Fort of Pikit, witness to 3 waves of foreign occupation, a national historical landmark

Fort Pikit, whose imposing presence cannot be missed by visitors to North Cotabato, stands dramatically against a blue sky---a mute witness to history. PHOTO BY JEFREY TUPAS

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - The fort of Pikit in the town of North Cotabato has been recognized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as a national historical landmark.

The commission recently issued a resolution declaring the fortress, whose imposing presence cannot be missed by motorists passing by the town, declaring it as such.

The declaration came only two months after the fort’s historical significance was validated by the commission. It is the first historical landmark in North Cotabato.

Before this, the office of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza and Mayor Sumulong Sultan had worked together on the documentation of the history and significance of the fortress. A technical working group was also created, producing a rehabilitation plan for the fort to be completed on September 1 next year.

The fort, made out of stone, was built in 1893. It is one of the military fortifications in Mindanao built by the Spanish colonial government.

The American colonial government used the fort in its “conquest” of Mindanao. It was later taken over by the Japanese Imperial Army but was later recovered by the American forces as they advanced to liberate Eastern Mindanao near the end of World War II.

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