Getting lost really has its rewards wherein you purposely get out of the usual tour itineraries and routes but wander aimlessly looking for something new.

This trip to an old Spanish lighthouse was made possible when Tutubi got "lost on purpose" in Batangas City, looked for a place to eat that's new to him but in the process found himself adrift on the zigzag road to Lobo, Batangas.

When he got to Lobo, he can't find any restaurant, just small town eateries serving usual stuff, he thought of going straight to the old Spanish lighthouse on Punta Malabrigo: the Faro de Punta Malabrigo

From the town proper of Lobo, he asked around for directions and made to turned left near the town plaza then left again to the road going to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas.

It was a route with a view of Cape Verde Passage, gray sand beaches (if not pebbles) and hilly terrain. It was on this lonely road's high portion when the sight of the heritage lighthouse, often portrayed as romatic sentinels of the sea appeared to him.

This is the fifth of the twenty-four lighthouses built by the Spaniards, all of which he intends to visit in his lifetime. Will he be able to visit all? Just keep your fingers crossed! :P

Faro de Punta Malabrigo: Batangas Lighthouse in Lobo town:





Framed: Faro de Punta Malabrigo on approach from the dirt road

Malabrigo lighthouse in Lobo Batangas

This old lighthouse seems to be well-maintained, unlike the other lighthouses earlier seen by Tutubi. It was newly-painted as if it's still wet.

Tutubi wasn't able to get inside to shoot interiors including the spiral staircase of the tower. It was closed, nobody seems to be around. There's a sign that says no picture taking/video without permit from the Philippine Coastguard, the government agency assigned to maintain the heritage structure and navigational aid in this time of the global positioning system (GPS) ubiquity.

There's also a battery of solar cells enclosed in a cage charging the batteries powering the beacon lights at night.

Lighthouses though are popular shoot locations of movies and teleseryes, can you recall which of them were shot here?

History of Malabrigo Lighthouse on the NHI (NHCP) marker

Faro de Punta Malabrigo (Malabrigo Lighthouse) tidbits:

Designed by Guillermo Brockman as a cylindrical brick tower with metal staircase, adjacent pavilion and machine room in 1891

Built by the Chinese contractor Jose Garcia in 1896

How to get to Lobo, Batangas:

if you have a GPS or a GPS app in your iOS/Android devices, set it to these coordinates 13° 35.922N 121° 15.604E and you will it on the hilly portion of Malabrigo road connecting Lobo town to Laiya, San Juan Batangas. A map of Lobo is available here

commute to Lobo, Batangas: take a bus to Batangas pier (choose from RRCG transport, Ceres Transport, Batangas Express, Alps the Bus), Fare to Batangas is PhP175.00 from Cubao.

In Batangas, just right after the end of Startoll, transfer to a jeepney going to Lobo town.
In Lobo town, you may take a tricycle or a jeepney going to Laiya (infrequent trips, best is the trike)

driving directions

best to have a car to get there, it's just SLEx, Startoll then left at the end of Startoll, follow the zigzag road going to Lobo.

In Lobo town, turn left then left again on the road going to Malabrigo

Other romantic lighthouses visited by Tutubi so far:
Pasig River Lighthouse
Corregidor Lighthouse
Capones Island Lighthouse
Cape Bolinao Lighthouse

Labels: Batangas, Calabarzon, Lighthouses, National Historical Landmarks

Standing 101 feet high, Cape Bolinao Lighthouse is the second tallest lighthouse in the Philippines, next only to Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. Located in Patar, Bolinao, Pangasinan, it guides sailors and fishermen from the coast of Cape Bolinao. It was built by the Americans some time in 1903 (thus it's not really an old Spanish Lighthouse)

Like most lighthouses in the Philippines, it's operated by the Philippine Coast Guard and now running on solar power.

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse with Scarlett, Tutubi's new travel buddy in view




a crude attempt at framing the shot behind a flower with the camera held so low without even looking at the viewfinder...turned out fine though

Cape Bolinao Lighthouse offers a sweeping view of Cape Bolinao passage, the iconic Treasures of Bolinao beach resort with its lighthouse logo and the backpacker-friendly white sand beach of Patar.

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Cape Bolinao Lighthouse
Coordinates: N16 18 25.6 E119 47 07.8

Labels: Ilocos Region, Lighthouses, Pangasinan

The most visited tourist spot in Ozamiz City, a city strategically located at the mouth of Panguil Bay, and the larger Iligan Bay in Northern Mindanao, is an old Spanish Fort named Fuerte del la Concepcion y del Triunfo, more commonly known as Fort Triunfo.

The main gate of Fort Triunfo, sometimes referred as Fort Santiago, quite confusing since Fort Santiago is mostly identified with Intramuros in Manila

The National Historical Institute (NHI) Marker states:

Fuerte del la Concepcion y del Triunfo

"Made of coral stone, rectangular-shaped with four bulwarks: San Fernando, San Jose, Santiago at San Ignatio, 1756, base of the Philippine Constabulary at the time of the Americans and the Japanese. Destroyed by earthquake of 1955. It's where Our Lady of Immaculate Conception was enshrined called Virgin Mary, Virgin of the Fort, venerated and visited by devotees on July 16. Repaired 2002. Declared as National Historical Landmark, 13 March 2002"

the ramp leading to bastion of San Ignatio and where a modern lighthouse stands
Gate of the fort in color, note the use of St. James (San Santiago) riding on a horse

Inside Fort triunfo is a museum (not much on display except sample coral stones used in original construction of the fortress, plus some antiques), the old armory, a Subanen tribal house, and also Lanao and Maguindanao traditional huts.

the museum building inside the fort, not much on display though
outside the wall facing Panguil bay is the image of the Virgin of the Cotta, venerated by Catholics , and also a popular pilgrimage site

A small shrine outside the walls venerating Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion y Triunfo or sometimes the Blessed Virgin of the Cotta of Misamis.

The fort underwent major repairs, some parts, as claimed were not even on the original plan plus the addition of a lighthouse.

From outside the fort, you can get views of Bukagan Hill, where large bells were installed, Cotta Beach, a popular "dipping" spot for the locals.

Fort Triunfo Entrance Fee: P5.00

Note: If you're looking for other ancient Spanish forts, there's Fort Santiago and Intramuros in Manila as well as Fort San Antonio Abad, Cebu's Fort San Pedro as well as its namesake fort in Iloilo, Fort Pilar in Zamboanga City, Palawan's Fort Cuyo, Fort Cagayancillo and Fort Culion and Fort Taytay, Fort Victoria in Iligan City, and Fort San Felipe in Cavite City. Note also the small walled City in Jolo, Sulu and the small fort of Pamilacan Island in Bohol.

How to get there:

Flights to Ozamiz City from Manila are serviced by Air Philippines and PAL Express (code-share with AirPhils) with daily flights but prone to delays. Cebu Pacific Flights wil be available in November 2008. Flights from Cebu to Ozamiz started just last Sunday, September 14, with flights every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Cotta and Fort Triunfo can be reached from Ozamiz City Airport via a short tricycle ride (fare: P50/person). Buses from Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian, Zamboanga City and Dipolog also service the city's commuters. There are are regular ferry scheduled trips from Mukas, Kolambugan town of Lanao del Norte across Panguil Bay for about 30 minutes travel time.

Labels: Lighthouses, Misamis Occidental, Northern Mindanao, Ozamiz City, Spanish Forts

After Pinatubo and the brief stopover at Capas National Shrine, the group headed to San Antonio town in Zambales and checked in at Megan's resort (it's low budget resort with good enough facilities for backpackers like us) in barangay Pundaquit.

We hired outrigger boats (banca), for a few hundred pesos, to take us to Capones Island for us to satiate the beachbums in all of us. Stretches of white sand beaches can be found on Capones and the larger Camara island.

Do you remember Juris of MYMP singing "Get Me" on this very same beach? On the background are Camara (named after Antonio de la Camara, a Spaniard who surveyed the islands in 1884) and Capones islands (Isla de Gran Capones) :)

A short boatride took us to the island of Capones where beaches, fascinating rock formations inviting for rockclimbers, corals and turquoise water beckons.





On the island beach, we found a nice, cozy cave where the Tutubi hibernated and dozed off for a few minutes.



picture of a limbless, but not lifeless, crab i found on the lee shore of the island (not actually limbless since the pincers are also limbs)

History of Capones Island Lighthouse

What we're really after, as you already know, is the old lighthouse (Faro de Punta Capones on the Isla de Gran Capon) finished in 1890 and built purposely to guide ships entering and leaving Manila Bay and Subic and warns passing ship of the dangers of rocky shores surrounding the island.

In search of the lighthouse on the island, I hacked my way out of tall grass, rocky shores and unmarked trail before finding the right path to take to the top of the rocky hill where the "romantic" lighthouse proudly stands.

The old structure still stands, made of red bricks, but the facility inside already has a creepy feel to it with broken windows and rubbish littered on the floors.







The stairs leading to the top of the tower is closed and we're not pasaway enough to enter the restricted area.
The lighthouse is now powered by solar energy, mush like its brother in the island fortress of Corregidor

After exploring the surrounding beaches, rocks and interesting coral formations, without actually swimming, we boarded the boat for the return trip to the beach resort.

Another romantic lighthouse "conquered" by the Tutubi!

On our way back to Manila, we stopped by for a hearty dinner in Subic bay; tired and sunburnt, most of os slept thoughout the return trip to reality we call Manila.

How to go to Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales and Capones Island:

From Manila, take a the NLEX exit at San Fernando Pampanga, from San Fernando, head southwestward to Olongapo city. In Olongapo city, at the the head boundary of Olongapo, make a right turn going to Subic Castillejos then San Marcelino, at San Marcelino, take westward to San Antonio. In San Antonio, head southwestward to Pundaquit. The road to Pundaquit is circuitous so better ask around when you're there.

For an idea about the room rates, try to contact Megan's resort through ther website here or try camping on the slopes of Mt Pundaquit

List of other Historic Lighthouses in the Philippines visited by Tutubi:

Faro de Rio de Pasig (Pasig River Lighthouse
Faro de Isla Corregidor (Corregidor Lighthouse)
Cape Bolinao Lighthouse

Labels: Beaches, Central Luzon, Islands, Lighthouses, Zambales

It's an eagerly awaited day for a photoshoot with renowned photographer Edwin Tuyay whose works included covers for publications Asiaweek, Newsweek, Readers Digest and Time magazine. For this we headed to The Greenery hidden somewhere in Baliuag, Bulacan.

Going there was not easy as the Greenery's map displayed on their website was full of inaccuracies even for second-timers Edwin and his wife Ellen, the husband and wife team behind ePhoto Gallery.

Arriving at our destination ahead of Edwin and Ellen, we wandered around the vast complex developed purposely for special events such as weddings, debut, prenup (pre-nuptial pictorials), parties et al. The venue has a dollhouse that can accommodate couples and celebrants, a grand ballroom, an operable small train and tracks going around the place and where a newly-wed couple may arrive on for such an uncommon, dramatic entrance, a driving range for golf enthusiasts, a pavilion built in the middle of a river, add to that the various trees, flowers and plants providing accent to the serene, romantic place. But the best feature of the place that got me attracted to it is the lighthouse along the river for the uber-romatic ambiance of any event.

We waited a while around 4 o'clock for the lighting to be perfect and the heat to be bearable before we did the shoot.

Let these pictures show you the beauty of the place, hidden gem of Baliuag:

the dollhouse offers room accommodations and function hall encircled with greens (isn't it obvious the place is green?)

Imagine your dream event held near this romatic lighthouse with its warm glow giving a unique ambiance you and your guests will cherish

Haven't you figured that yet that I'm such a sucker for lighthouses? :)

Edwin Tuyay on the Pavilion with one of the models.

The best thing I learned from this experience was how to effectively use reflectors to illuminate certain parts of your photographic subject, posing, and various portraiture tips I learned from the affable master photographer, with Canon 5D and backup Nikon D40, who doesn't mind going into difficult positions just to capture the best shot possible.

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You may visit The Greenery (formerly TGI Pavilion) website here and actually located in Rio Vista Subd, Sabang, Baliuag, Bulacan. To go there, take Sta Rita exit on NLEX, pass by Plaridel and Pulilan towns and follow the map posted on their official site. Note that it's really hard to find. The place is a few minutes away from Mt. Carmel Church.

Edwin Tuyay is one of the best wedding photographer in Manila and highly sought after by corporate clients for product shoots and photography contest judging. ePhoto Gallery's site is here.

Note that I'm not affiliated with the The Greenery nor Edwin Tuyay in any way.

Historic Lighthouses in the Philippines:

Faro de Rio de Pasig (Pasig River Lighthouse
Faro de Punta Capones (Capones Lighthouse)
Faro de Isla Corrigedor (Corregidor Lighthouse)

Labels: Bulacan, Central Luzon, Lighthouses

Let me now take you to a walking tour of the island starting at the parade grounds of the island known as "Gibraltar of the East"






The parade ground with a howitzer on display



The Filipino-American Friendship Park beside Cine Corregidor



The Pacific War Memorial completed in 1968 dedicated to American and Filipino servicemen. Nearby is a museum of war memorabilias.


The altar inside the Pacific War Memorial dome where light from above sometimes fall perfectly into place



The Eternal Flame of Freedom, a large steel structure, symbolizing the Flame of Freedom burning for eternity. )I wanted to take pictures of this structure at night but my colleagues are so afraid of ghosts and the tranvia is not available.)



The sweeping view from the platform of the Eternal Flame of Freedom with the tail of the tadpole in sight, the other islands, Bataan and Cavite. (sorry for the dirt on my lens. too lazy to clean it up)



The Buddhist statue at the Japanese Garden of Peace. This garden, used to be the Japanese cemetery, also has a Shinto shrine.



One of the anti-aircraft guns at the garden



The spanish lighthouse, Faro de Isla Corrigedor (Corregidor Lighthouse), originally built in 1836, the present structure is a reconstruction since it was destroyed during the war. On the viewdeck of the lighthouse is a 360 degree view of the island, South China Sea, Manila Bay, Bataan and Cavite provinces. Isn't it obvious that I really, really love lighthouses? There are many more lighthouses posted here :)





A winding road on the island reputed to be the most heavily bombed place on earth (per unit area) during the war. Note that during the siege of Corregidor, the Japanese dropped tons and tons of bombs from airplanes and borbarded it from batteries in ships, and on the beaches of Bataan and Cavite in present day Puerto Azul.

Related Posts:

Fall of Corregidor,
Corregidor Guided Tour Part 1,
Corregidor Teambuilding and Light Trek Activities,
Corregidor Ghosthunting

Labels: Calabarzon, Cavite, Corregidor, Lighthouses, Southern Tagalog, World War II

Pasig River Lighthouse (Faro de Rio de Pasig)

I find lighthouses romantic, emitting radiant light to guide fishermen, sailors and ordinary beings, acting as lonely sentinels of the sea.

On the tour with Ambeth Ocampo, we caught sight of this landmark dating back to 1642, the oldest in the Philippines and built by the Spaniards, on the north side of the entrance of Pasig River.

Built using gray stone and standing fifteen meters in height, the original structure was demolished, sadly, in 1992 and replaced with the present one said to be architecturally inferior to the original.


managed to include two naked boys swimming using styropor flotation devices


Note that the Parola also refers to the impoverished community in Tondo where the lighthouse is located. A Philippine Coast Guard station is nearby who maintains the place.

Have you been to a lighthouse? I managed to also visit the solar-powered lighthouse in Capones Island in San Antonio, Zambales but missed Cape Bojeador in the Ilocos when I made the Ilocandia tour a few years back. A reason for me to re-visit that part of the world.

I wonder how the famous, no longer extant, lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, looked like.

Related Pasig River Posts:

Pasig River Cruise,
Pasig River Structures,
People of Pasig,
Bridges of Pasig River.

Other Philippine Lighthouses on this site:

Faro de Punta Capones (Capones Lighthouse)
Faro de Isla Corrigedor (Corregidor Lighthouse)
Lighthouse at the Greenery in Baliwag, Bulacan

Labels: Lighthouses, Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Rivers