KAWIT, Cavite — The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) officially launched PRESA: The History and Heritage of Spanish Colonial Dam Building in the Philippines by historian, heritage advocate, and journalist Edgar Allan M. Sembrano at the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite on June 25.
The publication documents the history and significance of Spanish colonial-era dams and irrigation systems built across the Philippines from 1699 to 1898, highlighting their role in the country’s agricultural development and their enduring cultural and historical value.
The book launch opened with an invocation led by Rev. Fr. Virgilio Saenz Mendoza, Shrine Rector and Parish Priest of the Diocesan Shrine of St. Augustine and Parish of Santa Cruz in Tanza, Cavite.
NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose Jr. welcomed government officials, local leaders, historians, researchers, heritage advocates, and guests who gathered for the event, emphasizing the importance of preserving and documenting the country’s engineering and cultural heritage.
NHCP Commissioner Dr. Maria Eloisa P. De Castro delivered a comprehensive review of the publication, discussing its historical contributions and relevance to Philippine heritage studies. Sembrano later shared insights into the years of research behind the book, detailing the development of Spanish colonial dams and waterworks that transformed vast areas of the countryside into productive agricultural lands.
According to the NHCP, many of these structures were constructed by Filipino workers and continue to serve as enduring monuments to the country’s engineering ingenuity during the Spanish colonial period. Several of the dams have also been recognized as National Historical Landmarks, National Cultural Treasures, or Important Cultural Properties, with many remaining operational today.
The program also featured a musical performance of Patuloy sa Pagtuklas by Lean Alcantara Aldea, museum guide of the NHCP Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine.
The book focuses particularly on Spanish-era dams and irrigation systems in Cavite and Laguna from the late 17th to the late 19th century while placing them within the broader context of the country’s colonial infrastructure and agricultural history.
PRESA: The History and Heritage of Spanish Colonial Dam Building in the Philippines is now available at the NHCP Bookstore at P 450.00 For orders and other queries, you may call the Property Section at tel. nos. (02) 5335-1209, Mondays to Fridays except for holidays, or email at property@nhcp.gov.ph. You may also check https://bit.ly/PRESA.
