As a country comprising over 7,100 islands packed in an area of and having the fifth-longest coastline in the world, the Philippine coast has a total length of and is very irregular, with numerous bays, gulfs, and islets.Central Intelligence Agency. "Geography of the Philippines" . The World Factbook. Retrieved on April 6, 2011. Eleven of the largest islands of the Philippine archipelago are the major islands and main centers of population, with ten of its most populous cities located along the coast; approximately 1,000 of the smaller islands are also populated. With more than of coasting routes and tortuous channels regularly navigated by vessels trading among some 300 separate ports, navigation aids like lighthouses help mariners against misnavigation and guide them to safety and out of danger from grounding on its treacherous reef and shoals.Department of Commerce, "Commerce Reports", p. 1052. Washington Government Printing Office, 1917.
Large international ships rely on lighthouses to guide them safely out from the open sea and into Philippine waters. Once within Philippine waters, lighthouses help them maneuver through its narrow straits and channels, pointing out safe passages and leading vessels to their destination ports.Villalon, Augusto (July 27, 2007). Adopt a Lighthouse" . Inquirer.net. Retrieved on April 5, 2011. Although there are electronic navigation systems, lighthouses are still important in warning seafarers of dangerous waters in case of failure of these electronic systems.
As an archipelago, the continuous development and prosperity of the country is linked to maritime travel. Even with the advent of aviation, the water routes continue to be the main highways for travel and commerce, with the lighthouses of the Philippines safely guiding the vessels that ply its routes.
List of lighthouses in the Philippines
The following is a list of historical and notable lighthouses constructed in the Philippines.U.S. Hydrographic Office, "List of Lights, Vol.2", p.74. Washington Government Printing Office, 1920."Lighthouse Depot Explorer" , Retrieved on March 20, 2010.
LighthouseImageLocationProvinceFirst litTower heightFocal planeCurrent statusDescriptionM. Noche, "Lonely Sentinels of the Sea: The Spanish Lighthouses in the Philippines". U.S.T. Publishing House, 2005.
See also Lists of lighthouses and lightvessels
References
External links
Philippines Lighthouses from Picturesque Old Philippines Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society List of Lights - Philippines Light Stations of the Philippines from the Philippine Coast Guard Website