Mga Makasaysayang Tulay ng Romblon
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Puente de Belen, one of the historic bridges in Romblon, Romblon built during the Spanish colonial era.
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  Location of the Historic Bridges of Romblon in the Philippines | |
| Location | Romblon, Romblon, Philippines |
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| Coordinates | Puente de Belen 12°34′32″N 122°16′14″E / 12.5756513°N 122.2704636°E / 12.5756513; 122.2704636 Puente de Rio Casalogan 12°34′27″N 122°16′12″E / 12.5740436°N 122.2699016°E / 12.5740436; 122.2699016 Puente de Romblon12°34′34″N 122°16′13″E / 12.5761197°N 122.2703932°E / 12.5761197; 122.2703932 Puente de la Paz12°34′38″N 122°16′13″E / 12.5770867°N 122.2703463°E / 12.5770867; 122.2703463 Puente Progreso12°34′27″N 122°16′15″E / 12.5741001°N 122.2708773°E / 12.5741001; 122.2708773 |
| Management | National Museum of the Philippines |
The Historic Bridges of Romblon (Filipino: Mga Makasaysayang Tulay ng Romblon) are a group of bridges that were built during the Spanish and American colonial era over the Casalogan River in the town of Romblon, Romblon in the Philippines. In March 2013, these bridges were declared an Important Cultural Property by the Philippine government and was placed under the protection and conservation of the National Museum of the Philippines.
The town of Romblon, which is also the capital of Romblon Province, lies on the island of Romblon between Tablas Island and Sibuyan Island. Situated in a small valley surrounded by several hills, the town is spanned by the Casalogan River which drains into the town's harbor. It was in this valley that the Spanish colonizers established the first permanent settlement in the island in 1571.
As the town's population grew in the ensuing decades, Spanish colonial authorities expanded the settlement inland toward the source of the Casalogan River and so houses and structures were built along the banks of the river. To facilitate easier movement of people and goods throughout the settlement, the Spanish colonial authorities commissioned the construction of several bridges over the river during the 1860s. Using local labor and materials such as limestone and coral stone, they built three bridges over the river that were parallel to each other: Puente de Rio Casalogan, Puente de Belen and Puente de Romblon.[1]
When the Americans annexed the Philippines in 1898, the American colonial government established a civilian government on the island on 16 March 1901. During this period, two additional bridges were constructed over the river. Puente Progreso, built over the Basiao Creek (a tributary of the Casalogan River), was completed on 27 October 1925 during the administration of Governor Inocencio Gonzales, while Puente de la Paz was completed on 23 July 1934 during the administration of Governor Jose Perez. Both bridges were built using concrete.[2]
On 19 March 2013, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the Historic Bridges of Romblon as Important Cultural Property (Category II), being more than 50 years old already. The declaration places the bridges under the protection and preservation of the Philippine government through the National Museum of the Philippines by virtue of the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.[1][4][5][6]
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