PANTAR, Pangasinan, Philippines – For decades, the Cape Bolinao lighthouse atop Punta Piedra Point here has guided vessels.
The lighthouse, built in 1905 by Filipino, British and American engineers, is one of the five lighthouses in the country and the second tallest, next to the Cape Bojeador lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.
It was supposed to be a major tourist destination in the country during the holidays. But today, with the advent of the global positioning system (GPS), the 30.78-meter tower that had guided vessels en route to Hong Kong, Japan and the United States for several decades, has been closed to visitors.
Its barracks reduced to ruin, its rusty gates locked, visitors are now barred from climbing the 140-step winding stairway up to the illumination room, 76.2 meters above sea level.
When this reporter visited the landmark noon of April 2, no caretaker or even a watchman was around; it was deserted.
Upon reaching the area, the ruins of what appear to be the barracks of personnel manning the lighthouse greet visitors. A fenced solar panel can also be seen but not a single signage indicates if the solar facility is working.
With no access to the lighthouse, tourists turn their attention to the pristine beach of Cape Bolinao.
The original third order apparatus of the lighthouse was made in England and the lantern came from France, making the replacement of spare parts difficult. Thanks to the ingenuity of Filipino mechanics, accurate replicas of the original parts were made.
For the first 80 years of its operation, the lighthouse apparatus ran on kerosene. By the 1980s, the Pangasinan I Electric Cooperative (Panelco) extended its power lines to Barangay Pantar, which is now a favorite tourist site, with its impressive rock formations and panoramic view.
The lighthouse has been slated for conservation, with a P19-million budget from the government. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the sole owner of the lighthouse under the Adopt-A-Lighthouse Program, has joined hands with the municipality of Bolinao to improve and conserve the lighthouse.
The PCG will be responsible in maintaining the equipment, and Bolinao town, in preserving the lighthouse and its environs.
The sad plight of the Bolinao lighthouse is evident, too, in the white sand beaches and the dusty roads leading to them.
In this reporter’s two-day stay in a local beach resort, it was surprising to learn that tourist arrivals have been down in the past several years.
An afternoon stroll on the white sand beach came as an eerie experience since no swimmers around. “The area is like a ghost beach, not a single soul dares to roam around here,” a vendor told The STAR in the local dialect.
In the beach resort, which boasts of a swimming pool and other amenities, no other guests checked in. “Our bookings start on Wednesday to Sunday,” said the resort’s caretaker.
Except for barangay watchmen manning two checkpoints and collecting P20 per vehicle, no other government personnel were visible along the rough and dusty roads, parts of which were either cemented or covered by tall grasses, posing danger to motorists.
Travel from Manila can also been an ordeal to visitors going to the lighthouse for the first time, as no signages on the highway guide motorists to the landmark.
Travel time could last for seven hours. Tricycles and kuligligs (tractors) litter the roads of Pangasinan and Tarlac. Even in Alaminos, home of the popular Hundreds Islands, no signages guide motorists – only project billboards bearing the face of a provincial politician dot the highway.