Napindan Lighthouse

The Napindan Lighthouse, also called "Napindan Parola" (Filipino: Parola ng Napindan), is a lighthouse off the banks of Barangay Napindan in the municipality of Taguig, Rizal province of present-day Metro Manila.

Before the Spanish colonization, a Tagalog settlement already existed in Napindan, which became active in commerce and migration.^[2]

According to Vocabulario de la lengua tagala (1754), the name "Napindan" was derived from the Tagalog word pindan, which is a synonym of the words pinid (tl) or sarado (tl), both meaning "closed". During the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines, merchants traversing in and out of Laguna de Bay via Napindan had issues with the formation of sandbars which posed a danger to water vessels,^[3] hence the necessity for the lighthouse particularly during nighttime navigation.^[4]

Other than its functional purpose, the Napindan Lighthouse became known for a historic meeting of high-ranking commanders of the revolutionary Katipunan, a secret society of Filipino nationalists who sought independence from Spain in the late 19th century. On the night of May 29, 1896, the patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo and Pío Valenzuela converged on the riverine island to forge an audacious plan against the Spanish colonial government.^[5]

After the events of the Spanish-American War, in turn, the newly installed United States colonial government in the Philippines destroyed the lighthouse on March 19, 1899 to deprive the Katipunan command and control over the area.^[6]

In recent times, a concrete structure with a solar-power beacon was built by the Philippine Coast Guard to help guide barges, tankers and small vessels in navigating between the Pasig River and Laguna de Bay but nevertheless, the structure is presently classified as "permanently closed" pending a proposed restoration.^[7]