Cape Engaño Lighthouse, also known as Faro de Cabo Engaño (
Filipino: Parola ng Tangos Engaño), is a historic
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
located at
Cape Engaño on
Palaui Island
The Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape is an island that is a protected area and national park in the municipality of Santa Ana in Cagayan, Philippines. It is located off the northeastern extremity of Luzon Island.
Geography
Pala ...
in the town of
Santa Ana, the
province of
Cagayan,
Philippines. Located at the northernmost part of
Luzon Island and situated atop the summit of a hill, 92 meters above sea level, the lighthouse provides a 360-degree view of
Babuyan Island
Babuyan Island (sometimes called Babuyan Claro or ''Curuga Mabuyan'', the clear-sighted) is the highest and northernmost island in the Babuyan Islands in Luzon Strait north of Luzon Island in the Philippines and also directly south of Taiwan via ...
and the Dos Hermanas Island (Two Sisters) on the North,
Pacific Ocean on the West and Engaño cove on the East.
Cape Engaño Lighthouse is now under the supervision of the
Department of Transportation and Communications through the
Philippine Coast Guard's lighthouse division.
History
Faro de Cabo Engaño is one of the four lighthouses built during the Spanish colonial period, which served as gateway lighthouse for incoming ships. The construction started on 21 September 1888 and finished on 31 December 1892, wherein most of the labourers are Filipinos.
The Jamorabon family
The Cape Engaño Lighthouse was for generations the home of the Jamorabons. They also worked as lighthouse keepers, notably Gregorio Jamorabon, the longest-servicing keeper. The complex used to shelter seven crew members tasked to maintain the lighthouse. At that time, according to Teresa Jamorabon, late wife of Gregorio Jamorabon, the lighthouse was the only place where residents enjoyed electricity.
Teresa Jamorabon described how well the government took care of the lighthouse keepers and the station. Their rations of rice, beans, noodles, cooking oil and kerosene arrived every month and were shared equally among the workers, regardless of rank.
According to the Jamorabons, the name of the lighthouse was given by Spaniard seafarers when they first set foot on the cape and were so stunned by its natural beauty that they named it "Engaño".
Structure
The structure was initially designed by Engineer Magin Pers y Pers, who also designed the lighthouses on
Cape Bojeador
Cape Bojeador ( fil, Cabo Bojeador) is the northwestern tip of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is a headland on the South China Sea coast of the municipality of Burgos, Ilocos Norte some north of Laoag. The cape is best known for its ...
and
Capones Island; further design work was provided by Guillermo Brockman.
The lighthouse complex is composed of the housing pavilion that served as an office and workers quarter, the service buildings that served as kitchen and storage, and the 11-meter octagonal tower that houses the crown and the copper lantern (but was now a solar-based lighting mechanism) that is visible in all angles of the lighthouse. This was all built using local materials, masonry and hardwood.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in the Philippines
*
List of Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Cagayan Valley
*
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
Maritime Safety Services CommandLight Stations of Northern Luzonat the Philippine Coast Guard Website.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape Engano Lighthouse
Lighthouses completed in 1892
Lighthouses in the Philippines
Buildings and structures in Cagayan
Spanish colonial infrastructure in the Philippines
Marked Historical Structures of the Philippines
Tourist attractions in Cagayan