Hazards

Back in November, I posted a photo of the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. This is the reason why a lighthouse is needed in the area—nothing but cliffs and rocks all along the coast.
  Well, okay, goats too. The rocks are hazardous to ships, and the goats are hazardous to drivers. The local government of Burgos ought to put goat crossing signs in their stretch of the Pan-Philippine Highway.

Guiding light

The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as the Burgos Lighthouse after the town in the province of Ilocos Norte where it is located, is the highest elevated original Spanish colonial era working lighthouse in the Philippines. It also marks the northwestern-most point in the island of Luzon. Construction on the lighthouse began in 1887 and it was first lit on March 30, 1892 to guide Spanish ships away from the rocky coast of the area. The octagonal stone and brick tower is topped with a bronze cupola, and used to be equipped with a kerosene lamp and Fresnel lens, though the light nowadays is provided by an electric lamp powered by solar panels.

Bamboo

In the Philippines' rural areas, bamboo huts are still widely used for homes. Traditionally, the roof is made of nipa palm leaves. Though the roof of this one has been replaced with corrugated iron sheets, it still sports a small fringe of nipa under the peak. The raised floor, which is also made of bamboo, has many uses: it helps with air circulation and cooling; when it rains and the ground outside turns to mud, it prevents the mud from seeping into the house; and the sheltered space underneath is also where the family's animals (especially dogs and chickens) can sleep at night. This hut was along the Pan-Philippine Highway somewhere between the towns of Pagudpud and Burgos in Ilocos Norte. Not quite so remote—they're on the power grid.