FORT San Pedro, a historical landmark in Cebu City, will undergo renovations to repair the damage incurred during typhoon Odette in 2021.
The Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (Chac) submitted the Fort San Pedro Proposed Rehabilitation Plan, amounting to P11 million, to the Cebu City Council during the regular session on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, who chairs the tourism commission, stated in a text message on Saturday, Oct. 19, that there are currently no plans to close the museum for the project. However, she said that a temporary closure may be recommended if the renovation poses a danger to employees and visitors.
After approving Chac’s rehabilitation plan for the fort, the council will endorse it to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) for final approval.
The scope of work includes the removal of obstructions, structural works, masonry, architectural and electrical works, plumbing, and mobilization, totaling P11,637,142.74.
During the session, Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. inquired whether the fort generates income. Pesquera confirmed that there is an entrance fee of P50.
It has been almost nine years since Fort San Pedro last underwent repairs after being damaged by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu and other parts of the Visayas on Oct. 15, 2013. Those repairs were completed on Oct. 26, 2015. On that date, the NHCP officially turned over the restored facility to the City Government after completing repairs that included restoring the bastion at the main entrance, improving and rehabilitating the museum, and raising and tiling the courtyard’s flooring to prevent flooding during heavy downpours.
The previous restoration project amounted to P21.9 million and covered repairs to the fort’s walls managed by NHCP.
Fort San Pedro, or Fuerte de San Pedro, is a military defense structure built during Spanish colonial rule under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a navigator and governor who established the first Spanish settlement in the archipelago. The current structure dates from 1738 and is recognized as the oldest triangular fortification in the country. / JPS