West Misamis to put up an Intramuros-like park

In a bid to further boost his “Historism” or history and tourism program for the country, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon embarks on a new project: the restoration and development of the Fuerta de la Concepcion y del Triunfo, also known as the Cotta (or the “fort”) in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.

Gordon recently met with the local government officials of Misamis Occidental to discuss the Department of Tourism’s plans for the Cotta, following a ceremony that officially declared the fort as a National Historical Landmark.

“Tourism and History should always go hand-in-hand,” he stressed, adding that to give significance to history, people must be able to interpret it and give it meaning, which is the essence of “Historism” or ‘history and tourism’.

Gordon said the Cotta will be patterned after the latest developments in the now more popularly known “History Town Intramuros” in Manila that includes the Best of the Regions cultural showcase; the Imus Museum in Cavite; and the Northern Philippines Tourism, Cultural, Agricultural Trade and Entertainment Village (HILAGA) in San Fernando, Pampanga.

The Cotta has been Misamis’ military stronghold for over two centuries. It was constructed in the 1750’s to provide shelter for the ships of the Spanish fleet and to repel raids by the Moro pirates which were rampant at that time. Today, it houses the office of the Philippine National Police.

Gordon said the development of the Cotta will begin with the restoration on the corner of the fort’s western bastion which sank about two meters below ground level during the 1955 earthquake in Ozamiz and Lanao areas. He said he will immediately send Augusto Rustia, one of the top five restoration architects, to work on the walls. Succeeding plans will be patterned after Intramuros’ Wow Philippines and other latest projects of the Department of Tourism. The Cotta will feature the city of Ozamiz, its cultural and historical treasures and tourist attractions. Soon, there will be restaurants and cafes on the walls as well as trade exhibits of various regions.

The tourism chief views the histo-cultural park as another of its many projects that would bring “jobs and opportunities for the people through tourism” which is a major component of the Department’s “culture of tourism” advocacy campaign.

Built by a Jesuit priest, the Cotta is made of rectangular block of stones that are varied in sizes, with an average dimension of 30 cms long, 25 cms wide and 20 cms in height, with the top stones being slightly smaller than the base for piling purposes. The fort is square in shape with bastion in each of the four corners. The interior yard measures 60.45 by 56.9 meters from wall to wall. A four meter-wide ramp extending inward 17 meters from the base, also made of blocked stones, leads to the eastern bastion. This must have made the movement of cannons and foot soldiers easier and faster in times of emergencies.