Yesterday I visited Lilo-an town , a 15 minute ride north of Cebu City. The town is best known to be the home of Lola Titay Fuentes, now long gone but her baked goodies are still tops in your pasalubong list. It is also where the fabulous Pilar Pilapil grew up to be the queen and star that she is. But then the focal point of the town’s totality is the parola or watch tower that beams through the night to guide seafarers on their watery tracks. Here’s a quick wikinote : One of the best known landmarks in Lilo-an is its historic lighthouse at Bagacay Point. The original lighthouse was built in 1857 by the Spanish. However, the current tower was constructed in 1904 by order of William Howard Taft, the first Governor-General of the Philippines and later the President of the United States. The tower is 72 feet tall and remains in active use today using solar energy. The lighthouse has been declared a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2004 by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (formerly known as National Historical Institute).
By the way LILO-AN literally means ‘whirlpool’ … yes, lots of tiny whirlpools at the delta of the suba. Visit Lilo-an sometime…
Aliwan Avenue 