Bagatao Island Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Bagatao Island Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse
located on Bagatao Island on the eastern side of the entrance to Sorsogon Bay
, in the province
of Sorsogon
in the Philippines
. The 29-ft white cylindrical iron tower is situated on the rocky headland that forms the southern point in the western end of the Island, giving the total light elevation of 135 ft (41.4 m). The light not only marks the entrance to the bay, but also assist ships in navigating the bend around Ticao Island
of Masbate
province
as they head to San Bernardino Strait
and exit to the Pacific Ocean
.
Bagatao Island is adjacent to the town of Magallanes, Sorsogon
but falls under the jurisdiction of Sorsogon City
.
at the entrance to San Bernardino Strait and Bugui Point Light
in northern Masbate. In the final approved plan, it was decided to move the location from Bagatao to the San Miguel Island on the northern tip of Ticao Island.
A working party was sent to the island to commenced on the light station in January 1904. The party was consisted of 2 Americans, from 6 to 10 Chinese carpenters, and about 30 Filipino workmen hired in Manila on account of the difficulty of securing local laborers.
Temporary quarters were constructed for the workers and as well as storehouses. A pier of masonry was also built for landing supplies. A service road from the pier to the tower site was cleared and graded as well as the site for the permanent structures. Wells were also dug in an attempt to obtain fresh water on the island.
The permanent work consisted of the erection of an iron tower, a frame dwelling for the keepers, a frame kitchen, a concrete storehouse and oil room, a cistern of concrete reinforced with steel, a frame latrine, a tripod for a port light, and the cutting of considerable hardwood lumber for use here and at other stations.
The tower, an iron cylinder 29 feet high, was anchored to its concrete base on the summit rock by anchor bolts 1 meter long. The frame dwelling measuring 38 feet 2 inches by 37 feet 6 inches, was supported on wooden posts set in concrete pillars.
The sixth-order flashing white light, equipped both with an incandescent and with an ordinary burner was first lit on May 15, 1904. A red fixed port light was also displayed on a tripod to the east of the flashing light.
The remaining work done by July and August consisted of finishing and painting the permanent buildings, removing temporary structures, and cutting timber for use at other stations as the timber cut on the reservation, cost lesser than the same quality of wood costs in Manila. After the station was completed, the party was brought back to Manila. The total cost of the lighthouse amounted to ₱20,190.30.
. All lighthouses in the Philippines are managed by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on Bagatao Island on the eastern side of the entrance to Sorsogon Bay
Sorsogon Bay
Sorsogon Bay is a large bay in the southern part of Luzon island, Philippines, at . It costs cover Pilar, Casiguran, Sorsogon City, Castilla and Magallanes....
, in the province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Sorsogon
Sorsogon
Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region; it is the southernmost province in Luzon and is subdivided into fourteen municipalities and one city. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The 29-ft white cylindrical iron tower is situated on the rocky headland that forms the southern point in the western end of the Island, giving the total light elevation of 135 ft (41.4 m). The light not only marks the entrance to the bay, but also assist ships in navigating the bend around Ticao Island
Ticao Island
Ticao Island is one of the three major islands of Masbate Province in the Philippines. The other two major Islands are Masbate Island and Burias Island ....
of Masbate
Masbate
Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.-History:...
province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
as they head to San Bernardino Strait
San Bernardino Strait
The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. It separates the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island from the island of Samar in the south.-Filipinos and San Bernardino Strait:...
and exit to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
Bagatao Island is adjacent to the town of Magallanes, Sorsogon
Magallanes, Sorsogon
Magallanes is a 4th class municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a population of 34,418 people in 5,886 households.- History:...
but falls under the jurisdiction of Sorsogon City
Sorsogon City
Sorsogon City is a 2nd class city in Sorsogon, Philippines. It is the capital city of the province of Sorsogon The city is located at southernmost tip province of Luzon. This city was formed by merging the Bacon and Sorsogon towns. The city serves a trans-shipment point from the Visayas and...
.
Spanish Period
A light was earlier proposed on Bagatao Island to assists ships in navigating Ticao Pass together with Capul LightCapul Island Lighthouse
Capul Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Titoog Point in San Luis on the northern tip of Capul Island, Northern Samar in the Philippines. It marks the western entrance to the San Bernardino Strait coming in from Ticao Pass....
at the entrance to San Bernardino Strait and Bugui Point Light
Bugui Point Lighthouse
Bugui Point Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located on Bugui Point in the town of Aroroy, in the northern tip of Masbate Island, province of Masbate, in the Philippines...
in northern Masbate. In the final approved plan, it was decided to move the location from Bagatao to the San Miguel Island on the northern tip of Ticao Island.
American Period
A light station on Bagatao Island was one of the stations proposed by the Bureau of Lighthouse Construction for the fiscal year 1903-1904. The tower planned was one of the several iron lighthouse towers bought by Spain from France and was found by the Bureau at the warehouse of the old lighthouse commission after the turnover to the Americans. The tower though, had several minor pieces missing that required new ones to be made.A working party was sent to the island to commenced on the light station in January 1904. The party was consisted of 2 Americans, from 6 to 10 Chinese carpenters, and about 30 Filipino workmen hired in Manila on account of the difficulty of securing local laborers.
Temporary quarters were constructed for the workers and as well as storehouses. A pier of masonry was also built for landing supplies. A service road from the pier to the tower site was cleared and graded as well as the site for the permanent structures. Wells were also dug in an attempt to obtain fresh water on the island.
The permanent work consisted of the erection of an iron tower, a frame dwelling for the keepers, a frame kitchen, a concrete storehouse and oil room, a cistern of concrete reinforced with steel, a frame latrine, a tripod for a port light, and the cutting of considerable hardwood lumber for use here and at other stations.
The tower, an iron cylinder 29 feet high, was anchored to its concrete base on the summit rock by anchor bolts 1 meter long. The frame dwelling measuring 38 feet 2 inches by 37 feet 6 inches, was supported on wooden posts set in concrete pillars.
The sixth-order flashing white light, equipped both with an incandescent and with an ordinary burner was first lit on May 15, 1904. A red fixed port light was also displayed on a tripod to the east of the flashing light.
The remaining work done by July and August consisted of finishing and painting the permanent buildings, removing temporary structures, and cutting timber for use at other stations as the timber cut on the reservation, cost lesser than the same quality of wood costs in Manila. After the station was completed, the party was brought back to Manila. The total cost of the lighthouse amounted to ₱20,190.30.
Current Tower
The original lighthouse tower still exists but the lamp was recently replaced by a solar-powered modern lamp by the Philippine Coast GuardPhilippine Coast Guard
The Philippine Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement agency operating under the Department of Transportation and Communications of the Philippines....
. All lighthouses in the Philippines are managed by the Philippine Coast Guard.
External links
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Eastern Philippines." The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
.
- Light Stations of Bicol Region at the Philippine Coast Guard Website.