The old folks of Toledo call this structure the parola, from the Spanish word "farola", a structure containing a guiding lamp for mariners at night. If this structure were enclosed with walls with some little windows, this would have qualified as a lighthouse.

The concrete tower used to stand on sandy ground near the wharf which is now called the Port of Toledo, within reach of sea waves during high tide.

In the not-too-distant past, the wharf was just plain old pantalan (the Cebuano word for "wharf") to Toledo residents, and people could come to the pantalan and leave as they please because there was no formal port authority managing it. Formal management came only in the late 1970s when the Philippine Ports Authority exercised jurisdiction over it.

The parola is a familiar landmark to regular sea travelers to and from San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.