Burgos, Ilocos Norte—The century-old Cape Bojeador lighthouse—one of the province’s top tourist attractions—has been declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum. In a two-page resolution signed by Corazon S. Alvina, director IV of the National Museum, and attested by the museum’s board of trustees, the lighthouse’s being one of the enduring major Spanish colonial structure in the country that still exists and which still continues to serve as a signal station and beacon to sea vessels in the country has been one of the reasons it was declared as a national treasure. The declaration also mentioned the well-maintained state of the lighthouse as attested to by its well-kept tower, lamp keeper’s quarters and other ancillary structures. Based on historical records, Cape Bojeador was built on March 31, 1892—which now makes the structure 114 years old presently. Aside from being one of the oldest intact structures, it is also considered to be the tallest lighthouse in the country. Following these findings, the National Museum’s panel of experts has declared the lighthouse as a national cultural treasure to make it a living tribute to its builders as it stands out as a unique cultural heritage of Ilocos Norte and the Philippines. With this development, Burgos Councilor Jogie B. Jimenez, who chairs the Burgos Tourism Council, expressed his happiness in behalf of their local constituents in the town for the declaration. According to Jimenez, the Burgos lighthouse, which has been recently featured in the Department of Tourism’s “Biyahe na sa Pilipinas” campaign, has been attracting hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists visiting this northern part of Luzon. The Ilocos Times learned that an average of 50 persons visit the lighthouse daily, with most of them students and teachers from the province as well as from other parts of the country. Aside from the edifice itself, other historical artifacts on display at the lighthouse are the old tables, beds, bulbs, and gazeras (gas-fed lamps) which provide visitors with first-hand experience of how the early residents of the municipality lived. In 2004, Cape Bojeador underwent a rehabilitation following the damage it sustained from a strong typhoon which destroyed parts of its roof and fences. Funding for the rehabilitation were sourced from a fund-raising activity organized by the Burgos Lighthouse Foundation in the United States, where a large number of Ilocanos reside. The Ilocos Norte provincial government also assisted in the rehabilitation. Leilanie G. Adriano
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