Map of the Presidios built in the Philippines during the 1600s, in Fortress of Empire by Rene Javellana, S. J. (1997)

The Spanish forts of the Philippines, or fuerzas, are strongholds constructed by Filipinos and Spaniards primarily for protection against local and foreign aggressors during the Spanish colonial period, and during the subsequent American and Japanese occupations. Many are badly damaged, either due to old age or past conflicts. Currently, there are initiatives for restorations of all forts, beginning when the Baluarte Luna of La Union and the Intramuros of Manila were restored in the 2010s. In 2013, a typhoon and earthquake hit Central Visayas and damaged numerous Spanish fortifications, leading to the largest restoration activity for fortifications in Philippine history.

List of forts

Image Name Founded Location Condition Type Notes
 Fuerza de Santiago 1571 Intramuros, Manila restored citadel
Fuerte de San Pedro 1630 Cebu City, Cebu restored defense
Fuerza de la Nuestra Señora del Rosario 1602 Iloilo City destroyed defense
Fuerza de Cuyo 1680 Cuyo, Palawan restored defense
Real de Fuerte de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza 1635 Zamboanga City restored defense
Fuerza de San Antonio Abad 1584 Malate, Manila restored defense
Fuerza de Sta. Isabel 1667 Taytay, Palawan restored defense
Fuerza de Capul 1596 Capul, Northern Samar ruin defense
Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo 1756 Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental restored citadel
Fuerza de San Felipe Cavite City, Cavite restored defense
Fuerza de Almonte 1892 Bacolod, Lanao del Norte ruin defense
Cotta de Dapitan 1761 Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte ruin defense
Fuerza de Pikit 1893 Pikit, Cotabato ruin defense
Fuerza de Jolo 1876 Jolo, Sulu destroyed citadel
Fuerza de Masbate Masbate
Fuerza de Bongabong 1737 Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro ruin garrison
Cuartel de Santo Domingo Santa Rosa, Laguna ruin garrison
Fuerza de Cagayancillo ~1580s Cagayancillo, Palawan ruin defense
Twin Forts of Romblon 1645 Romblon, Romblon restored defense
Fuerza de San José 1645 Banton, Romblon under restoration defense
Fuerte de Alfonso XII 1890 Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur ruin defense
Baluarte Luna c.17th century Luna, La Union restored bastion
Kutang San Diego c.18th century Gumaca, Quezon restored defense
Dauis watchtower 1796 Dauis, Bohol restored watchtower
Panglao watchtower 1851 Panglao, Bohol intact watchtower
Fuerte de San Vicente Ferrer 1796 Maribojoc, Bohol restored watchtower
Guinsiliban watchtower Guinsiliban, Camiguin restored watchtower
Laguindingan watchtower Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental ruin watchtower
Guimbal watchtowers c.17th century Guimbal, Iloilo two restored, three ruins watchtower
Oslob watchtower Oslob, Cebu ruin watchtower

UNESCO World Heritage status

Tentative list

On May 16, 2006, a collection of five well-preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in the Cultural category.[1]

The collection titled "Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines" include the following buildings located throughout the country:

  1. Fuerza de Capul, Northern Samar
  2. Dauis Watchtower, Dauis, Bohol
  3. Punta Cruz Watchtower, Maribojoc, Bohol
  4. Fuerza de San Andres, Romblon, Romblon
  5. Fuerza de Sta. Isabel, Taytay, Palawan

In 2015, by recommendation of UNESCO, the fortifications were removed from the tentative list of the Philippines as they 'will have a hard time meeting the standards of the organization'. The old town of Capul (Northern Samar), old town of Romblon (Romblon province), and old town of Taytay (Palawan) were recommended as possible heritage sites in the future once the Philippines submits them in the tentative list, along with a complete dossier.

Future re-inclusion list

Heritage groups have been advocating for the return of the fortifications in the tentative list, but with the inclusion of at least twenty-one more Spanish colonial fortifications throughout the country to maximize its potential to be included in the World Heritage List. Restoration activities on numerous fortifications throughout the country are currently ongoing in a bid to support the future nomination of the fortifications to UNESCO. However, some fortifications are within private lands, hindering cultural agencies of government from restoring those forts. The possible return of the fortifications in the tentative list is supported by both governments of the Philippines and Spain. Other properties being proposed to be included for the re-nomination are:

  1. Intramuros, Manila
  2. Cuartel de Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa, Laguna
  3. Fuerza de Cuyo, Cuyo, Palawan
  4. Fuerza de Cagayancillo, Cagayancillo, Palawan
  5. Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza, Zamboanga City
  6. Fuerza de San Felipe, Cavite City
  7. Fuerza de San Pedro, Cebu
  8. Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo, Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental
  9. Fuerza de San Antonio Abad, Manila
  10. Fuerza de Pikit, Pikit, Cotabato
  11. Fuerza de Santiago, Romblon, Romblon
  12. Fuerza de Jolo, Jolo, Sulu
  13. Fuerza de Masbate, Masbate
  14. Fuerza de Bongabong, Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro
  15. Cotta de Dapitan, Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte
  16. Fuerte de Alfonso XII, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur
  17. Fuerza de Bacolod, Bacolod, Lanao del Norte
  18. Guinsiliban Watchtower, Guinsiliban, Camiguin
  19. Laguindingan Watchtower, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental
  20. Kutang San Diego, Gumaca, Quezon
  21. Baluarte Luna, Luna, La Union

See also

Architecture of the Philippines

History of the Philippines (1565–1898)

Fortification

References

  1. ↑ "Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2022-01-20.

Further reading

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