The Republic of the Philippines (Pilipinas in Filipino) includes more than 7600 islands stretching over 1750 km (1100 mi) of the western Pacific and separating the Philippine Sea on the east from the South China Sea on the west. The largest islands are Luzon at the northern end of the country and Mindanao at the southern end. As of 2020 the population of the country was about 109 million. The archipelago was a Spanish colony until the Spanish-American War of 1898, which brought the islands under U.S. administration. Japan occupied the islands during World War II (1942-45) and the country became independent shortly thereafter (1946). The Philippines is divided into 17 regions and subdivided into 81 provinces. Located in the central part of the country, the island of Negros is divided lengthwise by a volcanic mountain range. Currently the northwestern half of the island (Negros Occidental Province) is in the Western Visayas Region and the southeastern half (Negros Oriental Province) is in the Central Visayas Region. The island has a population of nearly 4.5 million. The largest cities are the two provincial capitals, Bacolad in Negros Occidental and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental. The Tañon Striat separates Negros from Cebu on the east and the Guimaras Strait separates Negros from Guimaras and Panay to the west. The north coast faces the Visayan Sea and the southwest coast faces the Panay Gulf and Sulu Sea. Spanish colonizers named the island Negros ("Blacks") after its darker-skinned inhabitants; the indigenous name of the island was Buglas. Siquijor (pronounced "seek-e-hor") is a much smaller island lying about 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Cebu and Negros and 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Bohol. The island is about 25 km (15 mi) in diameter and has a population of about 100,000. Formerly a subprovince of Negros Oriental, Siquijor became in separate province in 1971. Filipino and English are official languages in the Philippines. In Filipino a lighthouses is called a parola; an island is an isla or pulo. Many English maritime terms have been adopted into Filipino, including cape, bay, and port, and the names of historic lighthouses are often retained in their Spanish forms. Lighthouses in the Philippines are maintained by the Marine Safety Services Command of the Philippine Coast Guard. Notices to Mariners are posted by the National Mapping and Resource Information Agency (NAMRIA). Many Philippine lighthouses are not well known so better information and photos are always needed. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. PCG numbers are the Philippines Light List numbers, where known. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.
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Negros Oriental Province Lighthouses
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Negros Occidental Province Lighthouses
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Siquijor Province Lighthouse
Information available on lost lighthouses: Notable faux lighthouses:
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![]() Minarcahan Point Light, Siquijor Philippines Coast Guard photo |
Adjoining pages: East: Cebu | South: Northern Mindanao | Northwest: Panay and Guimaras
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Posted July 24, 2005. Checked and revised December 12, 2024. Lighthouses: 26. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.