Lighthouses of the Central Philippines

The Philippines include more than 7000 islands stretching over 1750 km (1100 mi) of the western Pacific. The archipelago was a Spanish colony until the Spanish-American War of 1898, which brought the islands under U.S. administration. Japan occupied the islands during World War II (1942-45), and the country became independent shortly thereafter (1946).

This page lists lighthouses in the central part of the Philippines, including the Western Visayas and Central Visayas Regions. The Western and Central Visayas are a relatively compact group of islands, the largest (from west to east) being Panay, Negros, Cebu, and Bohol. The shallow Visayan Sea lies to the north, the much deeper Sulu Sea to the southwest, and the Mindanao Sea separates the Visayas and Mindanao.

In the list, lighthouses are grouped under the closest major island, although a great many of the lighthouses are actually located on small islands in the nearby shipping lanes.

The lighthouse preservation movement is gaining some momentum in the Philippines. Until recently, all of the historic light stations were in very poor condition. However, the Philippines Coast Guard, which operates aids to navigation in the country, has recently repaired and renovated many of the towers. An "adopt a lighthouse" program has taken hold, and there's hope more extensive restorations will be carried out within the next few years.

Philippine lighthouses are often called parolas. Many Philippine lighthouses are not well known, so better information and photos are needed.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Philippine Lighthouses
8 historic photos posted by Johann Stockinger.
Spanish Lighthouses of the Philippines
This is my own list of the Spanish light stations, with notes on their current status.
Lighthouses in the Philippines
Photos available from Wikimedia.

Bagacay Point Light
Bagacay Point (Liloan) Light, Cebu, March 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Jun Pinili

Western Visayas Region Lighthouses

Antique Province (Panay West Coast) Lighthouses
Nogas Island (2)
1990s (station established 1917). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white flash every 10 s. 30 m (98 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with gallery mountedon a concrete skeletal base. This is a modern tower of the "Apo Reef" class. Marcus Chymera has a photo, another photo is available (almost halfway down the page), there's also a distant view, and Google has a good satellite view. The original light tower, a 16 m (52 ft) wood skeletal tower, is known to have been replaced sometime in the 1990s. Located on an island about 5 km (3 mi) off Anini-y in southernmost Panay. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-093; Admiralty F2332; NGA 14720.
San José de Buenavista (Tubigan Point) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1916). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); three white flashes every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower, flared at the top and bottom. Entire lighthouse is white. Cyruss Matencio has a photo, but Google's satellite view has no detail on the cape. The original lighthouse was a concrete tower on the corner of the Spanish fort. Located on Tubigan Point, which shelters the harbor of San José de Buenavista on the southwestern coast of Panay. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2334; NGA 14724.
Maniguin (Maningning) Island (1)
1906. Inactive. 30 m (99 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Keeper's house occupied by a resident keeper. A 2009 photo is at right, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a very distant satellite view of the location. This handsome American lighthouse has been abandoned recently. The lighthouse marks the Cuyo East Passage, a main shipping route south into the Sulu Sea. Located on a cliff on the southeastern tip of the island, 37 km (24 mi) northwest of Culasi, Panay. Island accessible by charter boats; it is a popular scuba diving destination. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS PHI-091.
Maniguin (Maningning) Island (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 58 m (191 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 30 m (98 ft) white round cylindrical tower with flared top. A 2009 photo is at right. Located next to the historic lighthouse. Admiralty F2288; NGA 14500.
Maniguin Island Lighthouses
Maniguin Island lighthouses, Panay, February 2009
Flickr photo copyright The Colour of Culasi; used by permission

Aklan Province (Panay North Coast) Lighthouse
Floripon Point (Batan Point)
Date unknown (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 11 m (36 ft) round hourglass-shaped white metal tower. A closeup photo and a view from the sea are available, but Google's satellite view has no detail in the area. Located at the west side of the entrance to the Aklan River estuary at New Washington on the central north coast of Panay. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-083; Admiralty F2302; NGA 14628.

Capiz Province (Panay North Coast) Lighthouse
* Culasi Point (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); flash every 7 s. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal white tower with gallery. A closeup photo and a more distant view are available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Leo Crisologo has a photo taken from the gallery of the tower. NGA lists a 5 m (16 ft) concrete tower at this location. Located on a promontory at the entrance to the harbor of Roxas, the capital of Capiz Province in northeastern Panay. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2304; NGA 14632.

Iloilo Province (Panay East Coast) Lighthouses
Manigonigo Island (2)
Date unknown (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 21 m (68 ft); white flash every 7 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Original 1-story keeper's house, unroofed and in ruins. A closeup, a more distant view, and a distant photo are available, but the island is a blur in Google's satellite view. The original lighthouse was a steel tourelle prefabricated in France. Located on a small island about 6 km (4 mi) off the northeastern point of Panay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-090; Admiralty F2308; NGA 14644.
North Gigante Island
Date unknown (station established 1895). Active; focal plane 23 m (77 ft); white flash every 10 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) tower, painted white. Keeper's house painted white with a red roof. Richard Jones has a distant view, and Jorgen Lindahl has another distant view, but Google has only a blurry satellite view. Located on the northeastern tip of an island in the northwestern corner of the Visayan Sea about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of the northeastern point of Panay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-094; Admiralty F2294; NGA 14648.
Baliguian Island (2)
Date unknown (station established 1916). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); white flash every 7 s. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. Raul Banias's photo is at right, but the island is only a blur in Google's satellite view. Baliguian is an inhabited island, although it has no tourist facilities. Located on the island, about 22 km (14 mi) east of Conception in northeastern Panay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-007; Admiralty F2314; NGA 14668.
Baliguian Island Light
Baliguian Island Light, Panay, April 2007
Flickr photo copyright Raul Banias; used by permission
Calabazas Island (1)
1884. Inactive. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. The light tower has collapsed in recent years, and the keeper's house is in ruins. The lighthouse is a prefabricated French cast iron tourelle. The Coast Guard has a fuzzy photo, and Louie Arcilla has a photo of the ruined keeper's house. Klaus Huelse has a historic postcard view showing the original appearance of the lighthouse. Located adjacent to the modern light (next entry).
Calabazas Island (2)
Date unknown (station established 1884). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); green flash every 5 s. 20 m (66 ft) white octagonal concrete tower with gallery. The 1-story keeper's house of the original light station survives in ruins. A 2010 photo is available, and the Degree Confluence Project has a photo taken from the sea, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the island. Located on an island southeast of Ajuy in northeastern Panay. Accessible only by boat, but apparently there is ferry service available from Ajuy. Site open, tower closed.
Siete Pecados (1)
1904. Inactive. 10 m (33 ft) tower with lantern and gallery, attached to or mounted on a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Glenn MacLang has a view from the sea, Rex Delsar Dianala also has a view from the sea, a photo of the lighthouse entrance is available, and Google has a distant satellite view of the station. Unlike the one at Calabazas (previous entries), this Spanish lighthouse appears to be a good condition. "Siete Pecados" is Spanish for "Seven Sins." Located on the largest of 7 tiny islands off the northern tip of Guimaras Island, marking the entrance to Iloilo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-058.
Siete Pecados (2)
Date unknown (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped white tower. The Coast Guard has a very fuzzy closeup photo, and Glenn MacLang has a view from the sea. Located adjacent to the historic lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty F2320; NGA 14692.

Guimaras Province Lighthouses
Note: Guimaras is an island province off the coast of Iloilo Province. The islands of Panay and Guimaras are separated by a narrow channel; ferry transportation is available from Iloilo City to Buenavista, Guimaras.
Navalas Point
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; three white flashes every 6 s. NGA does not describe this light. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view that reveals a round cylindrical or hourglass-shaped tower, probably at least 10 m (33 ft) tall. Located on the northeastern tip of Guimaras. Site status unknown. Admiralty F2319; NGA 14694.
Lusaran Point (Guisi Point, Guimaras) (1)
1894. Inactive. 17.5 m (58 ft) cylindrical tower cast iron tower. Ruined 1-story stone keeper's house. Renz Ticsay has another photo, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the point. Gravely endangered: only the iron shell of the tower survives, and it looks about ready to collapse. Located on Guimaras island opposite Iloilo, next to the current Lusaran Point Light (next entry). Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PHI-121.
Lusaran Point (Guisi Point, Guimaras) (2)
Date unknown. Inactive. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse was probably painted white, although very little paint remains. Jon Mannion has a photo, and the lighthouse can be seen in a panoramic view (pan to the right). Thanks to Jürgen Klinksiek for alerting me to the existence of this lighthouse; we need information on its history. Site open, tower closed.
Lusaran Point (Guisi Point, Guimaras) (3)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (111 ft); white flash every 15 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) hourglass-shaped metal tower, painted white. Jazz Ramiro's photo at right shows the new tower and part of the ruins of the keeper's house, Renz Ticsay has a closeup photo, Abigail Regala has a photo, and a panoramic view is available. Located on the southwestern point on Guimaras Island opposite the port of Iloilo, Panay, marking the southern entrance to Iloilo Strait and Harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-047; Admiralty F2328; NGA 14708.
Lusaran Point Light
Lusaran (Guisi) Point Light, Guimaras, January 2006
photo copyright Jazz Ramiro; used by permission

Negros Occidental Province Lighthouses
Matabas Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped white metal and fiberglass tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the northwest corner of a small but inhabited island on a reef off the northeastern corner of Negros. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2356.6; NGA 14750.
Refugio Island (Sipaway Island)
1913. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 7 s. 17 m (55 ft) "white steel tower" with "concrete dwelling." No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on the northeastern shore of Refugio (Sipaway) Island, which protects the harbor of San Carlos City on the eastern coast of Negros. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-049; Admiralty F2354; NGA 14744.
* [San Carlos (2)]
Date unknown (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); two red flashes every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower, painted white. Seth Villaflor has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the ferry pier at San Carlos. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2356; NGA 14740.

Central Visayas Region Lighthouses

Negros Oriental Province Lighthouses
** [Apo Island (1)]
1917. Inactive since about 2005. 10.5 m (35 ft) concrete tower with gallery and external ladder, no lantern. 1-story keeper's house, abandoned. Francis Kang has a closeup photo. Located at the highest point of the island southeast of Zamboanguita in southernmost Negros. The island is a popular resort, and the lighthouse is accessible by hiking trails. Site open, tower can be climbed.
* Apo Island (2)
2005(?) (station established 1917). Active; focal plane 130 m (428 ft); white flash every 5 s. 11 m (36 ft) hourglass-shaped white fiberglass tower with gallery; access to the gallery is by an internal ladder. Francis Kang has a photo, Philippe Le Bret has posted a photo, Robert Casaclang has a 2012 photo, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Located close to the old keeper's house. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2344; NGA 14796.
Antulang (Siaton Point)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped fiberglass tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Buildings nearby are presumably former keeper's cottages. A photo is available, but Google has only an indistinct satellite view. Located at the southern tip of Negros. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2345; NGA 14730.

Cebu Province West Coast Lighthouses
Pescador Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round hourglass-shaped white tower. Tine Meier has a view from the sea, but the island is not visible in Google's satellite view. Located atop a small island about 10 km (6 mi) northwest of Badian on the southwest coast of Cebu. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-113; Admiralty F2366; NGA 14772.
* Dumanjug
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft), red flash every 5 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round hourglass-shaped white tower. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the base of the Tangli Wharf, about 3 km (2 mi) north of Dumanjug on the southwest coast of Cebu. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PHI-107; Admiralty F2364; NGA 14768.
* [Toledo]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unlisted, red flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (36 ft) hexagonal (possibly octagonal) concrete post with a small lantern reached by an external spiral stairway. A good photo and a closeup are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located in Toledo City, a town on the west coast of Cebu about 70 km (45 mi) west of Cebu City. Site open, tower status unknown; it may be possible to climb the external stairway. ARLHS PHI-122; Admiralty
* [Balamban (2)]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) concrete post light with gallery, adjacent to a small equipment shed. A sunset photo is available, but Google's satellite view has no detail in this area. Located at Balamban, about 20 km (13 mi) north of Toledo. The caption on the linked photo calls this the "new lighthouse." Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2362; NGA 14752.

Northern Cebu Province (Visayan Sea) Lighthouses
* Buntay Point (Madridejos)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) white concrete post light with gallery centered on a robust round concrete pier. Allan Jarina has a photo, and another photo is available, but Google's satellite view has no detail in the area. Located on the beach at the northern tip of Bantayan Island, an island off the northwestern end of Cebu. Site open; a ladder allows visitors to climb atop the pier. Admiralty F2300; NGA 14664.
Tanguingui Island (2?)
Date unknown (1990s?). Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 34.5 m (113 ft) octagonal (?) cylindrical steel tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse is white. 1-story concrete keeper's house falling into ruins. A 2010 view from the sea is available, but the island is only a blur in Google's satellite view. This light is probably a twin to the 1994 Malapascua lighthouse (see below). Located on an island in the middle of the Visayan Sea about 20 km (12.5 mi) north of Buntay Point, Bantayan, and about 100 km (60 mi) east of the northeastern point of Panay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-100; Admiralty F2296; NGA 14652.
Guintacan Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); white flash every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) white octagonal tower. No photo available, and Google's satellite view has no detail in this area. Located on the island about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of Daanbantayan at the northern end of Cebu. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-027; Admiralty F2297; NGA 14665.
Chocolate (Padji) Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 52 m (170 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) white concrete tower. The light is peeking through the trees atop the island in Ronnie Muring's view from the sea, but the island is barely visible in Google's distant satellite view. Located on a small island about 2 km (1.25 mi) off the northern tip of Cebu and 6 km (3.5 mi) southwest of Malapascua Island (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-103; Admiralty F2410; NGA 14808.
** Malapascua Island (2)
1994 (station established 1913). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) octagonal cylindrical steel tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Miko de Villa's photo is at right, and there's a November 2007 closeup by Christie Manguiat, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the island. The original lighthouse was an 11 m (36 ft) wood skeletal tower, and NGA still lists 37 ft as the tower height. Located on an island about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Bogo in northeastern Cebu. Site open, tower can be climbed if you locate a local guide who has a key. ARLHS PHI-089; Admiralty F2412; NGA 14812.
Malapascua Island Light
Malapascua Island Light, Cebu, April 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Miko de Villa

Cebu Province East Coast Lighthouses
Capitancillo Island (2)
1990s (?) (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 25 m (83 ft) slender octagonal cylindrical steel tower with lantern, painted white. 1-story stone keeper's house in ruins. Two photos are available (1/4 the way down the page); they show two towers: an aerial view of the older, more traditional lighthouse and a recent view of the current lighthouse. Marcelino Rapayla has a photo, Tonee Despojo has a photo, and another photo is also available, but the island is only a blur in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Bogo in northeastern Cebu. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PHI-079; Admiralty F2406; NGA 14800.
* Bagacay Point (Punta Bagacay, Liloan) (2)
1874 (station established 1857). Inactive at least since 1908. Approx. 5 m (17 ft) round stone tower. Joey Regis has a photo, and another photo is available. This is one of the oldest lighthouses in the Philippines. Site open, and the ruined tower is also open.
* Bagacay Point (Liloan) (3)
1908 (station established 1857). Active; focal plane 44 m (146 ft); white flash every 5 s. 22 m (72 ft) octagonal concrete and stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted; lantern painted white. Jun Pinili's photo is at the top of this page, Melissa de la Cruz has a 2010 photo, and Google has a satellite view. One of the earliest lighthouses to be built in the Philippines by the U.S. administration. Reported in poor condition, but in March 2004 a group called Coastal Highpoint Ventures Inc. signed an agreement with the Coast Guard to restore and renovate the light station. The lighthouse looks to be in rather good condition in Panili's photo at the top of the page and in an October 2007 photo. The light marks the entrance to the Mactan Channel, which leads to the Cebu City. Located on the point near Liloan, about 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Cebu City. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PHI-066; Admiralty F2402; NGA 14824.
Capitancillo Light
Capitancillo Island Light, Cebu, 2007
Panoramio photo copyright Armand Subingsubing; used by permission
* Cebu Capitol
Date unknown (1937?). Active; focal plane 61 m (200 ft); flash every 5 s, white over the clear channel from the south, red elsewhere. Light mounted atop the dome of the Cebu Provincial Capitol. Google has a satellite view. The building was built in 1937. Located at the northern end of Osmeña Boulevard about 3 km (2 mi) north of the waterfront in downtown Cebu City. Site and building open. ARLHS PHI-102; Admiralty F2392; NGA 14840.
* Lapu Lapu City (Muelle Osmeña)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) square light tower atop a 2-story pier building. Lighthouse painted white with red trim. A closeup photo is available, Ronald Suello has a night photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the traditional ferry wharf at Lapu-Lapu, on Mactan Island opposite the Cebu City waterfront. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2398; NGA 14845.4.
* Kawit (Cauit) Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Kawit was formerly a small island off the coast just south of Cebu City, but the South Reclamation Project has joined the island to the mainland to form a new port area. Located at what was once the eastern point of the island. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2390; NGA 14846.
Lauis Ledge
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 10 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) mast atop a square concrete "dwelling" supported by piles. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This light marks the southern entrance to Cebu City harbor. Located about 800 m (1/2 mi) off the southwestern tip of Mactan Island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2388; NGA 14848.
Sumilon Island
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 17 m (56 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, an exterior ladder and four large buttresses at the base. The lighthouse is unpainted. Brennan Mercado has a closeup photo, another photo is available (third photo on the page), and Google has a distant satellite view. This lighthouse has an unusual design; presumably it was built by the developers of the neighboring resort, but it is operated by the Coast Guard. Sumilon is a small island at the southern end of the Surigao Strait, about 20 km (15 mi) east of the southern tip of Cebu. Located on the south side of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open; nothing prevents visitors from climbing the tower, although this is dangerous. Site manager: Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort. Admiralty F2252; NGA 15126.

Camotes Islands Lighthouse
Note: The four Camotes Islands are north of Bohol, between Cebu and Leyte.
* Pilar
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round hourglass-shaped tower. Entire lighthouse is white. A photo is available, but the lighthouse may be too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located south of pier at Pilar, a town at the northeastern end of Ponson, the easternmost of the Camotes islands. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2442.2; NGA 14971.

Siquijor Province Lighthouse
Minalulan Point (Siquijor)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); white flash every 10 s. 20 m (66 ft) round tower. Entire lighthouse is white. Adam Clemons has a distant view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Siquijor is an island lying about 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Cebu and 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Bohol. Located in Lazi Municipality on the southeastern tip of the island. Site status unknown. ARLHS PHI-111; Admiralty F2369; NGA 14793.
* [Lazi]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unlisted; continuous red light. Light mounted on a square concrete pillar outside the 1-story harbormaster's office. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view of the wharf. Located on the quay at Lazi, at the eastern end of Siquijor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F2370; NGA 14792.

Bohol Province Lighthouses
Cabilhao Island (2)
Date unknown. Inactive. 10 m (33 ft) concrete tower. No photo available, and the light does not appear in Google's satellite view. Located on the northwest point of a small island in the Cebu Strait off the west coast of Bohol. Admiralty F2375; NGA 14880.
* Balicasag Island (1)
1909. Inactive. 5-story square "stepped" tower, each story smaller than the lower one. No lantern. Binx Monsod has a 2009 photo, Jeroen Hellingman has also posted a photo, Romulus Rueda has a photo of both Balicasag lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. This building is called an "old fort" on the 1920 light list. The island is a very well-known scuba diving resort, located off the southwest tip of the much larger Panglao Island off the southwest coast of Bohol. Located near the center of the island. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS PHI-120.
* Balicasag Island (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 7 s. 30 m (98 ft) octagonal cylindrical "Apo Reef" tower on an octagonal platform. Lighthouse painted white. David Chiou's photo is at right, another fine photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The light marks the southern entrance to the Bohol Strait, which separates Cebu and Bohol. Located close to the older tower. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PHI-067; Admiralty F2374; NGA 14884.
* Baclayon
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) white concrete post light with four buttresses. Julia Sumangil has a good photo, Vanie Villapando has a more distant view, and Google has a satellite view of the location. The light is within sight of the historic Baclayon Church, built in 1595, the second oldest church of the Philippines. Located on the pier at Baclayon, on the south coast of Bohol. Admiralty F2380; NGA 14868.
* [Ubay]
Date unknown. Active (perhaps reactivated); focal plane unknown; green flash every 3 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) concrete post light with an external stairway spiralling around the post. A closeup photo is available, but Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the town. Located on or near the pier at Ubay, a town on the northeastern tip of Uday. Site open, and the tower can probably be climbed. Admiralty F2384.4; NGA 14877.3.
Balicasag Island Light
Balicasag Island Light, Bohol, June 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by David Chiou

Information available on lost lighthouses:

  • Port Cebu San Nicolas (1903-?), Cebu City. The light was shown from the bell tower; the church has been rebuilt and the bell tower was demolished.

Notable faux lighthouses:

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Adjoining pages: North: Eastern Philippines | South: Southern Philippines | Southwest: East Malaysia | West: Southwestern Philippines

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Posted July 24, 2005. Checked and revised October 10, 2012. Lighthouses: 41. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.