WHEN you visit Fort San Pedro—the place cleaner, well-lighted, and more secure—you have to take a second look before considering its past reputation as a “lovers’ lane.” This is because the oldest and smallest fort in the Philippines has undergone a major facelift in the past two years. It is carefully being restored to its original state from the time it was turned over to the Cebu City Government in February 2008.
Gone are the concessionaires that used to crowd the area, the dark nooks that used to give the place its bad reputation, and the thick foliage that made the fort at the back of Plaza Independencia look like a “forest.”
The balete trees that clung to the façade of the stone fortress were also carefully uprooted since they posed a threat to the stability of the coral stone walls. And in their place is a continuously improving and beautifully landscaped fortress with bastions that overlook other notable structures, such as the Malacañang sa Sugbo and the Cebu Post Office.
According to Dr. Librado Macaraya, the manager of Fort San Pedro and Plaza Independencia, one of the goals of the Cebu City Government is to encourage more locals to visit and realize the historical significance of the fort.
Using wooden palisades, the tri-bastion fort was built in May 8, 1565. This was 11 days after Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu. Named after the flagship of Lopez de Legazpi, it served an important role in protecting the Spanish from hostile locals.
For hundreds of years, the 2,000-square meter fort served as the stronghold of the Spaniards, protecting them from all kinds of threats, including those poised by pirates and marauders.
Inside the fort’s walls are fresh water wells. Today, one of these wells can still be found in the middle of Cuerpo de Guardia and Viviende del Teniente, the two buildings inside the fort.
The three corners of the triangular fort each have a bastion or a watchtower. These are called La Conception in the southwest; Ignacio de Loyola in the southeast; and San Miguel in the north. There were 14 cannons placed around its perimeter.
Today, the same number of cannons can be found within the fort. One cannon from Kawit Island was transferred to the fort’s courtyard. Not much is known about the origin of these cannons; it is also unclear if these were the original cannons used during the Spanish era. One historian claimed that these were replaced during the time of then President Ferdinand Marcos, but this has not been verified.
There is also little historical data about Fort San Pedro until Gov. General Tanon, the ruler of the Philippine islands, submitted a report to King Philip II of Spain in 1739, describing it as “built of stone mortar with guns mounted.”
Following the defeat of the Spaniards, the flag of the Philippine revolution was raised in Fort San Pedro for the first time in 1898. Cebuanos were able to enter its gates for the first time on Dec. 25, 1898.
In the early part of the 1900s, the fort was a part of the Warwick Barracks, a military stronghold of the Americans. In November 1917, the Cebu City Government asked to be put in charge of the fortress after the Americans left Fort San Pedro. The local government unit turned it into a park before the Cebu Garden Club utilized the structure as its clubhouse. According to Macaraya, the club landscaped the courtyard.
In 1957, the fort became the site of the Cebu City Zoo, which was under the management of Fr. Euleterio Tropa. From 1978 to 1993, it was used for government offices.
To date, Macarraya and his team are making in-roads in terms of biodiversity preservation. Evident in different areas of the fort are plants found in Cebu during the pre-Hispanic and Hispanic eras. There are dawa, and tubo in the courtyard. Bastion Ignacio de Loyola in the southeast has herbs and spices, such as pandan; in Bastion La Conception are ornamental plants like rosal; while Bastion San Miguel in the north is a sanctuary for butterflies.
Work is ongoing at the playground located at the back of the fort, which has been the home of Filipino games.
For the major restorations, Macaraya said that they are consulting the experts from the Conservation and Heritage Research Institute and Workshop of the University of San Carlos to ensure that they would follow the right way of restoration.
These activities provide visitors a tangible reflection of the past and all the more reason to appreciate Cebu’s rich culture and heritage. Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.