The Pasig River Lighthouse was the first lighthouse, built in 1642 in the Philippines. It was then located at the mouth of the Pasig River, marking the entrance to the river for ships entering Manila Bay and looking for a dock. In 1846, the Spanish built a new lighthouse, but in the same location at the mouth of the river, that divides Manila in two. For nearly a century, it was a kind of guiding star for all inter-island sailors, showing them the way to the docks.
The lighthouse, which the local population called "Farola" (translated from Spanish as lighthouse), was one of the most notable landmarks of Manila Bay until the mid-20th century. The construction and expansion of the city port further to the south and the subsequent reclamation of the coastal strip significantly changed the location of the lighthouse, making it almost invisible from the water surface of the bay. In 1992, the old Spanish lighthouse was demolished and in its place a simpler one was built from an architectural point of view with a new tower. The Manila Coast Guard station is located next to it. And the neighbourhood that grew up on the land reclaimed from the sea, is called Parola, which means "lighthouse" in Filipino.
The current lighthouse building is a white cone-shaped concrete structure with a height of 14 metres and a focal plane of 13.11 metres. The old lighthouse was almost a metre taller - it stood 14.94 metres above the ground.
