‘Torre​ ​Heliografico’, San Bartolome Parish Church — Preserving Magalang’s cultural treasures

MAGALANG, Pampanga – This town’s first woman mayor is investing on​ ​the promotion of its old structures, including two military
communications towers constructed by Spanish soldiers in the late 19th​ ​century.

Mayor Maria Lourdes Paras Lacson said: “We must find other means of​ ​income for our people. One of which is to promote tourism activities​ ​in our town. We have very interesting old structures here.”

Lacson said they are planning to “beautify Magalang and promote its​ ​centuries-old structures such as the municipal hall, San Bartolome​ ​Parish Church and two heliographic towers.” Last year, the National​ ​Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) declared all these​ ​structures as Important Cultural Properties (ICP).

San Bartolome Parish Church

The municipal hall was reportedly constructed in the late 19th​ ​century. The parish church was constructed beginning 1866, according​ ​to a book written by Louie Aldrin Bartolo.
Inside the church.

Ryan Miranda, Mag​a​lang Touirsm officer, said they want the ‘Torre​ ​Heliografico’ (heliographic towers) be declared as National Cultural​ ​Treasures (NCT), “especially this one in Barangay Sta. Cruz because​ ​it’s still very much intact and preserved.” The other is at the​ ​property of Caryana Monastery in Barangay San Isidro.

Miranda said there will a “bigger ceremony” when they publicly declare​ ​the heliographic towers as ICP to begin their call for the two towers​ ​to be named as NCT.

Joel Pabustan Mallari of the Katipunan ding Talasaliksik at Talaturung​ ​Kapampangan (Katatagan, Inc.) disclosed that there were more 10​ ​heliographic towers constructed in Magalang and nearby Mabalacat and​ ​Concepcion town in Tarlac.

The heliographic tower at the Caryana Monastery in Barangay San Isidro.

In his study, Mallari said: In a letter to the Comandancia General del​ ​Centro De Luzon dated May 8, 1898, Ricardo Monet which was then​ ​serving as the Commandant of War at that time, informs the commandancy​ ​about the complete destruction of activities of the detachment of​ ​Camansi which is located at Mt. Arayat, transforming it into a​ ​blok-haus (blockhouse) constructed at Magalang of this province. Among​ ​the details he mentioned are the presence of torre heliografico​ ​(heliographic towers) which are strategically located in the ten towns​ ​of Magalang, Concepcion and Magalang. They were constructed to serve​ ​as stations (estaciones) of communication having an approximate height​ ​of 20 meters and made under the charge of the Engineering Corps.
Archaeologically, extant towers of this type can still be found in​ ​Magalang and are made unique to each other – made of fine construction​ ​materials such as fine laryu (red bricks) and huge cut stones of​ ​pumiceous rocks and volcanic tuff. “

Mallari said a thorough study of these towers is being done by Dr.​ ​Lino Dizon of Tarlac State University. General Monet’s 1898 letter of​ ​information came from the Instituto de Historia y Cultura Militar –​ ​España (IHCME) through Dr. Dizon’s archival initiatives.

The Magalang Municipal hall constructed in the late 19th century.

Mayor Malu Paras Lacson at the stairs of the Magalang​ ​municipal hall.

Basing on the stories of townfolk, Dr. Dizon said “there were around​ ​three to four more of these towers dispersed in various parts of the​ ​town. People thought they were imburnal (smoke outlets) for cabiaoan,​ ​the trapiche or early carabao-driven sugar mills”.

Later on, several ethnohistorical and archeological surveys took place​ ​together with Mallari.

Ryan Miranda, Maglang Touirsm officer, during the interview.

According to Dr. Dizon, a heliograph, which in Greek literally means​ ​‘sun writer’, is a mirrored communications device for sending messages​ ​in Morse code by flashing reflected sun’s rays to a distant station.

Mallari said an 1896 description is very apt: “An instrument called​ ​the heliograph, or sun telegraph, constructed with small mirrors made​ ​to turn upon both a horizontal and vertical axis, mounted upon a​ ​tripod, so arranged as to make the flashes appear and disappear in​ ​rapid succession, is to a limited extent in use in the army; and by it​ ​messages may be transmitted much faster than with flags or torches,​ ​and it can be used at longer ranges. It is manipulated by a key,​ ​similar to the electric telegraph instrument. Mirror signaling was​ ​first used by the North American Indians.” –Photos by Leo Villacarlos

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