Besides its delicacies, the town of Liloan is best known for the towering structure found in one of its barangays: the Liloan lighthouse. Formally known as Bacagay Light Point, the lighthouse is an important nautical waypoint and a favorite hangout for people who like to drink while breathing the fresh sea breeze. Over a hundred years old, the lighthouse has been declared as a National Historical Landmark on August 23, 2004.
History
William Howard Taft, the governor general of the Philippines in 1904 during the American Administration, ordered the construction of the lighthouse in Barangay Catarman, Liloan. The lighthouse was intended as a replacement of a similar yet older structure built by the Spaniards in 1857 in the same location.
Technical Details The lighthouse is made of concrete and is shaped like an octagon. The builders decided to paint it white. It is over 72 feet tall, and has a focal plane of 146 feet. Its white light flashes every 5 seconds, and can be seen from over 17 nautical miles away. The lighthouse is solar powered.
Location and Travel Guide
Bacagay Light Point is located 22 kilometers away from the main highway. You can find the lighthouse by following the “This way to Amara” signs in Liloan or by following the road from Cebu and Mandaue Cities until you reach Liloan town proper and then following the road to the right side of the lighthouse replica in the plaza. The latter road takes you across the Suba Channel, another attraction offered by the town for its visitors.
The lighthouse is located on an elevated piece of land, which means aside from the lighthouse you get to enjoy a view of the Tañon Strait while visiting the place. The place is best viewed at night, where you get a not-so-elevated view of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge and the lights of Mactan Island.
Right beside the lighthouse is a drinking joint, where you can sing videoke in an open-air setting while chugging down your favorite beer. You can also just sit and enjoy the fresh air of the strait while looking up at the stars. For a lot of years, young and old alike have visited this place not only for the sights it offer, but also for the enjoyment the drinking joint gives them.
Photo copyright Benjie Ordoñez
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1 comment:
Hi I enjoyed reading your blogs. Interesting how two foreigners could write so much about a town. I am planning to get married in the San Fernando Rey Church in Liloan. Tho I am originally from Cebu but not from Liloan, I don't know much of the town. Can you please tell me if the church still has the old facade to date? Or have they made some restoration works on the church? Is the lighthouse still being used til today? How far is it from the Church? thanks
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