El Polvorin

Only remnant of the El Polvorin complex Jon Opol (Atlas Obscura User)

Flanked by an elementary school and a local shopping mall on the other side of the road, this looks like an ordinary site except for a prominent watchtower that seems to belong to another era. Indeed this tower, more than a century old, served as the entry point to the gunpowder depot that once held power over a nation that ached for freedom and liberty after three centuries of colonial rule.

When the Katipunan (officially the Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan and abbreviated as the KKK) decided to rise against the colonial Spanish government, they targeted to strike the El Polvorin first because it would cut off one of the most important military depots—and provide them with supplies of their own. On August 29, 1896, the Katipuneros led by Andres Bonifacio attacked El Polvorin.

The battle is considered the first major battle of the Philippine Revolution, which led to Philippine independence from Spain in 1898.

Know Before You Go

On August 30, 2022, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the San Juan City government inaugurated the El Polvorin Linear Park, built around the site of a historic Spanish-era gunpowder depot which is now within the San Juan Elementary School.

The watchtower is located just near the entrance of the school and is accessible 24 hours, directly in front of Puregold supermarket chain.