TIMELINE: ‘Baluarte’

400 years ago The “Baluarte” was built by the Spanish colonial government as a watchtower against pirates, who came to seize residents to make them slaves. It could also be against foreign invaders who posed threats to the Spaniards, such as the Chinese Limahong, who tried to establish a base in Northern Luzon in 1574; the Dutch who tried to take the Philippines away from Spain in 1600-1604; and the British who defeated Spain and ruled Manila in 1762-1764.

1996 A storm severely damaged the Baluarte, splitting the structure in the middle. AMH Philippines Inc., a University of the Philippines-based engineering and consultancy firm, said it was coastal erosion that destroyed the centuries-old structure. Erosion was caused by typhoons and human activities like pebble picking and magnetite mining.

2007 The La Union provincial engineering office propped the leaning watchtower with piles (concrete columns used in building bridges) and covered its perimeter with gabion mattress. The provincial agriculture office prohibited the picking of stones 50 meters around the Baluarte to prevent erosion.

2009 Former San Fernando City Mayor Mary Jane Ortega formed a cultural group in La Union to work for the restoration of the Luna and Carlatan (San Fernando City) watchtowers. The office of her husband, former La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, allotted P500,000 for the restoration of the Carlatan watchtower. She contracted the services of archeological and anthropological architects from Manila to restore the structure.

2014 The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) declared the Baluarte a national treasure.

2015 Typhoon “Lando” whipped up storm surges that collapsed the leaning portion of the Baluarte.

October 2016 The restoration of the Baluarte was started, using a P10-million fund from NMP.

January 2017 The Baluarte was restored but more work was needed to make tourists comfortable. —COMPILED BY YOLANDA SOTELO