Cotta Fort, Ozamiz: The 1756 Stone Fort on Panguil Bay

Every city has one place that explains why it exists. In Ozamiz it is a square of coral stone walls on the waterfront, next to the port, that has been standing since 1756. The Cotta is why there is a town here at all.

Why it was built

Its full name is Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo, the Fort of the Conception and of the Triumph. It was built by Jose Ducos, a Spanish Jesuit who was both priest and military commander, at a time when the coast of Panguil Bay was raided regularly by slavers from the Lanao side. The settlement that grew up in its shadow was called Misamis, which is where the province got its name. The town was renamed Ozamiz in the 20th century, after Jose Ozamiz, the province's first governor and later a senator. The fort kept the old name.

It is square, with one wall facing the bay and the opposite wall facing the city, which tells you what it was for. Guns on the sea side, the town tucked in behind. In 2002 it was restored to its original design, and it is now a National Historical Landmark.

The Birhen sa Cotta

Against the south wall, outside the fort, is the Archdiocesan Marian Shrine of the Birhen sa Cotta. The image inside is an 18th century statue of the Virgin Mary, the patroness of the city, and for a lot of people in Ozamiz this is the real reason to come. The shrine is a working place of prayer, so dress and behave accordingly, and expect it to be busy on feast days.

What it is like to visit

Give it an hour. Walk the walls, look out at the bay from the sea side, and look back at the city from the land side. The port is right there, which means ferries, cargo and noise, and that is fine. The fort was built for a working harbour and it still stands in one.

Go late afternoon. The stone warms up in the low light and the bay is calmer, and you can carry straight on to the waterfront for the evening. Early morning is the quiet alternative, before the port gets going.

Getting there

The fort is in Barangay Baybay Triunfo, on the waterfront in Ozamiz City proper, next to the port. From anywhere in the city it is a short tricycle ride; ask for "Cotta" and every driver knows it. If you arrive by ferry you are already there. Ozamiz has the province's airport, with direct flights from Manila, and the fort is around twenty minutes from it.

Around the fort

Ozamiz is compact. Asenso Wellness Park, with its lagoon and the 55 foot Christ the Redeemer statue, is a short ride away and is where the city goes in the evening. From Ozamiz it is half an hour south to Tangub for Hoyohoy Highland and the Panguil Bay Bridge, and half an hour north to Sinacaban for AMORAP. If your dates include a Sunday, Oroquieta's Tabuan market is an hour up the coast.

Where to eat, stay and shop in Ozamiz is on our local business directory. If you run a business in the city, get it listed.