Bagacay Point Lighthouse

Lighthouse in Cebu, Philippines

Lighthouse

10°22′59.4″N 124°01′06.8″E / 10.383167°N 124.018556°E / 10.383167; 124.018556TowerConstructed1857 (first)
1874 (second)FoundationmasonryConstructionconcrete and stone tower (current)
stone tower (second)Height22 metres (72 ft) (current)Shapeoctagonal tower with balcony and lantern (current)
cylindrical tower with double balcony and lantern (second)Markingsunpainted tower, white lantern (current)HeritageNational Historical Landmark

Fog signalnoneLightFirst lit1908 (current)Deactivated1908 (second)Focal height44.5 metres (146 ft) (current)Lens3rd order Fresnel lensRange20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi)

CharacteristicFl W 5s.

Bagacay Point Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in Liloan, Cebu, in the Philippines.^[1]

Description

The lighthouse tower stands at a height of 172 feet (52 m) in an uphill area overlooking the Mactan Channel. It sits on an elevated 5,000-square-metre (54,000 sq ft) government property. With a focal plane of 146 feet (45 m),^[2] the third-order flashing light was first lit on 1 April 1905.^[3] The present octagonal tower is all masonry and painted white. The landmark was built by virtue of an executive order issued on 28 July 1903 by William Howard Taft, the first American Governor-General of the Philippines who came to the country in 1900 as president of the Philippine Commission. The point light was originally established in 1857 by the ruling Spanish Government.

For over 100 years, this lighthouse has provided guiding light to mariners, navigators and fishermen from coastal towns in northern Cebu. It has been a favorite subject of many painters and photographers for its notable architectural design.

All navigational aids in the Philippines are managed by the Philippine Coast Guard.

References

^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the Philippines: Cebu". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
^ "Lighthouse Depot Explorer" Archived 2011-01-02 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on 2010-0414.
^ Bureau of Insular Affairs-War Department,"Sixth Annual Report of the Philippine Commission, 1905 Part III", pg.282. Washington Government Printing Office, 1906.