what to do with them,” Lorraine shared. “Also, there were many leaks in the building because most tenants built lower ceilings so that cool air stays down and to minimize the cost of electricity. We’re struggling to make ends meet. We needed to change our elevator, which frequently conks out. There are many other improvements in the building that we wish we could do. One of them is painting the building, which we haven’t done again since 2005.”
Here comes the young blood
Dr. Rizal would be proud if he witnessed how today’s youth, especially those in the artistic industry, are taking his words into their hearts. With their love for history and culture, people from the creative industry are turning the FUB into their home for artistic endeavors. In fact, this is now becoming a hip spot among the young ones, especially during the weekends because of the experience, color, and culture it has to offer, thanks to the diverse set of tenants.
On the first floor of the building is the nest for Hub: Make Lab, where visitors can shop, dine, and drink. It’s a retail house for everything artistic, from modern takes on barong and Filipiniana from Glorious Dias to local drinks, eats, and other services offered by the Hub’s 16 tenants.
“I think that through all the years, we’ve been strengthening our relationships with the artists. All of them are different, each of them has strong points. Now we have Jodinand Aguillon, an out-of-the-box thinker doing wonders for the Hub,” Lorraine explained. “Our upstairs units, we also rent out to an architect, two photographers, a coffee grower and distributor, a yoga studio, a dressmaker, a musician, extension of some Hub space below. It’s a good mix. The rest are mostly brokers. We charge our artists better rates. Our only request is that they cooperate with other creatives in the building.”
When asked why she thinks the youth should support cultural and heritage preservation, Lorraine said that it’s because our past is part of who we are today. She’s now slowly passing on the torch to the next generation of Sylianteng, the responsibility of keeping the gemsFUB alive.
“They can look at the world with more confidence, knowing we once had a great history. As Saul Hofilena says, and I quote his book, ‘The destruction of heritage structures wipes out a nation’s collective memory. Destroyers of significant buildings are related cousins of book burners since they both seek to erase a culture – and the memory of a culture can be erased and with it a nation’s identity,’” she said. “Come visit us at Escolta. Join tours, visit our museum, First Co-working space, and the Hub because the individuals who visit us will keep this building alive.”
Lorraine’s son Robby Sylianteng is taking some responsibilities off their shoulders as the building’s managing director. The Sylientengs are looking forward to closing Escolta every Sunday for a whole day of artistic fun and exciting activities. — Jessica Pag-iwayan
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
