From open fires, to candles, to a system of
lamps and lenses powered by electricity, the light from these
lonely sentinels darts across the water to mark dangerous
coastlines, allow safe entries to harbors, and even assist
aerial navigation.
The over-a-century-old structures made of
brick and limestone tower majestically on hilltops over land
with heights ranging from 29 to as high as 98 feet.
Bereft of care and direly in need of
restoration, the Farola exhibit was mounted by Manuel
Noche from May 5-8 at Robinsons Galleria. Forming part of the
celebration of National Heritage Month with the theme The
Filipino Epic, the exhibit features 26 photos of major
lighthouses from Noche’s collection. It was brought to Museo
Ilocos Norte where Noche held a lecture on May 8. It will then
be brought to the National Museum in Tagbilaran, Bohol on May 22
where it will be on exhibit until May 30.
The exhibit aims to generate greater
awareness and appreciation for the 19
century lighthouses. It is being held during the Filipino
Heritage Festival in cooperation with the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts and Robinsons Malls.
"An intricate array of rows and rows of
lenses and prisms magnify the system of lights cast out to the
sea. These imposing structures replicate the vast knowledge of
the people who built them. They transcend time and all kinds of
structures," Noche said.
The research and documentation of this
exhibit was conducted by Noche, renowned architect and professor
of the UST through a grant from the Spanish government.
One of the best known of all lighthouses in
the Philippines, the Faro de Cabo Bojeador located on the
northwestern corner of Luzon in Burgos, Ilocos Norte is a 65
feet (20 meters) octagonal stone tower completed in 1892. It is
also the most accessible of all lighthouses in northern Luzon,
and offers a panoramic and breathtaking view of the South China
Sea.
Set majestically on top of Vigia de
Nagparitan hill overlooking the South China Sea, the lighthouse,
left with its original lantern and lens heavily damaged by an
earthquake in 1990, is a major tourist attraction in the
province.
In June 2003, the local government of Ilocos
Norte founded the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Development
Foundation to rehabilitate the station.
Cabo Melville is a 90 feet octagonal brick
tower also completed in 1892. Conical in form, Noche found the
lighthouse intact but in need of restoration.
Another light station left to decay and
neglect is Faro de Cabo Engaño. The eight bronze lion busts and
bronze marker that used to adorn the century-old structure were
stolen. Tunnels dug by treasure hunters and graffito on granite
walls welcome visitors upon entry. The windows, doors and roof,
kitchens and storage rooms have also been destroyed.
A lighthouse recently lost due to beach
erosion is Punta Linao. Made of cast iron tourelle in
1896, it once marked the entrance to the port of Aparri.
"All these major lighthouses in the country once guided local
and foreign seafarers and their ships safely home," said FHF
director and Intramuros administrator Anna Maria Harper. "Now,
with the hype of modern technology, we expeditiously lose these
structures due to vandalism, negligence and ignorance of our
heritage."
