Baluarte Watch Tower — Attraction in La Union

Gives the feel of a stone fortress, yet subdued because of the sole column that it is. Arriving here before sunrise was great, the wind was good and you can see the waters nearby. There's a stretch of the beach alongside the Baluarte and a few fishing boats.

As for the stone structure itself, the column has a hole on top. Looking at it from the bottom up has that feeling between falling into a pit and appreciating art. On its gate are various padlocks for love wishes.

As for the two little girls who take photos, the first girl talked to me and I agreed for her to take my photos. Now a second girl seemed like she wanted a cut of the tip so she talked to me, but I wasn't interested in having her since I already agreed with the first girl. Unfortunately, the girl was rude and said unpleasant things before leaving, so that almost ruined my experience. They should police the place or something. It seems like there's some kind of territorial thing there for the locals who seemingly volunteer to take pictures. There was also a middle-aged man who took photos before leaving the spot. Honestly I didn't think a little girl can be so rude just because I already agreed to have my photos taken by the first girl.

As for the quality of their photos, it's not pro but it's also not bad. It's easy to do it if you have someone with you to do it, it's just some wide and far shots of the background, a few (4 shots) with the angle of the hole above the column. I also wanted some entrance shots at the gate, however the little girl seemed fixed into not leaving the spot inside, so I felt a 50 pesos tip was too much.

Good thing there's a lot of tourist willing to take photos for free outside, and most of them are youth.

Outside the Baluarte, there's a sign that says the real name: Mga Bantayan...

One star because the local "tour guides" were so rude and only wanted your money. They made the place unappealing and has become a tourist trap not just for foreigners but for local tourists as well. When we arrived, they collected environment fee (20 pesos pp) but there's not even a public toilet to use. What is the use of the "environment" fee when there's no tree or even trash cans to be seen nearby?

Guides at the gate were already contracting us for them to take our photos. We decided to take photos ourselves. When we got inside the watch tower, one of the female guides walked around us as we took photos making sure she ruins every shot with her presence. We went outside to take photos and videos and returned back. We waited our turn to take photos again but the female guide never allowed us a second inside by ourselves as she keeps calling in those tourists who contracted her for photos. This is not how you run a government facility/museum. They do not own the place and should respect our choice to not hire their services.

The watch tower is small but it's interesting to see something so old but well-preserved. It just lost its essence as locals use it as a...

A 400-year-old watchtower facing the West Philippine Sea built during the spanish period, a 5.6-meter high made by reddish brick structure located at Barangay Victoria, Municipality of Luna. Spaniards created the tower as a lookout point for the approaching attacks of Japanese, Chinese, and Moro pirates and other conquerors in the coastal towns of la union. The guards were able to warn the locals of Luna to protect and defend their properties from ransacker. The baluarte also serves as a communication tower during World War II.

Before the watchtower stands in disarray, vertically cut in two because of eroded base and foundation. Its two halves stand with concrete post supports on its sides. Recently, the tower was totally split in half after it was hit by big waves and strong winds spawned by a typhoon. The philippine government manage to repair the tower, maintaining the structure’s architectural design and materials. Today, the restored Baluarte looks like a fusion of old and new architecture, but it's still a historical landmark in the province that symbolizes luna’s...