Guimbal Moro Watchtower

GUIMBAL MORO WATCHTOWER

The watchtowers are locally known as “bantayan.” The term is rooted to the word bantay, which means “to guard”. One of these bantayans is conveniently situated beside a beach resort thus its name, “Bantayan Beach Resort”.

Bantayan Beach Resort can be accessed by road via Southern Iloilo Jeepney Routes (Guimbal, Miagao, San Joaquin). It is located right in front of RACSOS Woodland Resort and is just a few kilometers from the town proper of Guimbal.

To date, only three of these bantayans survived and were restored through a funding coming from First District Congressman Oscar Garin, Sr with the help of the Department of Tourism.

The watchmen posted at the bantayans used drums then to alarm the people of the coming Moro vintas. The watchtowers stand as a symbol of the bravery and heroism of the people of Guimbal.

Constant attacks from Moro pirates in the southern coast of Iloilo persisted even during the pre-hispanic era. In response, the people of Guimbal built 5 watchtowers located in different sites along the shoreline area in the poblacion in the 17th century.

The Moro Towers have witnessed several upheavals in the history and politics of Roxas City. It withstood the Philippine Revolution and the Fil-Am War that ensued afterwards. However, the towers nearly met their fate during the World War II. Today, these towers stand half-torn, almost obscure from the eyes of the public. They are constantly eroding, thus, calling the attention of the local government to salvage one of Roxas City's oldest existing historical structures. I hope that decades from now, the Moro Towers are still standing so that the next generation can relish the rich history and culture of Roxas City.

The Moro Towers continue to be a living landmark of the rich and awesome history of Capiz. They are here to remind us that despite the change of time, the richness and glory of the past are still here to remain, ready to stay with us no matter how hard we partake from them.

The Moro Towers are here. And they are here to stay. They are here to provide us the glimpse of the awe and wonder of our history, culture, and locale. Let us not forget to preserve them for they are treasured gems to no material wealth of today could ever surpass.

With its array of natural and man-made wealth, Roxas City is indeed a piece of heaven here on Earth that's worth cherishing, protecting, loving, and keeping in our heart.