Year first lit ? (current) Range 46,300 m Focal height 66 m | Deactivated ? (first) First lit 1889 Year first constructed 1889 | |
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Location Cabra Island
Lubang Island
Occidental Mindorol
Philippines Construction brick masonry tower (first)
concrete tower (current) Tower shape square parallelepiped tower with balcony and lantern (first)
cylindrical tower with balcony and beacon (current) Markings / pattern white tower (first)
white tower (current) Similar St Joseph Cathedral, Apo Reef Light, Pasig River Light, Capul Island Lighthouse, Aroma Beach | ||
The Cabra Island Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse built on Cabra Island, the north-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.
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Map of Cabra Island, Lubang, Philippines
Cabra Island
The island is the north-westernmost among the Lubang Group of islands 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.) 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.
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 colonization of the archipelago.
Description
The original light, visible for 25 nautical miles (29 mi; 46 km), was shown from a 67-foot (20 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 Guard 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 lenses 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.