ELYU Herald Logo
— — —
Southwest Monsoon Brings Heavy Rains and Rough Seas to Northern Luzon   ◆   Tropical Depression Ester and Monsoon Bring Rains to Luzon   ◆   Monsoon Rains and Rough Seas to Persist Across Northern Luzon   ◆   Monsoon Rains to Bring Flood and Landslide Risks Across Luzon   ◆   Southwest Monsoon Brings Heavy Rains and Flood Risks to Luzon   ◆   Southwest Monsoon Brings Heavy Rains and Rough Seas to Northern Luzon   ◆   Tropical Depression Ester and Monsoon Bring Rains to Luzon   ◆   Monsoon Rains and Rough Seas to Persist Across Northern Luzon   ◆   Monsoon Rains to Bring Flood and Landslide Risks Across Luzon   ◆   Southwest Monsoon Brings Heavy Rains and Flood Risks to Luzon   ◆  

Luna

Historic Coastal Watchtower Restored After Structural Collapse

ELYU Herald Staff 02 Jan 2026, 11:59

The 400-year-old Baluarte in Luna, La Union, is preserved as a symbol of local resilience.

AI Generated Illustration

According to the Provincial Government of La Union, the Baluarte Watchtower in Luna is a 400-year-old military lookout post built during the Spanish colonial era to monitor pirate activity. The structure, located in Barangay Victoria, was constructed using coral blocks, bricks, and a mortar mixture of lime and egg whites.

The tower served as a communication post and airfield lookout for the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL) during World War II. Its historical significance remains a point of interest for the province’s northern tourism circuit.

In 2015, a typhoon caused the base of the tower to collapse, splitting the structure in two. The National Historical Institute and the local government subsequently launched a rehabilitation project to repair the damage. Workers used reinforced steel and adobe bricks to stabilize the landmark. The tower now stands as a protected site, representing the historical resilience of the coastal community in La Union.

SOURCE: PGLU