Spanish colonial fortifications in the Philippines

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.

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

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 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

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 reinclusion 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 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

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