A new Tacloban landmark: Proposed New Balyuan
Here’s the latest perspective drawing of the proposed Balyuan Amphitheater Roof Project, the soon-to-be latest landmark in Tacloban City, at night.
Proposed by the newly-appointed Tacloban City Architect Danny Fuentebella, the structure’s roof would be made of “tension fabric membrane” made in France similar to that used in the new Beijing International Airport and can withstand winds up to 180kph.
It would be illuminated at night like a huge lantern, with lighting fixtures from Belgium, something Taclobanons can all be proud of – a new landmark for the city!
Architect Danny says construction has started and that the venue would be ready for the Tacloban Fiesta activities June 28 & 29, 2008. 🙂
gerryruiz photoblog 
Man, that looks just awesome! I’m glad they went for a unique look instead of just another run-of-the-mill cover. I do hope with this kickass look (I’m sorry, I just love it alot hehe) they consider the effect the design will have on sound as well (acoustics). There’s a kinda similar cover at the Sacred Heart College, and there’s a whole lot of nasty reverb going on under it. Could this design amplify crowd noise instead? Should it be used on the performance stage as well?
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I hope it comes with a proper dressing room, backstage area, and a tech booth behind the audience for light and sound controls. Kahit bare, simple and spartan, basta meron. Importante yun. (I’ve worked technicals for Tanghalang Ateneo 3 years hehe)
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And I hope, come opening night, this zen aesthetics isn’t ruined by a huge glaring badly-designed tarpaulin poster of some politician as a stage backdrop.
it may look like a UFO just landed on Tacloban but it’s a benevolent one. the generous openings make for a storm-proof aerodynamic design. about time our loca artists especially the musicians have a respectable public avenue for their creations. kudos to the architect and to you, the photographer! – nongski
It looks like a giant lantern, hahaha! Well, it’s nice. Thank you, gerry!
nongski, it’s not my photo, it’s a rendition by Architect Danny. I’m just sharing it to everybody 🙂 Thanks, just the same, to you & everyone else for the compliments.
I chanced upon your blog while on a nostalgia surf for Leyte and Tacloban sites. From your pictures one can see the changing face of our city. No offense to anybody, I have to disagree though on the proposed cover/roof for the Balyuan amphitheater. I think it is unnecessary, and should have no place in an open, natural space. I really hope it won’t push through for the place is better left as it is so people can have an unobstructed view of the bay and have the fresh air and wind blowing in unblocked by any permanent solid structure. When the steel tower was still standing, it blocked one’s view of the sea, the mountains and the boats passing by – one whole package of a beautiful land/seascape. Instead of the roof, how about “greening” the surroundings with trees and plants? The proposed roof won’t work for ordinary strollers who just want to breathe in nature’s soothing scenery. I’m sure you – a photographer who is passionate about the beauty of nature and the environment – will understand where I am coming from.
Thanks and more power to this famed site. Great job!
Hi rda! Thank you for your comments. I hope you’d believe me when I say I can emphatize with your concerns. The concept of development can mean a lot to many people, but most oftentimes it would mean putting up structures. That’s fine with me, but up to a certain point. Whether the Balyuan Roof Project is necessary or not is certainly debatable. But I don’t think this particular project would obstruct the view of the bay. Probably from a certain, fixed point of view, yes. I say this because the structure is not that huge to cover one’s view of the bay (even when a tower was still existing then). Besides, Magsaysay Blvd is one long stretch and it certainly offers a panoramic view of the bay from a lot of points.
Gerry, mahusay an iya drawing. Congrats to the architect and conceptor. It’ll be indeed a landmark ha Tacloban. Basta ngani ako nagba-bakasyon ha Tacloban, I usually do my morning walk exercise ha Balyuan. Unta may-ada mahusay ngan malimpyo nga resto for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Again kudos to the City and Provincial governments. Unta mag-collaborate hira para matapos dayon it project with the support of all Taclobanons all over the globe. Mag-siring la hi Mayor, Gov, and Congressman. Diba mga pais?!
Wow, that looks absolutely beautiful! I mentioned your blog in a recent interview in Hyphen Magazine, here in the San Francisco Bay Area. What’s happening at the Tacloban Fiesta? I’m from Bacolod, wish it had same.
Hi Marianne! Thanks a lot for taking time to leave your comments here. And yes, my profuse thanks for mentioning my photoblog in your interview in Hyphen Magazine! I am humbled as I was totally floored when I saw my name in that interview. Really cool to be cited in a foreign publication, and by an international writer at that! I’ve been meaning to email you my thanks via PM but you beat me to it hehe 🙂
Re Tacloban Fiesta activities, I guess it would be the usual mix of cultural & religious activities. Notably new is the inaugural staging of the city government-organized Pagsangyaw Festival on June 29 (in lieu of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival run by the provincial government which is being moved to June 27 instead of the usual June 29 sked.) I plan to post soon a regularly updated Fiesta Activities Schedule in our other site, http://www.callezaragosa.com
Thanks again!
Maganda sana kung hindi lang roofing yung idadagdag. I hope they will also landscape the place surrounding the amphitheatre. Kasi, the thing that I notice with city government projects is that maganda lang sa brueprint pero very disappointing ang output. Let’s take Tacloban City Convention Center as an example – it roughly costs about P200 million pesos. However, it lacks amenities that is required of an ideal convention center like that of the newly-built Cebu International Convention Center (which costs about P300 million) and the PICC in Manila. The roofing is also sore to the eyes. My dad is an engineer and rough estimate niya ha convention center is only around P80 million, considering na inutang lang din ang project na yan.. hahayy..
Anyway, thanks for showcasing our beloved City.. Hope there will be more developments to come..
Kay ano guin duha pa nira it festival?
Ano naman ito yana? It pista hit Tacloban June 30 ba la gihap?
Mayda pa ako pakiana:
1. Mayda ba parade ito nga “Pagsangyaw festival” hit City Government han Tacloban? Kun mayda hin-o man it mag paparade? mga barangay?
2. Kay-ano guin balyo pa an date han Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival ngan kay ano duha pa nga festival it ig bubuhat?
May “unity” naman it mga Taclobanon pati it iba nga Leytenyo kay Leytenyo man gihap kita, kay ano waray man unity it aton lokal nga gubyerno pati it aton Provincial Government?
May pista kita hit Sto. Nino kay nagpapasalamat kita nga uusa la gihap kita nga Siyudad ngan probinsya pati han mga guin hatag pa niya nga mga blessings han aton. Diri kay tag duha-duha pa it mga selebrasyon ngan pasikat sikat it duha nga “sides”.
Maaram ako nga may mga problema it duduha nga gobyerno pero ayaw ig bulig dida hit iyo away it mga selebrasyon nga nakaka lipay ha aton mga taclobanon pati han mga leytenyo. Ig-resolba ito nga away-away hin iri-istorya, ayaw ig bulig it mga leyteno hit iyo mga away-away.
Steven, thank you for expressing your concerns and amen to the unity thing. Political considerations should be set aside. However, I suggest to everyone who has raised similar concerns and inquiries to direct and post them at a more appropriate forum for discussion of the issues raised. One such forum is the following:
http://callez.proboards92.com/index.cgi?board=commnewsevents
Thanks! 😉
wow… astig ah.. pero baka d na mag pa concert sa mga local bands dyan.. tsaka baka may bayad na.. hays… sana hndi naman… hehehe… tacloban rocks…
Mabuhay tacloban!!!
All I can say is… GANDA! 😉
Beautiful projects are never impossible when the government is manned by somebody who has a vision to where he wants to bring his constituents’ future…
Kudos Tacloban City, Leyte government officials!
kalipong naman ha ulo it fiesta jan ngaun sa tacloban. bakit naging dalawa pa?
I heard that the Balyuan Tower and the Amphitheater were damaged by the typhoon Frank. Any truth to this??? I am unable to contact my family in Tacloban via celfon and landline. The last I heard yesterday was that, the Balyuan Tower and the amphitheater were badly damaged. Other structures in the City were also damaged… I hope it does not affect the fiesta. One real religious (??) lady from Tacloban said “nasina na liwat an Señor Sto. Niño…” I do not know what she meant… maybe it’s because I am an atheist. No electricity, no phone in the whole City and baha na liwat kuno ha V and G.
Gerry, ano an nahinabo hini nga structure ha Balyu-an? Baga na-huwad man kuno dida han pag-bisita ni Frank. I hope you can post here some pix about what happened during the typhoon.
Thanks,
Babang
d daw tuloy it sangyaw festival…i think nasina gud it aton patron saint agi it dre pag ka urusa hit mga government offial about hit pag celebrate han iya ka fiestahan..it’s a sign and a lesson.?i think it is?what do you think people??
were just hoping liwat na eventhough gen bagyo it tacloban maging maupai la ghap it fiesta and also thankful na kahit papano d tau napinsalaan ng todo..
a lot of criticism yna an nahitabo han bumigay an ampitheathre.too bad.ky mayada man kuno ngayan winning design ky anuh liwat guin sulot hin iba man nga arch.was it a karma from newly daw acrh???? warai pa mn apointment kan city mayor.how true?whew, another 15M into waste?dri man ngayan weather proof?ganda lang tingnan.huh?
Wow!!! I am really impressed with the design! It looks like a world class structure which would really make a landmark of Tacloban City where I come from…Something for me to be proud of as a Leytenyo. None of my family members has ever told me about this yet…but as I read along the comments here, I feel so concerned whether all the issues are true or not… I just came across this website while I was checking out images of the city (which I normally do kun guin mimingaw ako hit siyudad.) Anyways, I am really happy to know that there’s something new we, Taclobanons, should all be proud of!!! Keep coming up with good positive visions for our city and promote tourism…
well, for me, it’s really a fabulous idea to put up something like that in balyuan. at least now it adds flavor to the scene and a wondrous view of the sea. how i wish i could go back there to tacloban to see new structures and even the two malls that will open soon (is it next month? wish though). unfortunately, at this hour i’m stuck up here at a call center imagining the new balyuan, hehe. and also, how i wish i could go back to dancing – modern dance or in a cultural presentation!!! like what i did back when i was still a college student at sacred heart college in tacloban city.
i noticed that structure when i went for a vacation at my hometown of tanauan, leyte. i thought it was a spaceship when i saw it minutes before the airplane landed at san jose airport. i didn’t know what that structure is but i know that it is located at balyuan or what we call ‘MAGZ’ – our favorite hang out… i hope i can visit and see the beauty of that structure soon… great//