The
Province of Batanes is the northernmost and the smallest
province of the
Philippine Republic, both in terms of population and land area. The provincial capital is
Basco.
The province is composed of ten islands, called the
Batanes Islands, located about 162 km north of the Luzon mainland in the
Luzon Strait and is part of the
Cagayan Valley region in
Luzon. Of this island group, the largest and only inhabited islands are
Itbayat,
Batan and
Sabtang.
The
Batanes Islands are separated from the
Babuyan Islands of
Cagayan Province by the
Balintang Channel and from
Taiwan by the
Bashi Channel.
The northernmost island of the province, as well as of the Philippines, is
Mavudis (Yami) Island. The other islands are
Misanga,
Siayan,
Itbayat,
Dinem,
Batan,
Sabtang,
Ivuhos, and
Dequey.
The Batanes are about 190 kilometers south of Taiwan.
| Population Census of Batanes |
|---|
| Census | Pop. |
| Rate |
| 1995 | 14,180 |
|
— |
| 2000 | 16,467 |
| 3.26% |
| 2007 | 15,974 |
| -0.42% |
History
The ancestors of today's Ivatans are descended from Austronesians who migrated to the Batanes Islands 4000 years ago during the Neolithic period. They lived in fortified mountain areas called
idjangs and drank sugar-cane wine, or
palek. They also used gold as currency and produced a thriving agriculture-based industry. They were also seafarers and boat-builders.
In 1687, a crew of English
freebooters headed by
William Dampier came with a Dutch crew and named the islands in honor of their country's monarchs. Itbayat was named "Orange Isle" in honor of
William of Orange, and Batan was named "Grafton Isle" after
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton. Sabtang Isle was named "Monmouth Isle" after the
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. Capt. Dampier stayed for less than three months, and did not claim the islands for the British crown.
In 1783, the Spanish claimed Batanes as part of the Philippines under the auspices of
Governor-General José Basco y Vargas. The Bashi Channel had come to be increasingly used by English East India Company ships and the Spanish authorities brought the islands under their direct administration to prevent them falling under British control.
Beginning in 1945 liberated by the Philippine Commonwealth forces landing at
Batanes were attacked by Japanese forces in the island during the
Battle of Batanes.
On July 23, 2007, a magnitude-5.2 quake rocked Batanes, but no damage or casualty was immediately reported. The United States Geological Service (USGS)(www.usgs.gov), said the quake was recorded at about 10:58 a.m., with the epicenter at 40 km south of Basco town in Batanes, about 250 km northeast of Laoag, Ilocos Norte; or 560 km south of Taipei, Taiwan.
On June 1, 2008, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the seabed off the coast of Batanes, but neither injuries nor damage was reported.
People and culture
The people of Batanes are called
Ivatan and share prehistoric cultural and linguistic commonalities with the
Babuyan on
Babuyan Island and the
Tao people of
Orchid Island.
 |
| old ivatan woman wearing vakul. |
This divided homeland is a result of the
Dutch invasion of
Taiwan in 1624 (
Dutch Formosa ) and Spanish invasion in
1626 (
Spanish Formosa ). The northern half of the Ivatan homeland,
Formosa and Orchid Island which were formally part of the
Viceroyalty of New Spain, fell to the Dutch who were in turn expelled in 1662 by forces of the Chinese
Ming Dynasty, led by the Chinese pirate
Koxinga who then set himself up as The
King of Taiwan.
The southern half of the Ivatan homeland, the islands of the Batanes, was reinforced and fortified by Spanish refugees from Formosa before being formally joined in the 18th century with the Spanish government in Manila.
The main languages spoken in Batanes are
Ivatan, which is spoken on the islands of Batan and Sabtang, and
Itbayaten, which is spoken primarily on the island of Itbayat. The Ivatan which is dominant in the province is considered to be one of the
Austronesian languages. From college level down to elementary level, the dialect is widely spoken.
Political
Batanes is subdivided into 6
municipalities.
Batanes has only one congressional district.
Municipalities
Geography
 |
| typhoon ondoy |
|
Batanes lies on a group of islands collectively called
Batanes Islands and they are the northernmost islands of the
Philippines. They are located between the
Babuyan Islands (belonging to
Cagayan Province) and
Taiwan. The islands are sparsely populated and subject to frequent typhoons.
The three largest islands are
Itbayat,
Batan, and
Sabtang. The northernmost is
Mavudis Island.
Almost one-half of Batanes are
hills and
mountains.
Batan Island, with a land area of 35 km², is generally mountainous on the north and southeast. It has a basin in the interior.
Itbayat Island, which has a total area of 95 km², slopes gradually to the west, being mountainous and hilly along its northern, eastern coast. As for Sabtang, mountains cover the central part of its 41 km² area, making the island slope outward to the coast.
The islands are situated between the vast expanse of the waters of
Bashi Channel and
Balintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean, merges with the China Sea. The area is a sealane between the
Philippines and
Japan,
China,
Hong Kong and
Taiwan. It is rich with marine resources, including the rarest sea
corals in the world.
Climate
The climate is similar to that of
Taiwan. Sometimes the island experiences below the normal low of 55 degrees
Fahrenheit (13 °C).
 |
| typhoon glenda hits batanes. |
There is a misconception that Batanes is constantly being battered by typhoons. 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. It has no pronounced wet or dry season. It enjoys practically four seasons, the best ones being summer (April-June) and winter (December-February), when the temperature dips as low as seven degrees Celsius.
Mid-March to June is a favorite time for tourists to visit due the relatively lower chance of rain. However, the rest of the year can still offer a pleasant experience for visitors. An Indian summer supposedly takes place in September. Sometimes, the weather is nice as early as February and as late as July. North or east winds bring in cooler air. They also bring in weather fronts and cloud build-ups that could cause flight cancellations. Cool weather—a phenomenon Ivatans like to call winter—prevails from December to February. When dealing with Batanes, always remember that, on these islands, the weather often changes suddenly. Just be ready for whatever heads your way.
Ecology
The ecology of Batanes is unique in many respects. An extensive survey of the ecology of Batanes provided the scientific basis for confirming the need for a national park in Batanes protecting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites proposed Batanes Protected landscapes and seascapes submitted on 15/08/1993. Economy
About 75% of the Ivatans are farmers and fishermen. The rest are employed in the government and services sector. Garlic and cattle are major cash crops. Ivatans also plant camote (sweet potato), cassava, gabi or tuber and a unique variety of white uvi. Sugarcane is raised to produce palek, a kind of native wine, and vinegar.
In recent years, fish catch has declined due to the absence of technical know-how. Employment opportunities are scarce. Most of the educated Ivatans have migrated to urban centers or have gone abroad.
A
wind diesel generating plant was commissioned in 2004.
Distance and bad weather work against its economic growth. Certain commodities like rice, soft drinks, and gasoline carry a 75% to 100% mark-up over Manila retail prices.
Transportation
 |
| ivatan boats |
The island province of Batanes is accessible by air and served by the following airlines:
For me.....................
For me, batanes is the eden of the world,it symbolizes peace,serenity.The people here are so prudent and trustworthy,in fact, theres no almost crime here,if any not too serious.When i watched the documentary on television,the elections there was very peaceful.It's no need to have a blood flow for the hoped power,they just want to serve people,that was their motto.So i want to live here and spend almost my whole life with my future family when all are settled down.
References
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batanes
to be continue
