Basco Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Basco Lighthouse is a lighthouse
in the town of Basco
in Batanes
, the northernmost province in the Philippines
. Located in Naidi Hills in Barangay
San Antonio, the lush green hills and the open sea provide a beautiful backdrop for the lighthouse. The place can easily be reached by a 1.2-Km (3/4 mile) hike from the Port of Basco.
and Mahatao
. The Basco structure was the first completed in 2003.
The location chosen is where the first lighthouse of Basco was built. It was also the site of the American period
telegraph facilities that connected Batanes with the central government until it was destroyed by the Japanese Imperial Army bombings at the start of World War II
. A few of the buildings survived and some have been converted into businesses like a café - resulting from the area becoming popular because of the lighthouse.
houses are made with stone or rubble masonry
.
The viewing deck is a perfect location to view the whole of Batan Island
(the main island where Basco is located) from end to end, including Mount Iraya. One can also have a clear view of Sabtang Island
in the south of Basco and Itbayat Island
to the north.
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....
in the town of Basco
Basco, Batanes
Basco is a 5th class municipality in the Batanes Province, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Batanes...
in Batanes
Batanes
The Province of Batanes , also called the Batanes Islands, is a Philippine province comprising ten islands that are located in the Luzon Strait between the islands of Luzon and Taiwan...
, the northernmost province 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...
. Located in Naidi Hills in Barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
San Antonio, the lush green hills and the open sea provide a beautiful backdrop for the lighthouse. The place can easily be reached by a 1.2-Km (3/4 mile) hike from the Port of Basco.
History
Basco Lighthouse is one of the three lighthouses proposed by former Congressman Florencio Abad of Batanes, not only as working lighthouses, but possibly as tourist attractions. The other two are in SabtangSabtang, Batanes
Sabtang is a 6th class municipality in the province of Batanes, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 1,465 people in 353 households.-Barangays:Sabtang is politically subdivided into 6 barangays.* Chavayan...
and Mahatao
Mahatao, Batanes
Mahatao is a 6th class municipality in the province of Batanes, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 1,707 people in 188 households.-Barangays:Mahatao is politically subdivided into 4 barangays.* Hanib* Kaumbakan...
. The Basco structure was the first completed in 2003.
The location chosen is where the first lighthouse of Basco was built. It was also the site of the American period
History of the Philippines (1898-1946)
This article covers the history of the Philippines from 1898 to 1946. It spans the Spanish-American War which resulted in the United States acquiring sovereignty over the Philippines from Spain via the Treaty of Paris which ended that war, the Philippines as a U.S. territory and later as a U.S...
telegraph facilities that connected Batanes with the central government until it was destroyed by the Japanese Imperial Army bombings at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A few of the buildings survived and some have been converted into businesses like a café - resulting from the area becoming popular because of the lighthouse.
Architecture
The structure is a 6-story building with a gallery or viewing deck on the fifth floor. Located next to the 66-ft tower is a dwelling of vernacular architecture. Traditional IvatanIvatan people
The Ivatans are a Filipino ethnolinguistic group predominant in the Batanes Islands of the Philippines. The origins of the Ivatans remained untraced among scholars, although evidences suggest that they are Christians who lived in the islands between northern Luzon and Taiwan...
houses are made with stone or rubble masonry
Rubble masonry
Rubble masonry is rough, unhewn building stone set in mortar, but not laid in regular courses. It may appear as the outer surface of a wall or may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or cut stone....
.
The viewing deck is a perfect location to view the whole of Batan Island
Batan Island
Batan island is the main island of the Batanes Province in the Philippines, part of the Batanes Islands group and the Luzon Volcanic Arc. It is home to the provincial capital Basco. The island is known chiefly for Mount Iraya....
(the main island where Basco is located) from end to end, including Mount Iraya. One can also have a clear view of Sabtang Island
Sabtang Island
Sabtang is an inactive volcanic island, one of the Batanes Islands of the Philippines. Together with some other islands it forms the municipality of Sabtang in Batanes Province.-External links:*...
in the south of Basco and Itbayat Island
Itbayat Island
Itbayat is one of the Batanes Islands of the Philippines. Together with some other islands it forms the municipality of Itbayat in Batanes Province....
to the north.