THE Tourism department and the National Museum have approved in principle the proposal of the local government for the provision of lights and sound effects in Fort Pilar Shrine.
The Fort Pilar or Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza in Spanish, is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government.
Fort Pilar is the biggest fort outside of Metro Manila and the most preserved fort.
The Zamboanga City Government’s proposal to light up the façade of the historic Fort Pilar Shrine was an offshoot of the lights festival held last June, during which the area was transformed into a spectacular canvass of light, music and ideas.
The Lights Festival was the first ever to be held in Mindanao. It attracted thousands of people who witnessed the amazing lights illuminating the shrine.
National Museum Director Jeremy Barnes has also expressed intentions to allocate funds for the improvement of some infrastructures at the museum located right behind the Fort Pilar Shrine.
The projects are expected to be carried out within the next few months, he said.
The shrine is now an outdoor Roman Catholic Marian shrine, a museum and a symbol of the city's cultural heritage.
