Continue reading]]> Bangbang, Cordova, barangay hall office is in an isolated area at the topmost part of the barangay. It is close to the sea and is surrounded by mangroves.

Bangbang was derived from a story that happened way back in the Spanish regime. There was a Spanish couple who loved going to the Lapulapu town center church in Opon to attend mass every Sunday. But the night before that, was a strong typhoon that hit the area which led to trees falling and blocking road passages. The day after, the couple was riding their kalesa on the way to attend mass at the Opon church, but a huge Jackfruit tree was blocking the road. The tree was so huge that it became impossible for the kalesa to pass, and it could take a whole if an ordinary man were to cut it. As the couple was asking for help, a citizen advised them to ask for help from the strongest man in the place – one Mariano Sumagang to cut the tree. Mariano simply lifted the jackfruit tree and placed it aside to unblock the road. To their amazement they exclaimed “grabeha ni Mariano, di man ma bangbang iyang kusog.” This story became such a legend, so that when a parokya was built in this place, they officially named the area as barangay “Bangbang” in honor of Mariano Sumagang who helped clear the roads after that typhoon.

The existing barangay hall finished construction around 2013 in purok Nangka (jackfruit). The previous barangay is now converted into a daycare facility. The logo of the barangay signifies the locals. Historically, people in Cordova lived through fishing even until today. According to statistics gathered by the barangay, over 60 percent today of the locals in barangay Bangbang are still doing fishing for their livelihood.

The structure is oriented towards the north east. The sun rises from the structure’s north east, and settles down on the building’s south west. At noon, the structure experiences heat at its south east which hits the session hall and office of the senior citizens. North east monsoon will be experienced on the structure’s north while southwest monsoon at its south.

The office of the PWD (persons with disability) is relocated to the exterior part of the structure to provide a more spacious and PWD friendly interior. By doing this, the we were able to provide a dedicated PWD comfort room as compared to its previous location.

The waiting area’s allocation remains as is, as it is convenient to the entry. A ceiling fixture is provided all along with sufficient lighting. The previous door for the office of the treasurer was also relocated to provide a bigger space in the waiting area which enables the receptionist to be placed in a more efficient arrangement. A mural of Mariano Sumagang carrying a fallen wood was also painted in the wall as part of the barangay’s history.

Glass panels in the interior of the hallways were redesigned with open air ventilation to enhance air circulation in the area. This design also enables all offices in the ground floor to be cooled together at once, thus helping to cut electricity cost.

The treasurer’s office’s layout is transferred closer to the right side to give way for its new entry. The logo of the barangay is made of gmelina and is placed at the back with illumination on top, surrounded by fluted gmelina panels to bring movement to the area. An existing improvised cabinet can also be seen at the back improvised to make it longer to accommodate more items.

As the existing SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) (Youth Council) Chairman’s office is still unfinished and only has a desk and a chair, we provided a guest chair together with a file cabinet for it to be functional and be able to accommodate visitors. A logo of the Sangguniang Kabataan “SK” is also placed at the back.

We also provided an isolated office for the senior citizens. The office remained located near the exit for safety purposes. This also makes it very convenient for the seniors to access the bathroom as it is just adjacent.

The office of the barangay captain is refurnished. All furniture were replaced and a customized larger desk is made. The desk features mangrove design as the area is abundant with mangroves. A new ceiling fixture is also placed to match

The theme of the interior – The ACU (air conditioning unit) is replaced with a non-wall mounted one as its previous location conflicts with the file cabinet. Fish decorations can also be seen in the file cabinet as fishing has been the main livelihood in the area historically until today. Over 60% of the population are still engaged in fishing.

The councilors’ office is also re-designed to fit three working tables. An ACU is also placed to cool the room. Given that this area is exposed to the east, we took advantage of it by coming up with a “biophilic approach” – connecting with nature.

The layout of the current session hall is changed to maximize space. The arrangement of furniture is also changed into a “u” shape and a ceiling with lighting fixture is added. Doors are also replaced with barn sliding doors to get rid of the space that the door consumes when opened.

Minor offices in the barangay hall are placed in the ground floor. The office of the PWD is
relocated to have a special more PWD-friendly space along with a PWD dedicated comfort room. The entry is then greeted with the reception area where visitors may wait for their appointment before being instructed to proceed to an office.

The treasurer’s offices is relocated near the SK chairman’s entry to provide bigger space for the waiting area and the office of the senior citizen is provided with an isolated room for privacy. Important offices like the councilor’s office, Barangay Captain’s office, and the session hall are then placed in the second floor for hierarchy and bigger space. Three spaces were placed adjacent to each other and a dedicated door to the session hall is placed in the barangay captain’s office. The councilor’s office is allocated in a room where it will be exposed to sunrise as a biophilic design was incorporated in this area.

The session hall consumes the biggest room in this new structure. [See image gallery at finefinish.cbu.asia]

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Build and sell and rentable spaces is one of the most lucrative businesses one could go to especially here in the country where business is always abuzz. Build and sell and rentable spaces are also both very low maintenance businesses – so if you’re an expat or an overseas worker seeking to relax the rest of your life – these are the businesses you can go into.

Housing is in high demand today and there is a continuous rise in the demand for ready to occupy homes. If the location is exceptional – not the usual mass subdivision – the property can demand a good price.

This kind of business just require a bit of a capital as you need to buy good land from a good location and since the location has to be a good one – overlooking the beach, or on the hills, peace and quiet, then this land will also demand a good price. After finding a good land to build on, your next capital expense is the construction of the house – you can hire a contractor or you can Do It Yourself (DIY) – depends if you have the time to do it. After all the work and effort you need to put into the construction over months, your return is also really good. Depending on the location of the lot, you can get as much as double the cost of your initial investment on the land and on the construction. So in the build and sell business, it is always preferred that your land be on some posh location of the city.

If you are not into the cyclic style of business of the build and sell, you can also just build a commercial structure and have it rented out as commercial spaces or even apartment spaces. The only difference between purely rentable commercial space and an apartment space is that your apartment space will require higher construction cost since you need to design it to be ready for occupancy, whereas a purely rentable commercial space can be just a bare space since most renting businesses prefer to design and furnish their space according to their own business colors.

In the rentable spaces business, your only maintenance and overhead is usually the leaking roofs over time and maybe the bathroom plumbing. For each rentable space, you do need to install ahead plumbing for the tenant to connect to. Another overhead expense in keeping the rentable space business is just the guy who will do the collecting of the monthly rent and the paying or collecting of the electric and water bills.

In the build and sell business, once you turn over a house to the customer, all the physical upkeep of the house is already on the customer after the 6-12 months usual warranty coverage period of the construction…

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It is important to know the phases of construction to guide everyone involved in the project – be it residential, commercial, or industrial. The construction industry is certainly a very interesting field not just for architects, civil engineers, or other engineers because it is not only lucrative, but is also a very interesting industry to learn from – professionally and academically.

Phase 1 is acquiring the lot. Solicit ideas for the design and start the planning. Study and develop concept designs for the plans and perspectives. Submit your plans for the building permits at the office of the building official so they can check your structural, architectural, plumbing, and electrical designs.

Phase 2 is when the owners decide to proceed with project implementation based on the approved design blueprint. It is important to calculate the project cost for the purpose of benchmarking the deliverables for the project. The cost analysis is based on the quantity surveys for the structural, architectural, plumbing and electrical plans based on the technical specifications set by the architects and / or engineers involved. Further on the project implementation, you will also need to hire project inspectors, managers, and supervisors to control, check, balance, and monitor the progress as per project timetable.

Phase 3, the final phase, is when the contractor secures permanent power to energize the electrical systems. At this point, the occupancy permit will also need to be processed. This phase is where you need to do punch listing, balancing of design items, and correction of defects if there are any. At this stage, you will also need to rectify works that are not in conformity with the standards.

The technical term project close outs and turn-over is when everything is completed and turned over to the customer / owner. After all is well, the building project enjoys a one year of warranty by the contractor. (by Engr. Josifer Bejer – project manager and consultant)