BATANES postcard beauty (1/2)

BASCO, Batanes –It’s rather warm and sunny in Batanes, contrary to the notion that since it is in the far north – it must be really cold (I even packed two sweaters, a jacket and a muffler!). Batanes boasts of undisturbed and unspoiled beauty of nature preserved by the peace-loving Ivatans, whose charm and vibrancy have helped make their home synonymous to paradise. A complete ecotourism destination, Batanes offers a kaleidoscope of natural, cultural and ecological attractions from its rich marine resources including the rarest corals in the world, to its verdant rolling terrain.

Amused by the grazing cows in the meadows, foreign tourists nicknamed Batanes as the “New Zealand of the Philippines”. If only Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy had seen Batanes...

‘Conde dela Conquista de Batanes’

The smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and land area, Batanes comprises ten small islands located about 162 kms. north of the Luzon mainland or a two-hour plane ride from Manila via Asian Spirit. Of this island group, the largest and most economically important are Batan, Itbayat and Sabtang. The other islands are Daquey, Siayan, Mabudis, Ibuhos, Diago, North Island and Y’ami, which forms the northernmost tip of the archipelago and where you may even see the southernmost tip of Taiwan on a clear day.

The Ivatans, like most Filipinos, are of Malay stock. They trace their roots to the early immigrants from Formosa (now Taiwan) and the Spaniards who came to the islands in the 16th century. To this day, they bear the features of their forbears, the Chinese almond eyes and the Spaniard’s aquiline nose.

Their language, also called Ivatan, is peppered with pidgin Spanish and is spoken with the tonal musicality of the Chinese language.

The island province of Batanes was created by a series of volcanic activities and other geologic forces when Mt. Iraya erupted around 325 BC.

In 1782, then Governor General of the Philippines Jose Basco y Vargas sent an expedition to undertake the formalities of getting the consent of the Ivatans to become subjects of the King of Spain. The Batanes archipelago was formally annexed to the Philippines under the Spanish rule on June 26, 1783. Joseph Huelva Melgarjo became the first Governor of Batanes. The new province was named “Conde dela Conquista de Batanes,” while the capital town was named after Governor Basco.

The complete evangelization of the island took almost a century. Education, centered on the Catholic faith, was introduced with the religious work. Prior to the Spanish rule, the Ivatan ancestors had developed a unique culture of their own.

The civil administration contributed much to the improvement of the towns by the construction of new buildings and bridges, opening of new roads, improving health and sanitation and most importantly, the setting up of Basco’s water supply system in 1890. The Spaniards introduced masonry in construction of churches, ports and bridges.

Within the first century of Batanes Christianization, the need for regular communication with Manila was already felt. Local officials sent petitions to the Governor -General for government boats to come three to four times a year for deliveries instead of once a year. The economy of Batanes was dependent on regular transportation. Whenever typhoons struck, islanders suffered hunger and epidemics. Migration was unchecked as others sought work in mainland Luzon.

Agriculture was promoted by the introduction of new technologies, crops, breeds of animals and in increasing the areas of arable land and grazing lands. With these improvements, trading with Cagayan, Ilocos and Manila was realized.

During the first ten years of the American regime, from 1899 to 1907, Batanes was reduced to a mere Municipality of Cagayan but was restored to its former status of a province in 1909.

The installation of a wireless telegraph station in Basco, frequent visits of ships and the construction of Basco Airport in 1935 mitigated the isolation of the province.

Batanes was proclaimed Protected Area by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 335 by former President Fidel V. Ramos on Feb. 28, 1994. This was further strengthened by the enactment of RA 8911 known as the Batanes Protected Area Act of 2000.

Governor Vicente Gato said that the provincial government has already submitted last January an application for the inclusion of Batanes in the UNESCO World Heritage List and they are hopeful for a favorable decision by next year.

A landscape of unsurpassed beauty

Almost one-half of Batanes are hills and mountains. These islands are surrounded by a vast expanse of water, like the Luzon Strait and Balintang Channel, and where the Pacific Ocean merges with China Sea. The area is a sealane between the Philippines and the northern parts of Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Batan island, where the capital town Basco is located, is generally mountainous on the north and southeast, and has a basin in the interior. Mount Iraya, an extinct volcano, towers over the northeast of Basco. It stands at 4,000 feet and is covered with dense rainforest and laced with springs, Basco’s principal sources of water.

Batan is the most accessible among the islands, you can even circle it in three hours. On gentler beaches, one may pitch a tent and just let the world go by. But you definitely need a few more days to savor the picturesque meadows and seas that gird the island as well as the towns along the way like Mahatao, Uyugan and Ivana where you will find the oldest Ivatan house built in 1887 and now owned by 77-year-old Florestina Estrella, the granddaughter of the original owner.

Some 23 kilometers from Basco, in a long stretch of beach, is the so-called “ghost barangay” or the “Ruins of Songsong.” This cluster of roofless old stone houses was abandoned after a tidal wave hit the island in the 1950s. Some of the ruins are now being restored while others are already inhabited.

The Radar Tukon, used to be a United States weather station situated on a hilltop, offers a magnificent 360-degree view of Batan island, the South China Sea, Mt. Iraya, Basco proper, boulder lined cliffs and the Pacific Ocean. At present, it houses the last weather station in the north, the Basco Radar Station and is only 2.75 kilometers from Basco.

The northernmost island, Itbayat, is mountainous and hilly along northern and eastern coasts. Strong sea currents discourage boats from ferrying commuters regularly. Churches are among the oldest structures here. Every town, no matter how small, has one of its own (the oldest being the San Carlos Borromeo Church completed in 1789).

As for Sabtang, mountains cover its central part. The island’s extremely rugged mountains have been terraced to accommodate communities. The northeast is a strip of arable land and sand dunes that rise up to a hundred feet.

Living the Ivatan life

Although the province is constantly swept by wind and rain, the notion that it is battered by typhoons is wrong. If Batanes is always mentioned in connection with weather disturbances, it is because its capital, Basco, holds the last weather station in the north. It is a reference point for all typhoons that enter the Philippine area of responsibility. Actually, compared to the rest of the country, Batanes is blessed with a balmier climate. But to protect them from rain or even the heat, they use a head gear made of cogon grass called “vakul.”

The Batanes folks depend mainly on small-scale farming and fishing for their livelihood. A modest farmland planted with rootcrops, vegetables and fruit trees is a common possession of the average family. Income is supplemented by raising dairy animals, hogs and poultry on the side. A staple food in every Ivatan’s dining table is “uvod.” A mixture of fish, camote, ube and other rootcrops molded in small balls and steamed.

to be continued..