Baliguian Island

Baliguian Island (variously Baliguian Islet and unofficially called Miracle Island by the locals, due to its experiences with Typhoon Haiyan) is an inhabited island in northeastern Iloilo, Philippines. It is the westernmost of the Concepcion Islands and politically administered by the municipality of Concepcion. A virtually flat island, Baliguian features a lighthouse to aid in ship navigation.

Baliguian Island
Baliguian Island
Location within the Philippines
Geography
Coordinates11°12′1″N 123°20′21″E
ArchipelagoConcepcion Islands
Adjacent bodies of waterVisayan Sea
Administration
RegionWestern Visayas
ProvinceIloilo
MunicipalityConcepcion

Location and geography

Baliguian Island is 22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi) east of Panay Island in the Visayan Sea, making it the furthest of the sixteen Concepcion Islands. Baliguian is 14 kilometres (9 mi) due east of nearby Igbon Island. Small, flat, and heavily wooded, Baliguian is ringed by a narrow reef and surrounded by deep water.[1]

Lighthouse

The main feature of Baliguian is its lighthouse, situated on the northwest corner of the island.[2] The Baliguian Island Light was built in 1916. Its designations are ARLHS PHI-007, Admiralty F2314,[3] and NGA 14668. The white, octagonal tower is 66 feet (20 m) high and flashes a white light every seven seconds.[4] The lighthouse is currently active and administered by the Philippine Coast Guard.[5] Rainwater tanks were installed on Baliguian in 2010, as the island until then faced a constant shortage of potable water.[6]

Natural disasters

Typhoon Haiyan

In November 2013 Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines) destroyed more than 80 percent of homes and pump boats on Baliguian.[7] Four rooms of the island's single school were also damaged.[8] The island did not suffer any fatalities; however, causing locals to dub their home the "Miracle Island".[9] Several religious and international organizations assisted in relief efforts for Baliguian, including Indigenous Ministries and Wilde and Woollard.

See also

References
  1. U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Reuben Jacob Christman (1919). United States Coast Pilot, Philippine Islands, Part 1. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 225. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  2. "Sailing Directions (Enroute) Philippine Islands" (PDF). National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2008. p. 92. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  3. "Admiralty: Notices to Mariners" (PDF). UKHO. p. 5.4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  4. "Lighthouses of the Central Philippines". Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  5. "Baliguian Island Light". Lighthouse Explorer. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  6. Perla G. Lena. "President Arroyo responds to need of waterless Iloilo town". Balita. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  7. Francis Allan L. Angelo. "Islanders Cry for Help". The Daily Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  8. "Philippine Typhoon Aid". Indigenous Ministries. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  9. "Newsletter" (PDF). Ranlagh Road Christian Fellowship. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.