Olongapo in Zambales, Central Luzon, Philippines — Southeast Asia
Old West Gate
"Spanish Gate"
This gate was the entrance to the original Spanish Naval Station established in Subic Bay in 1885. The principal Spanish construction lay to the east along what is now Rivera Point and consisted of an arsenal, several warehouses, and a number of shop buildings.
The base at Subic-Olongapo was used by the Spanish Navy to provide repair, supply, ammunition and medical support for ships. The post was commanded by the Second Commandancia of the base at Cavite and was considered a subsidiary of that command.
The Spanish garrison remained in possession of the Subic-Olongapo base until June of 1898 at which time they were driven out by Filipino forces. The area was formally occupied by the U.S. Navy in September of 1899.
Erected by U.S. Navy.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Places • War, Spanish-American. A significant historical date for this entry is June 8, 1898.
Location. 14° 49.058′ N, 120° 17.011′ E. Marker is in Olongapo, Central Luzon, in Zambales. Marker is on Sampson Road just north of Dewey Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Hellships Memorial (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Inang Laya Monument (approx. 0.4 kilometers away).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Also see . . . Olongapo: Spanish Naval Station. ...On March 8, 1885, the Spanish Naval commission authorized construction of the Arsenal at Olongapo. The Spanish planned to make their naval station, and the village of Olongapo an island, protected against attack by insurrectos. The Spanish Navy Yard occupied the entire area east of the Spanish Gate. Employing Filipino labor, they did extensive dredging of the harbor and the inner basin and built a drainage canal. The canal served both to drain the swampy area around the yard and also to form a line of defense. Within ten years, the Spaniards had erected walls and markers to fence off the arsenal. They had shops and buildings erected. The Spanish government spent almost three decades developing the naval station (Submitted on August 27, 2013, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2013, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,281 times since then and 103 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 26, 2013, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.