Executive Order No. 60 Creating Lighthouses in Cape Santiago and Malabrigo Point
Among the Province of Batangas’ most important heritage sites are two lighthouses in Calatagan and Lobo. A July 1903 Executive Order1 signed by the Civil Governor formally reserved “for light-house purposes and withdraw from sale or settlement” parcels of land in “the public domain which have been designated by the Philippine Islands Light-House Establishment as necessary for light-house purposes.”
Among these reserved lands were those on which were built the lighthouses at Malabrigo Point in Lobo and Cape Santiago in Calatagan. Excerpts of the executive order are provided below, with only those relevant to Batangas included.
Readers and researchers who wish to follow through to the original document may click the link to it provided under the Notes and references section below.
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| Historic documents relevant to the Province of Batangas. |
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS,
EXECUTIVE BUREAU.Manila, July 28, 1903.
EXECUTIVE ORDER
No. 60.Pursuant to the provisions of Act Numbered Six hundred and forty-eight, Philippine Commission, entitled "An Act authorizing the Civil Governor to reserve for civil public purposes and from sale and settlement any part of the public domain not appropriated by law for special public purposes, until otherwise directed by law, and extending the provisions of Act Numbered Six hundred and twenty-seven so that public lands desired to be reserved by the Insular Government for public uses, or private lands desired to be purchased by the Insular Government for such uses, may be brougnt under tlie operation of the Land Registration Act," I hereby reserve for light-house purposes and withdraw from sale or settlement the following described parcels of the public domain which have been designated by the Philippine Islands Light-House Establishment as necessary for light-house purposes, to wit:
[Items 1-12 omitted.]
13. 13. Reservation for Point Santiago Light Station Island of Luzon, Province of Batangas.
An area of land surrounding the light-house and inclosed metes and bounds as follows: Beginning at a point south eighty three degrees and twenty-four minutes east forty meters from the center of the existing light tower, thence north five degrees three minutes east fifteen meters, thence north fifteen minutes fifty-eight meters, thence south sixty-four degrees thirty-six minutes west one hundred and twenty and five-tenths meters to the shore line, thence southerly and easterly following said shore line to the mouth of the canyon or gully southeast of the light station, thence along the axis of said canyon orgully to the point of beginning, all as shown more particularly on a map filed in the office of the light-house engineer, the above bearings being magnetic in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-three.14. Reservation for Point Malabrigo Light Station, Island of Luzon, Province of Batangas.
An area of one hundred meters' radius described about the center of the present light tower, and the right of way by road from the tower to the landing place and to the nearest public highway.[15-34 omitted.]
Sgd.:
WM. H. TAFT, Civil Governor.