The Ancient Watchtowers of Carcar

The Heritage city of Carcar is what most Cebuanos think of when they think old buildings and old houses, and they are correct, very correct the church is certainly old, the rotunda is one of the 4 in Cebu and the rotunda of Carcar is very elegant. There are ancestral houses in every road and everywhere you look all dating from the Spanish to American period, Unlike the city the city was not ravaged by World War 2 leaving most of its structures intact and in good condition. In reality Carcar today is not where the old Carcar was and like Oslob was moved because of Moro Raids in the 16th to 19th century. The town was previously called Sialo and exists in modern day Barangay Tuyom and Valladolid. The site was visited by archeologists in 2002 and found ruins of the church and stone flooring. The town was then named Kabkad or Kabkar after a certain fern that grew in the area. There are only 3 remnants of the old Sialo these are the Bantayan sa Hari or Watchtowers of Carcar.

The first watchtower was erected in Sitio Bacsije in Barangay Ocana a few kilometers south of Sialo as a early warning system for the townspeople to evacuate and for the Barangay boats to meet the pirates at sea, this Watchtower has been attributed to Fray Julian Bermejo who did the most to defend Cebu’s southeast coast. The Watchtower is quadrilateral in shape with 1 meter crenellations on each corner, and the tower is 4 meters tall. According to locals the watchtower was once used as a cock fighting ring, and when it was used their fathers made a hole into the right side of the watchtower to get in as the government had concretized the original entrance.

The second Watchtower is in Sitio Bantayan, the reason why they named the sitio Bantayan was after this watchtower the was constructed in 1604 according to an inscription that is on of the tower crenelations (This date is highly dubious. The inscription is unclear as the 6 may be read as an 8) , this watchtower was also attributed to Fray Julian Bermejo but this is most likely false as he was not alive at this time. These watchtowers were made of Argamasa (Coral Rubble) or were made of Tinableya (Coral stone Blocks). This Watchtower is built before a large cliff face giving a great view of the ocean. The Spanish era road leading to Sitio Bantayan is a obvious indicator of this watchtowers age.

This is the Valladolid Watchtower the furthest north from the Bacsije Watchtower through the ravages of time only one corner still exists but the watchtower is the closest to what is believed to be the original site of Sialo. this watchtower was also attributed to Fray Julian Bermejo but this is most likely false as he was not alive at this time. These Bantayan sa Hari are falling into ruin as the centuries tore them apart and have exposed the foundations. The Bantayan Sa Hari are a important part of Cebuano history they deserve to be preserved and remembered for if not for them there would be no Cebu.