To mark the 126th anniversary of the Battle of San Juan del Monte or “Araw ng Pinaglabanan,” the local government of San Juan City opened the newly-rehabilitated El Polvorin Linear Park on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
The park was built in partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)’s “Adopt-A-Park Project.”
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora led the park’s inauguration, along with Vice Mayor Warren Villa, Congressman Bel Zamora, MMDA Chairman Engr. Carlo Antonio D. Dimayuga III, and Rene Escalante, chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
El Polvorin was known as a gunpowder depot used by the Spaniards during the Spanish colonial period. The Katipunan, led by Andres Bonifacio, attacked the site in the Battle of San Juan del Monte in 1896 to steal the gunpowder used by the Spanish forces’ weapons and artillery.
There used to be four depot sites in the past, Zamora said, but they were lost overtime. Neglected by past governance, the area was plagued with demolition and construction activities.
“El Polvorin has been unkempt for years and it’s sad to think that this happened to one of the key pieces in our nation’s independence. It’s important for us to preserve our history even if we are looking into the future,” said Zamora.
“We hope that this will be visited by everyone and allow them to look back at our heroes’ bravery and serve as an inspiration for them and instill nationalism and patriotism,” he added.
The mayor said he proposed the construction of the linear park to the MMDA in 2021.
He plans to cooperate further with the MMDA to renovate the city’s other historical sites.
While he is the city’s mayor, Zamora said he wishes for San Juan to receive greater recognition for its “historical significance.”
“Not all cities can claim to really be part of the Philippine Revolution. ‘Yan ang bagay na pwede natin ipagmalaki, at dapat malaman at maintindihan ng mga darating pang henerasyon (That is something we can be proud of and should be known and understood by the future generations),” he said in his speech.
Prior to the park’s inauguration, city officials laid wreaths and lit the Eternal Flame at the Pinaglabanan Shrine.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) also rendered a 21-gun salute for the country’s fallen heroes.