Conference
| Title | Heritage and Cultural Tourism of Provincia de Iligan, 1878-1898 Posted by Cecilia Tangian |
| Authors | Prof. Dr. Cecilia B. Tangian and Prof. Rey Luis A. Montesclaros |
| Conference | International Conference on Cultural Governance in Asia: Soft power, Place (re)making and Civility at the City University of Hong Kong and at Shue Yan University |
| Abstract | This paper presents the concept of Heritage and Cultural Tourism in provincia de Iligan and argued that the province has been the bastion of Spanish colonial heritage in the Philippines. One of the major legacies is fortification. Forts are more than five hundred (500) years of existence in the Philippines. Forts became the source of cultural tourism in the country. Fort stands imperfect in shape ruined by natural and man-made calamities. Essentially, these forts served as the Spanish last defense against intrusion, invasion, warfare & refuge. Historically, Forts are symbol of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines. There are more than ten (10) forts in Mindanao located at various strategic locations & usually built facing the coasts. Other forts are found along the promontory or in the hilly region for refuge and defense purposes. Its nature can be described as blockhouse, fortress, castle, citadel, stronghold, redoubt, bastion, defensive wall, a fortified wall or a hill fort. The Notable forts are Fort San Jose in Cagayan de Oro; Fort Xavier in Iligan; and Cotta de Ozamis in Ozamis City & Fort Santiago in Dapitan. The challenges on fortification as landmarks can be attributed to its physical nature. Filipino people cannot easily identify the complete structural design due to physical damages of the forts. Thus, the researchers employed archival research method on the primary records and accounts of Spanish writers in order to understand the story behind these forts. Thus, the study on fortification provides avenue for historical enlightenment. It could be the basis for historical discourse on heritage issue as it bosom as cultural tourism for national identity and nationalism. |
| Index terms / Keywords | Archival Research; Fortifications; Landmarks; Provincia de Iligan, Preservation, Restoration |