Spanish colonial fortifications in the Philippines

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

The Spanish fortifications 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. Structures built included fortresses, watchtowers, and bastions. 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

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Image  | Name  | Founded  | Location  | Condition  | Type  | Notes

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| 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 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  |
| Fortaleza 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  | Malidegao, 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

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### Tentative list

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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 reinclusion list

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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 proposed properties 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, Malidegao, 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

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Architecture of the Philippines

* List of ruined churches in the Philippines

History of the Philippines (1565–1898)

* Spanish–Moro conflict
* Piracy in the Sulu and Celebes Seas
* Military history of the Philippines

Fortification

* List of forts

## References

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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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* Luengo, Pedro (2017). "La fortificación del archipiélago filipino en el siglo XVIII: La defensa integral ante lo local y lo global" [The fortification of the Philippine archipelago in the eighteenth century: Integral defense in the face of local and global conflict]. Revista de Indias (in Spanish). 77 (271): 727–758\. doi:10.3989/revindias.2017.021.

## External links

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* Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Retrieved 2009-03-03.

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Spanish colonial fortifications in the Philippines

Luzon|

* Intramuros (Manila)
* Fort Santiago
* Fort San Antonio Abad (Manila)
* Fort San Felipe (Cavite City)
* Fort Santa Isabel (Taytay)

Visayas|

* Fort San Pedro (Cebu City)
* Fort San Pedro (Iloilo City)
* Twin Forts of Romblon (Romblon)
* Punta Cruz Watchtower (Maribojoc)

Mindanao|

* Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo (Ozamiz City)
* Fort Pikit (Malidegao)
* Fort Pilar (Zamboanga City)

* v
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Spanish / Hispanic Colonial architecture articles

Notable historic centers|

* Agaña
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* Santa Fe
* Santiago de Chile
* Santiago de Cuba
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* Sucre
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Spanish missions|

* List of Spanish missions

Lists of buildings|

* Oldest

Cathedrals|

* Argentina
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Churches and monasteries|

* Baroque Churches of the Philippines
* Bohol
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Fortifications|

* Presidio
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* Santo Domingo

Bridges and roads|

* Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
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Other building types|

* Alhóndiga
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Architecture types|

* Baroque
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Modern Revival styles|

* California Churrigueresque Revival
* Mission Revival
* Spanish Colonial Revival
* Territorial Revival

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