Some 130 wood items from 14 tree species were identified by forestry experts amid efforts to restore the century-old Commission on Audit (COA) Building in Iloilo City.
The Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) determined the identity of wooden materials found in the COA Building in Iloilo City recently in a collaborative project with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The project aims to identify the tree species used in the structural wooden structures and movable woodcrafts in the Old COA building, which is undergoing restoration.
“In order to come up with a feasible and logical restoration plan, the NHCP needs to know the type of materials that make up the wooden structures,” the DOST-FPRDI team said.
“One hundred thirty items consisting of 14 species were identified by the DOST-FPRDI team with relatively high accuracy using the traditional, practical and standard methods in wood structure identification,” team leader Dr. Ramiro P. Escobin said.
The project is part of the efforts of the NHCP to revive the historic building, which used to be a symbol of progressive commerce in Iloilo and now part of a national heritage zone.
S&T Media Service