FUERZA de SAN PEDRO: PAST AND PRESENT
The first time I set foot in one of Cebu’s famous historical site was when I was 6 years old during an educational tour with my classmates, teachers and parents. I was in Grade – 1 then when we had this tour that went to Fuerza de San Pedro or most commonly known as the Fort San Pedro. Looking at the Fort’s façade really got me so excited to find my way in. The moss on its walls proves that it had been standing there for quite a long time. There is also an imprint of the Spaniards logo and a figure of Cebu’s patron saint, Sr. Santo Niño, on the top of the entrance door which signals Spanish rule during its construction. Located in an area called Plaza Independencia in Pier Area, Cebu City, Philippines, this infrastructure that once played a momentous role in Cebu’s history now plays a significant role in the city’s tourism and in the spreading of knowledge about the past as a historical park and a museum at the same time.
Fort San Pedro’s Entrance
Construction commenced on the 6th of May 1565 by Spanish and Cebuano laborers under the command of Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Spanish government in Cebu. The structure of the fort was temporarily built to provide immediate security to the members of the Spanish expedition encamped in the shores of Cebu from Muslim pirates who occasionally robbed the coastal villages in the island. Situated on a promontory and encloses a few “wells” of fresh water, the Fort was a triangular wooden palisade which was initially created and made of wood, logs, and mud but was later on replaced by a formidable stone structure. The fort was named San Pedro, most probably, in honor of Legaspi’s flagship, the same ship that was sent back to Mexico after the establishment of the Spanish settlement in Cebu.
Fuerza de San Pedro’s initial wooden structure before it was replaced with a stone structure.
Stone structure of Fuerza de San Pedro.
The two sides facing the sea were defended by artilleries while the side facing the land was fortified by a wall. The three strongholds were labeled as Ignacio de Loyola (South East), La Concepcion (South West), and San Miguel (North East.) The Fort’s structure was said to have a total area of 2,025 sq. meters and a circumference of 1,248 feet, with walls of 20 feet high and 8 feet thick and towers that rise 30 feet from the ground. The fort’s sides are of unequal lengths and the side facing the land is where one may find entry into the fort.
Governor General Tanon, the Spanish ruler of the Philippines in 1739, made the following reports in accordance with the King’s command:
Fuerza de San Pedro, the fort is described as built of stone mortar with a terraplein where guns are mounted. The fort contains the necessary buildings. The largest of these buildings was the “Cuerpo de Guardia” where the personnel that manned the fort lived. Adjacent to it was the “Vivende del Teniente” which was the living quarters of the lieutenant of the fort. In between the aforementioned buildings is a well. At one corner attached to the walls of the bastion San Miguel was the “Almazaros del Rivera” (powder magazine where the fort’s supply or arms and gunpowder from Manila were stored).
Over the periods of time, the fort had many usages. Not only it provided protection for the city but it also became a prison for local rebels during the Philippine Revolution in 1896. It also has become the American Warwick Barracks during the American regime and was later on converted into a school, in 1937 to 1941, where Cebuanos received their formal education. Then it became the Japanese soldiers’ penitentiary site and defense during the World War II. After that, it then functioned as a hospital when the battle for liberty and freedom were fought against the Japanese Imperial Forces. Then it served as an army camp for four years. Since 1950, Fort San Pedro has been used for various purposes. The inner part had been turned into a miniature garden by the Cebu Garden Club while the upper deck was utilized for government and administration activities. A zoo was also placed inside the Fort but was relocated after it was ruined and was planned to be re-established.
The restoration of the fort was completed by Architect Leonardo Concepcion who completed his MA in Restoration in Madrid. The project was supported by the Department of Tourism, the Cebu City Government and the Cebu Zonta Club.
The restoration of the Fort was a tiresome, laborious and time consuming project. For to restore the fort as close to its original structure, laborers need to haul coral stones under the sea along the Cebu coastal towns. Work progressed slowly but in one and a half years, the fort was already restored and functional.
Now, Fort San Pedro is a historical park and a museum maintained and taken cared by the administration of Cebu. There were a lot of changes since the restoration of the fort. The provincial office of the Department of Tourism is no longer situated on the upper deck of the fort; the Vivende del Teniente is now under renovation and is not open to public and so as the Cuerpo de Guardia. Benches were also placed everywhere for the tourists to sit and relax. The fort also allows different occasions like wedding reception, alumni homecoming, balls and different events to take place in the fort. Also, the fort is now a famous tourist destination for different nationalities like Koreans, Japanese, Americans, and Filipinos. Various tourists come over almost every day to see how the fort looks like.
Tourists come over to see the beauty and history Fort San Pedro offers.
The fort displays and shows its history and some artifacts such as paintings and sculpture, Spanish flag, and Spanish documents. You would also see on the park different indigenous plants that could be found in the Philippines namely the lemonsito, sampaguita, rosal, bougainvillea, dalakit, bonsai, anahaw, abaka, tabako, and etc. A total of 15 cannons can also be seen positioned on the upper deck of the fort, 4 cannons in bastion Ignacio de Loyola, 5 cannons in the bastion of La Concepcion, and 6 cannons in the bastion of San Miguel.
The flag of Spain.
These are some of the plants that can be found inside the
Fort San Pedro: Lemonsito (left) and Sampaguita (right).
Cannon from bastion San Miguel
The Fort’s occurrence was once threatened by Mayor Sergio Osmeña Jr. in 1957 when he announced to demolish Fort San Pedro and erect on the spot a new City Hall. But the public’s violent reaction regarding this issue made him gave up this idea.
Fuerza de San Pedro has witnessed the different struggles of our country for freedom since then. From the beginning of the colonization of the Spaniards until now, the fort is still stands strong, witnessing the making of history. The beauty and history this infrastructure offers us should be preserved and nurture.
References:
· Fort San Pedro, http://www.malapascua.de/Cebu/Cebu_5__Fort_San_Pedro/hauptteil_cebu_5__fort_san_pedro.html
· Fort San Pedro, http://cebu.experiencebohol.com/fort-sanpedro.php
· Fort San Pedro
