Cabra Island Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
The Cabra Island Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse
built on Cabra Island, the westernmost of the Lubang group of islands
in Occidental Mindoro
, Philippines
. International vessels entering the Philippines from South China Sea
were welcomed by the Cabra Light and directed either towards Manila Bay
or the center of the archipelago through Verde Island Passage, one of busiest sea routes of the Philippines.
and is an island
-barangay
of Lubang, Occidental Mindoro
. With a length of about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) and about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) at its widest, the island has a flat terrain
with the highest elevation at around 200 feet. The lighthouse complex is situated about 656 yards (600 m.) the from the west end of the island.
The community in Cabra was established by the Spaniards
in 1885, the year they started building the lighthouse. It was named Cabra (goat) after the Spaniards saw herds of goats when they landed.
of the archipelago.
with a new solar-powered tower located next to the previous tower under its Maritime Safety Improvement Project. After the replacement, the lighthouse was abandoned and left open for thieves and vandals. The expensive first-order lens were vandalized with the large front Fresnel lens
es all gone. The original bronze marker were stolen by thieves and is now replaced by the locals with a white board with the original inscriptions. The roof of the keeper's house and utility rooms have since collapsed.
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....
built on Cabra Island, the westernmost of the Lubang group of islands
Lubang Island
Lubang Island is the largest island in the Lubang Group of Islands, an archipelago which lies to the northwest of the northern end of Mindoro in the Philippines. The Lubang Islands are about southwest of Manila. There are seven islands in the group, The island is divided into two municipalities. ...
in Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro
Occidental Mindoro is a province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region in Luzon. "Home of the Indigenous Mangyans". Its capital is Mamburao and occupies the western half of the island of Mindoro, on the west by Apo East Pass, and on the south by the Mindoro Strait; Oriental Mindoro is...
, 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...
. International vessels entering the Philippines from 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...
were welcomed by the Cabra Light and directed either towards Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
or the center of the archipelago through Verde Island Passage, one of busiest sea routes of the Philippines.
Cabra Island
The island is the westernmost among the Lubang Group of islandsLubang Island
Lubang Island is the largest island in the Lubang Group of Islands, an archipelago which lies to the northwest of the northern end of Mindoro in the Philippines. The Lubang Islands are about southwest of Manila. There are seven islands in the group, The island is divided into two municipalities. ...
and is an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
-barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
of Lubang, Occidental Mindoro
Lubang, Occidental Mindoro
Lubang is a 4th class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 22,896 people in 5,082 households.The municipality encompasses western half of Lubang Island.-Barangays:...
. With a length of about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) and about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) at its widest, the island has a flat terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
with the highest elevation at around 200 feet. The lighthouse complex is situated about 656 yards (600 m.) the from the west end of the island.
The community in Cabra was established by the Spaniards
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
in 1885, the year they started building the lighthouse. It was named Cabra (goat) after the Spaniards saw herds of goats when they landed.
History
The lighthouse of Cabra was the first completed during Spain's revitalized program of lighthouse construction in the Philippines. Construction was started on May 3, 1885, and it was first lit on March 1, 1889. It was also the first of the five first-order lighthouses built by the Spaniards in the latter part of their colonizationHistory of the Philippines (1521–1898)
This article covers the history of the Philippines from the arrival of European explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, up to the end of Spanish rule in 1898.-Spanish expeditions and conquest:...
of the archipelago.
Description
The original light, visible for 25 nmi (28.8 mi; 46.3 km), was shown from a 67 feet (20.4 m) high square tower on the west angle of the station. It is visible around the entire horizon except where obscured by Lubang and Ambil Islands.Current condition
The original lighthouse was replaced 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....
with a new solar-powered tower located next to the previous tower under its Maritime Safety Improvement Project. After the replacement, the lighthouse was abandoned and left open for thieves and vandals. The expensive first-order lens were vandalized with the large front Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
es all gone. The original bronze marker were stolen by thieves and is now replaced by the locals with a white board with the original inscriptions. The roof of the keeper's house and utility rooms have since collapsed.
External links
- Cabra Island Light on Lighthouse Depot
- A Cabra Island Lighthouse page from Lubang Island Website