Batanes: Tourist isles respond to new ways

Green rolling hills, massive boulders and cliffs, black or white sand beaches, exuberant flora and fauna, flourishing marine life – unspoiled and preserved by the friendly Ivatans – all describe Batanes.

Little is known to the outside world of the unfamed frontier of Batanes. But with the entry of Smart Communications, Inc., Batanes will now be known all over the world.

The main islands of Batan, Itbayat, Sabtang, and the small islands of Dinem, Y’ami, Dequey, Ivuhos, North, Mavudis, and Siayan constitute the province of Batanes. Bounded by the Bashi Channel on the north, the Pacific Ocean on the east, the North China Sea on the west and the Balintang Channel on the south, these islands are constantly swept by wind and rain, and are lashed by rough ocean currents most of the time.

The typhoon season, in particular, may be harsh; but the resilient and hardworking Ivatans have learned to cope and live with what we would consider as nature’s wrath.

Unique to these islands are the stone houses and buildings that were built to withstand the severest of weather, as well as earthquakes. These structures have meter-thick walls and two-foot thick cogon-thatched roofs.

Since raging storms may incessantly batter Batanes for several days, the Ivatans always prepare their food supply for this turbulent season during the calmer months in the summer. These farming and fishing people have developed a different and special kind of cuisine.

The islands of Batanes have their own distinct features and character that make each one truly unique. Quite a distance from each other, the islands have varying terrains that unfold their individual magnificence.

But with the coming in of Smart, the distance from each other will be shorten. As part of its efforts in providing universal access even to the remotest areas, wireless services provider Smart launched recently the country’s first fixed satellite service called Smart Link in Batanes Islands.

In a simple ceremonies held at the provincial capitol in Basco, Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said the Smart Link fixed satellite services is in line with the country’s vision to reach unserved and underserved areas in the country by providing quality, affordable and reliable cutting-edge telecommunications service.

“We are pleased to launch Smart Link, Smart’s fixed satellite service powered by Smart AceS. This will provide our subscribers in areas with no GSM coverage or landline installations, instant connectivity to any area around the world. Communications play a vital role in people’s lives and we see that this new service will make a big impact,” Nazareno said.

On the other hand, Batanes provincial Gov.Vicente S. Gato said, “This (fixed satellite service) will improve the impression that Batanes is isolated from the rest of the Philippines.”

“We are amazed with this newest communications breakthrough. Batanes is now equipped with affordable, high-quality and reliable communications facilities. This will help bring Batanes to the forefront of progress. I would like to thank PLDT and Smart to take this initiative in putting up this telecom facility in the Batanes province,” Gato added.

The Smart Link fixed satellite service utilizes the AceS satellite technology which covers the entire Asia-Pacific Region with three gateways in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The Smart Link plug-and-play unit consists of a main terminal that contains the phone functions and the SIM, an all-weather resistant dome antenna and cable, and a telephone handset.

Smart’s fixed satellite services utilizes the AceS satellite-based mobile technology known as Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS), the latest technology in telecommunication service that makes use of a satellite to transmit and receive telecommunication from satellite mobile phones. (To be continued)