The National Museum through its director Jeremy Barns is keen on restoring the "glory that was Fort San Pedro. In his messages posted in Old Iloilo Facebook Page, Barns says "We want to start excavating the site soon and we need all research materials that exist to feed into our plans for the Fort's eventual reconstruction. We have budget for this!"
 |
| Fort San Pedro with the ravages of war Photo through Google search by J.Tewell |
Furthermore he said urged FB users to send all photos of Fort San Pedro de Iloilo (more properly known as the Fuerza Nuestra Señora del Rosario).
Here's the actual message he posted on Facebook
Here's the actual message he posted on Facebook
Dear friends on this great FB page, please send all photos of Fort San Pedro de Iloilo (more properly known as the Fuerza Nuestra Señora del Rosario) that you can.
We want to start excavating the site soon and we need all research materials that exist to feed into our plans for the Fort's eventual reconstruction. (We have budget for this!)
What we at the National Museum have managed to gather concerning the structure destroyed in 1945 is so paltry that we might not be able to make a robust plan, so please help or guide us to all known references... Worst case is that we just uncover the foundations and leave it at that, but we are willing to lead in a comprehensive reconstruction if there is solid basis... Knowing that the Fort was the very reason for the foundation of Iloilo (same as Zamboanga), we want to do the best possible job to bring back the material genesis of this great Filipino city...
Again, please help us at the National Museum do this for Iloilo... We have all the obvious sources, like the Valdez Tamon plans from the 18th century, but we need more early 20th century prewar documentation.
Please don't bother sending anything that's already online... All the lolas and lolos and titas and titos of you guys must have made pasyal and taken pics back in the day... No matter how obscure, we need those! We have absolutely no pics of the gate or any of the interiors, or close-ups of the walls and bastions of any kind.... So frustrating.... If you have any, please scan and post or send!! Let's make this a crowd-sourcing heritage success!
On the part of the National Museum I can promise you a well-reconstructed Fort for all of us to enjoy and celebrate as Iloilo's ground zero, but only if we have enough information from which we can proceed to our collective satisfaction that we're really bringing back what was so tragically lost to all of us...
Again please help, and thanks in advance from all of us at your National Museum... soon to open in your neck of the woods with our new Region VI office at the old Jaro Municipio (better known as the Jaro Police Station) and museum galleries at the old Iloilo Rehabilitation Center behind the Provincial Capitol...
 |
| The Iloilo City Government and the National Museum can work together on this project, as this is the city's plan for the reconstruction of Fort San Pedro. |
Here's and interesting piece from John Tewell Flickr page
FORT SAN PEDRO: Reviving Iloilo’s historic landmark
THE centuries-old Fort San Pedro is one of Iloilo City’s historical landmark. It has, however, deteriorated thru years of neglect. Now, there is a move to restore Fort San Pedro and develop it into a tourist spot. TIMELINE• 1603-1616 – Inclusive years when the Spanish government constructed La Fuerza de San Pedro (Fort San Pedro) on a 2,564-square meter property at the Iloilo City waterfront for defense against Dutch and English invaders. The materials used for the fortress were earthworks and wood palisades. • 1617 – A Dutch squadron of 10 warships engaged the Spanish defenders manning the fort. The Dutch lost the battle. • 1738 – The Spanish government reconstructed Fort San Pedro, using 30-feet thick stone walls and installing 50 guns and mortars. • 1899 – Invasion of the Fort by American invaders. At first, the Fort defenders repelled the invaders. On another day, however, a reinforcement of American marines forced the surrender of Spanish defenders. The Fort became a stronghold of the US Navy. • 1937 – The US Navy turned over Fort San Pedro to the Philippine Army, which turned it into its headquarters. • 1941-1945 – During World War II, the invading Japanese forces drove the Army out and took over Fort San Pedro, which also served as dungeon for arrested Filipino guerillas. • March 1945 – Combined forces from the United States Navy and the United States Air Force bombed all Japanese installations in Iloilo City, including Fort San Pedro, which literally perished. • May 4, 1986 – Consorcia B. Cordova of La Paz, Iloilo City filed a miscellaneous lease application with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for occupancy of Fort San Pedro and establishment of a drive-in restaurant thereat. • July 10, 1986 – The DENR issued an investigation report recommending the issuance of lease contract to Cordova. • May 21, 1991 – Cordova and the DENR entered into a 25-year miscellaneous lease agreement – for period covering February 13, 1991 to February 12, 2016 – for use of the property as a drive-in restaurant, the Fort San Pedro Drive-in at the annual rental fee of P36,783.68. • July 22 and September 18, 1991 – Consorcia Cordova and her husband, Carlos Cordova, died, respectively. • July 5, 1994 – Transfer of lease contract from the late Consorcia Cordova to her heirs. • April 14, 1998 – The Department of Tourism (DOT), through Regional Director Edwin Trompeta, wrote a letter to then DENR Regional Executive Director Raoul Geollegue in connection with DOT’s intention to restore Fort San Pedro as a tourist destination. Before it could act on the DOT proposal, however, the DENR had to rescind the lease contract with the children-heirs of the late Corsorcia Cordova. The DENR withdrew the rescission after the heirs contested it in court. • October 13, 1998 – Trompeta wrote a letter to then Philippine Ports Authority-Iloilo Manager Christian Santillan requesting the PPA to provide a 30-meter buffer zone out of its reclaimed area for conservation of the existing remains of the Fort. • May 11, 1999 – Trompeta submitted to Sen. Franklin Drilon the preliminary study/design of the proposed Fort San Pedro Conservation Project done by the United Architects of the Philippines, Iloilo Marikudo Chapter. • January 31, 2003 – The DENR, represented by then Regional Director Raoul Geollegue, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cordovas reinstating the latter’s occupancy of the leased Fort until expiration date on February 12, 2016; or, in case of rehabilitation of the Fort before that date, a portion of it for restaurant. • October 2, 2004 – The DENR formally turned over to the DOT the management of Fort San Pedro through a memorandum of agreement signed by DENR Regional Director Vicente Paragas, DOT Regional Director Edwin Trompeta and the heirs of ConsorciaCordova. • September 15, 2010 – Trompeta wrote a letter to DOT Secretary Alberto Lim requesting for a budget of P100 million for the restoration of Fort San Pedro, which has already been certified by the National Historical Institute as a “historical structure.” It would house a museum, a marine aquarium, a restaurant, a curio shop, an information office and an open-air venue for art and cultural performances.