It was morning in the first day of May in 2004; I woke up very early which was unusual for me. It was because I was excited going to the beach for the celebration of my cousin’s first birthday. The beach always excites me than any other place. My family decided to go to Punta Cruz beach in Maribojoc, Bohol which was an hour away from our hometown, Catigbian and 14 kilometers from the capital of Bohol, Tagbilaran City. We also invited some close friends of the family and very few neighbours. As we travel to the destination, the excitement in the children’s faces was very apparent and very contagious to the adults. The talk and jokes we shared during the travel made the time fly so fast. The time we arrived in Punta Cruz Beach Resort, we, the children, ran towards the sea to swim. The cottage we rented stands at the back of the canteen and souvenir shop near the cliff. One had to descend the stares before reaching the shores. The cool breeze of the wind and the warm feeling of the water against your feet make you feel wonderful. I had fun with my family playing in the seashore ignoring the scorching heat of the sun.
One easily gets hungry when swimming, so, I went back to the cottage to eat sumptuous meal prepared by my aunt and uncle. When I finished my food, it was then I noticed the old tower. At that time, the first thing that came to my mind was an old castle with a tower from a fairy tale. I was amazed by the magnificence of the old building. I was told by my mother not to go to inside the tower but I went anyway. I was really interested in historical things and places. At close range, one will notice that the tower is really old. As I went in, I can really tell that the place was not taken care of. In the walls and ceilings are names of various people and in the ground are wrappers and disposable bottles. It was somewhat disappointing to learn that such amazing place; no one seems to care for it.
What people love about this place is the serenity of the place due to few numbers of tourists and locals visiting the place. The shores are not made of fine white sand like in the famous Boracay and Panglao Island but of smooth stones and white sand. The Punta Cruz beach cannot be compared to the beauty of Boracay, this little beach possess a charm of its own. In the resort, there is a canteen, an activity area and seven cottages for rent. The watch tower attracts a fair share of people because of its historical appeal. There are people who take pictures of the tower. I even visit the place twice a year during special occasions such as birthdays and reunions. It is a great place to relax and have fun. The beach resort is operated by the local government of Maribojoc. The entrance fee per head is PHP5.00 and the parking fee is PHP15.00. For me, the experiences and information I got from there is definitely worth more than PHP5.00.
The barrio Punta Cruz is about 6-7 kilometers from the town proper of Maribojoc. From the main road, one has to travel a dirt road before reaching the resort. The watch tower or Bantayan ng Punta Cruz is located at the edge of the cliff across the entrance. It is the first thing you will notice when you enter the gates of the resort because of its size compared to other structures in the resort. It is also the only one building that looked so old. In its side are cottages for rent made up of cement, wood and nipa leaves for the roof. And there are also few trees around the tower.
In 1796, the Augustinian Recollect friars had the Bantayan ng Punta Cruz built when they took over the place from the Jesuits. It is dedicated to San Vicente Ferrer, the patron saint of the builders. It is one of the architectural buildings for military reason in the Spanish regime. The building is not only a proof of the greatness of Filipino workers but also an evidence of our ancestors’ hard labour. It is also an implication that the Filipinos are forced to do labour in service to the Church and Spanish government.
In the Spanish times, the watch tower served as a look-out post against marauding Muslim pirates roaming the seas. Guards watch the seas for foes from the second floor of the building. In the American period, the tower survived the wars between the Filipino natives and the American colonizers. After the American invasion, the Japanese take charge of the country. The natives, who are against the Japanese rule, camped in the tower and the area around it. In 1944, the Japanese destroyed and burned the town of Maribojoc where the insurgents reside. The tower surprisingly survived. In 2009, the Punta Cruz watch tower was declared a national historical landmark.
There is also a legend that the white wooden cross at the back of the tower is enchanted with mysterious spell that saved a lot of people. The cross is said to extend its arms to the sea protecting the place from enemies. Another story says that when pirates try to attack the province, a glaring light emanates from the wooden cross causing fear and difficulty of pirates to see the land.
The watch tower in Maribojoc is the less damaged among the other old towers in the province. There are towers in Dauis, Panglao, Loay and Pamilacan Island. The towers also have different designs. The passage of time and the wars damage the towers in the other towns. It did not decrease their beauty but rather add the historical meaning of the place. The towers are not so famous compared to baroque churches. Only few people know about its use to our history, even some Boholanos don’t know the towers.
I went to Punta Cruz recently with my mother. I got very excited that I passed the gates without paying the entrance fee.I went direct directly to the tower to observe it. This time, I looked closely at the details of the tower and its surroundings. My mom followed me and I asked her to take pictures of me with the tower as my background. After that, I went inside to view the details inside.
The tower is made up of corals shaped into cubes. The corals are glued to each other by egg whites. This way of building is not extraordinary in the Spanish architectures. The old churches made during the Spanish regime are made similarly to the tower.
The coral flooring is in triangular shape and is about 5 –foot tall. Each side of the triangular flooring is 25 feet long. The tower is about 30 feet high. There is only one entrance/exit of the tower; it’s facing the entrance of the resort. In the side of the entrance is the history of the Bantayan of Punta Cruz. There are seven stairs before you reach the landing. Inside is a four cornered room and the first thing I saw is a two feet high statue of san Vicente Ferrer to whom the tower is dedicated. As I stand at the entrance, at my left are stairs to go to the second floor, at my right are stairs with a dead end and at the farther left and right are windows as large as an ordinary Filipino man. Inside, I can smell the stench of urine. The walls are vandalized writings and drawings carved or painted. I went to the right but only saw a window and a dead end. So I went to the opposite stairs. After the first set of stairs is small window approximately one and a half feet tall in the wall and after the second set of stairs, I reached the second floor. The second floor is hexagonal shaped. At the entrance of the second floor, when I faced back, I saw the whole resort. It was a very beautiful sight and the wind feels wonderful too. There are 5 human-size windows that are not barricaded, thus a dangerous place for children. I went to the window facing the sea; I not noticed that down near the cliff is a very large white cross. Siquijor, Cebu and Mindanao can be seen from the top of the watch tower. It also gives an excellent view of the Bohol channel and the island of Cebu.
The roof was replaced several times. Today, the roof is painted red and is made up tin. The roof is supported by wood. There are also plants and moss growing at the walls and roof of the tower. The overall look of the tower is magnificent.
Punta Cruz is still one of the favourite places because of happy memories I had there.
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