Cape Melville Lighthouse
The Cape Melville Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located in the island of Balabac, the southernmost point of the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is also the southwest corner of the archipelago. The first-order light was constructed by the Spaniards to light Balabac Strait, the treacherous body of water that separates the Philippines from the neighboring country of Malaysia.
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| Location | Balabac Island, Palawan, Philippines |
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| Coordinates | 7°49′02.7″N 117°00′10.6″E |
| Year first constructed | 1892 (first) |
| Year first lit | n/a (current) |
| Deactivated | n/a (first) |
| Construction | stone tower (first) fiberglass (current) |
| Tower shape | octagonal tower with balcony and lantern (first) cylindrical tower with flared top (current) |
| Markings / pattern | unpaiunted tower, white cupola |
| Tower height | 27.5 metres (90 ft) (first) 20 metres (66 ft) (current) |
| Focal height | 90 metres (300 ft) |
| Original lens | first-order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 5s.[1] |
| Admiralty number | F2152[2] |
| NGA number | 14540[2] |
| ARLHS number | PHI-014[3][4] |
| Heritage | National Historical Landmark  |
The light is displayed from a 90-ft tall (27.4 m) granite tower, located on a hill 1.5 miles northwestward of the tip of Cape Melville, for a total elevation of 297 ft (90.5m) above sea level. The station was built by the Spanish Government as part of their extensive lighting plan for the archipelago. The lighthouse of Cape Melville was first lit on August 30, 1892.[5]
Lighthouses in the Philippines are maintained by the Philippine Coast Guard.
Current condition
The Spanish lighthouse is no longer in service and a white aluminum prefabricated tower with modern solar-powered light was erected near the grounds of the old tower by the Philippine Coast Guard. Because the station is still manned, the original lights and lenses are still intact except for a central glass pane which was stolen by vandals. The tower still retains its original clockwork but is inoperative.[6]
National Historical Landmark
The lighthouse (or Minarit) located at Barangay Melville in Balabac Island, Palawan was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.[7]
References
- "Coast Guard District Palawan". Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- List of Lights, Pub. 112: Western Pacific and Indian Oceans Including the Persian Gulf and Red Sea (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2009. p. 190.
- "Cabo Melville (Isla de Balabac) Light Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine". World List of Lights, Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society. Retrieved on June 28, 2010.
- Cape Melville Lighthouse Archived March 11, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved March 12, 2016
- Por Algunos Padres de la Mision de la Compañia de Jesus en Estas Islas, "El Archipiélago Filipino, Collecion de Datos", pg.527. Washington Imprenta del Gobierno, 1900.
- Noche, Manuel Maximo Lopez del Castillo. "Lonely Sentinels of the Sea: The Spanish Lighthouses in the Philippines". España, Manila: UST Pub. House, 2005.
- "Parola ng Cape Melville" Archived December 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures of the Philippines. Retrieved on April 28, 2013.
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the Central Philippines". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
External links
- Maritime Safety Services Command
- Light Stations of Southern Tagalog at the Philippine Coast Guard Website.
- Picture of the current Cape Melville lighthouse
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