Built around the early 1800′s, bantayan sa hari or watch tower served to protect the locality from marauders from the seas mostly Moro Pirates. The Moro Pirates, also known as the Sulu Pirates, were Muslim outlaws of the southern Philippines who engaged in frequent acts of piracy, primarily against the Spanish, beginning in the late 16th century. One in a long line of friar-soldiers, Fray Julian Bermejo belonged to a handful of friar popularly and affectionately called “ el Padre Capitan.” Known for his military exploits, each town was asked to build the fortification as a first line of defense from the Moro pirates. Fray Bermejo's hard work in shielding the towns of Cebu, from north to south, against the Moros was considered by few local scholars as the crucial moment that made the Christianization and development of Cebu a success.
Fray Julian Bermejo
( 1777- 1851 )
Augustinian
Fray julian bermejo was assigned to Boljoon on October 19, 1802 at age 25. An unusually talented and accomplished priest, Fray Julian not only attended to the spiritual needs of his flock, but also taught women how to weave cotton and introduced plants to augment the diet and livelihood of his parishioners. But it was as a competent builder and military leader that he was well known. Prior to his arrival, Boljoon had been attacked by slavers in 1782 leaving the town in shambles and the church bereft of everything save for a few vestments and the image of the Virgin under the title Patrocinio. Another friar, Ambrosio Otero, had begun a new church in 1783 but it stood unfinished when Fray Julian got there in 1802. He assessed the situation and concluded that before proceeding with the construction, he had to secure the perimeter of the church complex. Using mortar and piedra vitoca ( coral blocks ). He built a meter thick wall to enclose an area and fortified it with bulwarks at every corner. Within this enclosure, he built a parish house, completed the church and constructed a large blockhouse, 120 meters long by 80 meters wide, along the north wall and a two storey watchtower facing the sea.
Fray Julian then built a string of baluartes from Sibonga to the north of to Santander ( Tanon Strait ) in the south to act as an early warning line. Later this line was extended to Carcar in the north for a total of 96 kilometers. The baluartes were with in sight from each other. Following the religious tradition of his era, Fray Julian named the baluartes after saints associated with the military like the Virgin Mary, the apostles Peter and Paul, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, and Barbara the patroness of the artillery corps, and the 4TH century martyr Saint Cucufate or Cugat, as he is better known in Spain.
With the baluartes in place, the coastal settlements would no longer be caught off guard. But Fray Julian was apparently not content with mere defense. To provide deterrence and an offensive capacity, he organized a small armada of ten barangays (shallow draft boats), ready to set sail at a moment’s notice, manned by the towns- people from Boljoon, Oslob, and Caceres ( Ivisan) under local leaders. Each vessel was armed with falconets, fore and aft, and its crew with a variety of weapons of combat at close quarters. The townspeople supported the small armada through a regular levy of food.
Fray Julian Bermejo
( 1777- 1851 )
Augustinian
Fray julian bermejo was assigned to Boljoon on October 19, 1802 at age 25. An unusually talented and accomplished priest, Fray Julian not only attended to the spiritual needs of his flock, but also taught women how to weave cotton and introduced plants to augment the diet and livelihood of his parishioners. But it was as a competent builder and military leader that he was well known. Prior to his arrival, Boljoon had been attacked by slavers in 1782 leaving the town in shambles and the church bereft of everything save for a few vestments and the image of the Virgin under the title Patrocinio. Another friar, Ambrosio Otero, had begun a new church in 1783 but it stood unfinished when Fray Julian got there in 1802. He assessed the situation and concluded that before proceeding with the construction, he had to secure the perimeter of the church complex. Using mortar and piedra vitoca ( coral blocks ). He built a meter thick wall to enclose an area and fortified it with bulwarks at every corner. Within this enclosure, he built a parish house, completed the church and constructed a large blockhouse, 120 meters long by 80 meters wide, along the north wall and a two storey watchtower facing the sea.
Fray Julian then built a string of baluartes from Sibonga to the north of to Santander ( Tanon Strait ) in the south to act as an early warning line. Later this line was extended to Carcar in the north for a total of 96 kilometers. The baluartes were with in sight from each other. Following the religious tradition of his era, Fray Julian named the baluartes after saints associated with the military like the Virgin Mary, the apostles Peter and Paul, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, and Barbara the patroness of the artillery corps, and the 4TH century martyr Saint Cucufate or Cugat, as he is better known in Spain.
With the baluartes in place, the coastal settlements would no longer be caught off guard. But Fray Julian was apparently not content with mere defense. To provide deterrence and an offensive capacity, he organized a small armada of ten barangays (shallow draft boats), ready to set sail at a moment’s notice, manned by the towns- people from Boljoon, Oslob, and Caceres ( Ivisan) under local leaders. Each vessel was armed with falconets, fore and aft, and its crew with a variety of weapons of combat at close quarters. The townspeople supported the small armada through a regular levy of food.
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