Cape Bojeador Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
structure in Burgos
Burgos, Ilocos Norte
Burgos is the last town in the northwest corner of the island of Luzon. It was named after the martyred priest Jose Burgos who, together with two other clergymen, were accused of mutiny and later executed in Manila. He was born in the Ilocos Region....
, Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...
, that was established during the Spanish Colonial
History of the Philippines
The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans via land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. The first recorded visit from the West is the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, who sighted Samar on March 16, 1521 and landed on Homonhon Island southeast of Samar...
period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892 and is set high on Vigia de Nagparitan Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by. After over 100 years, it still functions as a welcoming beacon to the international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north and guide them safely away from the rocky coast of the town.
The light marks the northwesternmost point in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. The northeasternmost being Cape Engaño Lighthouse
Cape Engaño Lighthouse
Cape Engaño Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located on the Palaui Island in the town of Santa Ana, in the province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. Located on the summit of a hill in the northeasternmost point that forms the cape, it lights the approach from the Pacific to the extreme northeast...
in Palaui Island
Palaui Island
Palaui Island is one of the islands in the Philippines, located off the northeastern extremity of Luzon Island, the largest island in the country.-Geography:...
, Santa Ana
Santa Ana, Cagayan
Santa Ana is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,833 people in 4,101 households.Santa Ana is the home of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone.-Barangays:...
, Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
.
The 65 feet (19.8 m) octagonal stone tower, the most prominent structure in the vicinity, can be seen from as far away as Pasuquin
Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte
Pasuquin is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 26,307 people in 5,187 households.Pasuquin is a farming and fishing area...
town in the south and Bangui
Bangui, Ilocos Norte
Bangui is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 14,634 in 3,055 households.The current mayor is Salvacion Cimatu, the first female Mayor in the history of Bangui...
on the east on a clear day. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the highest-elevated or tallest lighthouse in the Philippines. Corregidor Lighthouse is higher at over 600 feet and among the Spanish Colonial lighthouses, the tower of Cape Melville Lighthouse is the tallest at 90 feet. In Mindoro Strait
Mindoro Strait
Mindoro Strait is a strait in the Philippines, separating Mindoro Island from Busuanga Island of Palawan. Located within its waters is the Apo Reef, the largest coral reef system in the Philippines....
, the recently erected modern tower at the Apo Reef
Apo Reef
Apo Reef is a series of coral reefs encompassing 34 square kilometers within the waters of Occidental Mindoro in the Philippines. It is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and the largest in the country...
Light Station rises to a height of 110 feet.
History
The Cape Bojeador lighthouse was part of the Spanish government's master plan of illuminating the Philippine archipelago. The project commenced with the execution of the lighthouses in the northern and western part of the Philippines and those around Iloilo and Cebu. The Burgos lighthouse was first lit on March 30, 1892.Design
The lighthouse was first designed by Magin Pers and Pers in 1887 and was finished by the Lighthouse Service under Guillermo Brockman. It is typical of the Spanish Colonial lighthouses which is all masonry made with bricks that are widely used and produced in the area. The octagonal tower is topped with a bronze cupolaCupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and the viewing gallery is surrounded by decorative iron grill works.
Lighting Apparatus
1990 Luzon earthquake
The Luzon earthquake occurred on Monday, July 16, 1990, at 4:26 PM local time in the Philippines. The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 Ms...
that hit most of Luzon damaged the lenses and displaced the mechanism alignment of the original first-order apparatus making it inoperable.
The beam now comes from a modern electric lamp that is powered by solar panel
Photovoltaic module
A solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...
s. The light before was provided by pressurized kerosene lamps very much like "Coleman lamps". In 2005, the old pressure vessels and wicks for the light could still be found in the shed.
Historical Markers
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse was declared a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2004 and a National Cultural Treasure on June 20, 2005 by the Philippine Government.Visiting the lighthouse
Cape Bojeador lighthouse is the most accessible of all the lighthouses in the island of Luzon . Access to the lighthouse is through a two-lane narrow concrete road that starts from the Maharlika Highway in Brgy.Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
Paayas, Burgos, about 35 km. north from Laoag City
Laoag City
The City of Laoag is a 1st class city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Ilocos Norte, and the province's political, commercial, and industrial hub. It is the location of the Ilocos region's only commercial airport...
, capital of Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...
. After passing Paayas, a sign on the right side of the highway indicates the winding road that leads to the base of the lighthouse.
At the parking lot, visitors climb a flight of concrete stairs to the perimeter wall which offers a good view of Cape Bojeador and South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and enter the courtyard. Look for the lighthouse keeper and inform him of your intentions. The service buildings and the cistern are located in the courtyard. The elegant T-shaped stairway leads you up to the verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
of the main pavilion. The hallway of the main pavilion takes you to the foot of the covered stairs that lead to the entrance of the tower. A spiral staircase leads the visitor to the lantern room on top. Only a certain number of people are allowed in the tower at a time. Access to the gallery depends on the outside wind condition.
The pavilion has now been transformed into a small museum as well as lodging for people seeking basic accommodation, though except from shared cooking facilities and water from the cistern, no other amenities are provided.
Visiting the area is recommended in the months of November to January, when the cold winds from winter China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
are felt throughout the normally hot Ilocos Region
Ilocos Region
The Ilocos region or Region I is a Region of the Philippines and is located in the northwest of Luzon. It borders to the east the regions of the Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley and to the south the region of Central Luzon...
.
External links
- Cape Bojeador Lighthouse at Lighthouse Depot.
- Lighthouse Stations of Luzon at the Philippine Coast Guard web site.