Exploring Philippines 142 - Palawan (Post 9 - Taytay)

On my fifth day, the family of Eric would be taking me to El Nido.  I got excited because of the opportunity to reach El Nido which never entered my mind.  Though my hopes were high because of El Nido, I was told that we will only roam around and pay a visit to family whom they’ve not visited for a long time.

It was quite late in the morning when we left the island. Along the way, our boat experienced an engine failure.  It took awhile for another boat to come by  and we transferred afterwards.  We wasted no time and head straight to the town proper of Taytay to buy some food and water for our trip to El Nido.  I was not aware what to see along the way or what possible tourist spot could be visited.  The only thing in my mind that time was El Nido. 

When we were at the center of the town of Taytay, I was asked if I would be interested to visit a Spanish fortress.  I readily answered yes.  Only Eric accompanied me inside the fortress.

Fuerza de Sta. Isabel was built in 1667.  The façade of the fortress was already renovated but the inside part including the high walls that are facing the sea are still intact. 

Once you step inside the fortress, there is a receiving area for the visitors.  Each visitor is required to sign a logbook and there’s a donation box besides the logbook.  They are not really particular with the amount that you share with them.

After stepping out from the receiving area, we began to explore the whole of the fortress.  A look towards the mountain, the town of Taytay has this signage on the side of the mountain which looked like that of a Hollywood sign.  But for some reason, only half of the signage remained erected that time. 

As we walked on the ground inside the elevated fortress, I do not know if the ground that we stepped into is the very same ground way back from the construction of the fortress.  If indeed true, then, the fortress is really a treasure of this town. 

The construction of the said fortress was strategic because it is facing the open sea and has a 360 vantage point.  I am really not aware of the history of this town and the role the fortress played during the Spanish time and perhaps during the Japanese occupation of the country during the World War II.  But as we we went around, it is indeed a grand location in defending this part of the province.  Some parts of its walls are already breaking apart but I have not seen any devastating impact of bombs around it.  I guess time is slowly breaking it apart but it is still proudly standing up to this time. 

True to its purpose, there’s a vintage cannon that is still positioned towards the open sea.  I do not know if it is still working but the cannon is also able to withstand the test of time and it is still good as new.  I just could not imagine the thundering sounds of the cannons that lined up the walls of this fortress during the war times.  Now, the fortress becomes the reminder to the people of Palawan about the prized freedom that needs to be defended and even died for.

In the middle of this magnificient stronghold stands a small church.  It looked like a box from a distance because of its shape.  Its front bares a simple façade.  One can right away tell that it is an aging structure because of its appearance.  Some parts of it had been renovated to keep it standing and operational. 

Along with the development of a particular place or town, the town of Taytay is also catching up.  Over the years, people outside the province of Palawan find their way to this province and some of them settled in Taytay.  Some people could not afford the cost of residential lot, hence, some of them settled in a place called ‘little Tondo.’  ‘Little Tondo’ is located several meters away from the town’s plaza and the fortress.  At the top of the fortress, the houses that lined up along the shore line make up the ‘little Tondo’ area.  A local explained why it is called ‘little Tondo’ and the place live up to its name which is the face of Tondo in Manila when it was still not orderly and a dreaded place.

Also, together with the growing population is the problem with garbage.  The wall of the fortress facing the ‘little Tondo’ area seems like a holding area for the unproperly disposed garbage.  A huge volume of garbage were freely floating and staying at the base of the walls of the fortress.  Garbage seems like a problem everywhere.