THE Philippine National Railways (PNR) is set to jumpstart preserving and restoring the old structure of its former train station in Calumpit, Bulacan this year, following the unveiling of a heritage marker installed by the Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office (PHACTO).
PNR Deovanni Miranda cited the efforts of the Provincial Government of Bulacan on putting the said marker as a catalyst to ensure that the 134-year old Calumpit Station will remain intact in its original location amidst the massive construction of North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System Project.
He assured the Bulakenyo public that PNR would require the Korean-firm contractor of NSCR in Malolos-Apalit segment, which passes through Calumpit, to put a steel frame to cover the old Calumpit Station structure that built in 1891.
PHACTO Officer-in-Charge May Arlene Torres said that this is the fourth heritage marker unveiled in various former train stations of PNR such as in Meycauayan and Guiguinto in 2021, Malolos in January 2025 and then Calumpit that coincides with the 453rd Foundation Anniversary of the Municipality of Calumpit.
This initiative is part of the SINEliksik Bulacan Project under the Shine Bulacan Program of the Provincial Government of Bulacan through the help of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
Calumpit Station is one of the stations built in 1891 by the then Manila Railroad Company (MRC) as part of the General Plan for Railroad in Luzon approved by Royal Decree of Don Eduardo Lopez Navarro on June 26, 1875.
Trains passing through Calumpit as part of the 195-kilometer Manila-Dagupan line concession awarded to Don Edmundo Sykes on January 21, 1887 and eventually transferred to the Manila Railroad Company Ltd. of London, United Kingdom.
Torres also recalled that the old Calumpit Station became a silent witness at the ‘Battle of Calumpit’ or ‘Battle of Bagbag’ at the height of the Philippine American War. Philippine revolutionaries under General Antonio Luna faced the United States forces under General Arthur Mac Arthur Jr. from April 25-27, 1899.
During the time of peace and prosperity, the old Calumpit Station is the gateway of Sugarcanes delivered from the vast plantation of Central Luzon.
Calumpitenyo traders brought it to the nearby then-Luzon Sugar Company which is located a few meters from the train station in Barangay Poblacion in Calumpit, Bulacan. Not to mention the contribution of the old train station to the vibrant trading of many raw materials in the town.
Deterioration of the old station started in 1988 when PNR suspended its north-line train operation.
Meanwhile, PNR General Manager Miranda has expressed support to the Municipal Government of Calumpit in the preservation by converting it into a local museum under adaptive reuse, as mandated by Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act and the Republic Act 10086 or the Philippine History Act.
The old station will no longer be used again as a train station, as the massive New Calumpit station of the Malolos-Clark segment ng NSCR System Project was relocated near the Angat River in Barangay Iba O’ Este. (UnliNews Online)
Source: PIA Bulacan
