Cape Melville Lighthouse

Cape Melville lighthouse

The lighthouse in Balabac Island, shortly after its completion in 1892
Location	Balabac Island, Palawan, Philippines
Coordinates	7°49′02.7″N117°00′10.6″E / 7.817417°N 117.002944°E / 7.817417; 117.002944
Tower
Constructed	1892 (first)
Construction	stone tower (first) fiberglass (current)
Height	27.5 metres (90 ft) (first) 20 metres (66 ft) (current)
Shape	octagonal tower with balcony and lantern (first) cylindrical tower with flared top (current)
Markings	unpaiunted tower, white cupola
Heritage	National Historical Landmark
Light
First lit	1892
Focal height	90 metres (300 ft)
Lens	first-order Fresnel lens
Range	28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 5s. [1]

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. ^[2] 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, and was first lit in 1892.

Construction

The light is displayed from a 90-foot (27 m) tall granite tower, located on a hill 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwestward of the tip of Cape Melville, for a total elevation of 297 feet (91 m) above sea level. The station was built by the Spanish Government as part of their extensive lighting plan for the archipelago. Construction started in 1818, however there were numerous delays, meaning the lighthouse of Cape Melville wasn't lit until August 30, 1892. ^{[3] [4]}

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, who maintain all lighthouses in the Philippines. ^[5] 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]

See also

• Philippines portal

• List of lighthouses in the Philippines

References

1. "Coast Guard District Palawan". Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. "Cape Melville". Foghorn Publishing. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
5. "Safety at-sea: Coast Guard repairs, maintains 32 lighthouses in Caraga region". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
6. Noche, Manuel Maximo Lopez del Castillo. "Lonely Sentinels of the Sea: The Spanish Lighthouses in the Philippines". España, Manila: UST Pub. House, 2005.
7. "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.

External links

• Cape Melville lighthouse on the World List of Lights
• Maritime Safety Services Command
• Light Stations of Southern Tagalog Archived April 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine at the Philippine Coast Guard Website.
• Picture of the current Cape Melville lighthouse