BATANES - a unique province in the Philippines

At a recent party, I was asked if I wanted to tag along with a small group fraternity brothers planning a trip to Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines consisting of three larger islands and some smaller ones located about halfway between the tip of Luzon and Taiwan. I had always wanted to see the place and this seemed to be an opportune time.

The leader of the group, originally from Batanes, had been asked by the current Governor to help the province plan an eco-tourism plan. Hence, upon arrival we were met by the Governor who then promptly invited us to breakfast. He took time to explain a bit about the province and suggested places to visit. Thanks to the consultancy, we were provided with van and driver to take us around.

After breakfast, we drove south from the capital, Basco, along a very scenic coastline road that wound around mountains and had steep drop-offs to the China Sea. The area is very rocky and reminiscent of the drive from Santa Barbara to Monterrey in California.

Near the first town, an artificial cove had been built as protection for boats during storms and the not too infrequent hurricanes that visit the area. That day, the cove had just two smaller boats in it and looked inviting as sheltered swimming pool. We didn’t stop.

The first stop was in Mahatao, were we got to see our first typical old-time Batanes home – built of rocks and coral, with limestone acting as cement and roof made of woven cogon. They are solidly built to withstand any kind of storm, with walls that can be up to 3 ft thick.

We stopped in the next town, Ivana, as that was where our tour organizer had relatives, some of whom happened to be home, providing us an opportunity to look inside some typical houses. We visited one more town and then cut across the mountains, through “Marlboro country.” It’s hill country with cattle and areas with hedge rows that are reminiscent of what you might see in the English countryside – in this case the hedgerows protect against erosion and serve as property boundary lines.

One day we took a banca ride to nearby Sabtang island to look at two barangays [villages] that still had a lot of the traditional stone houses. Many showed the ravages of time but there also was enough left to be worth the visit. Given the many storms that visit the area, it’s not too surprising they build houses that way.

Batanes’ relative isolation may help explain how one business establishment managed to operate, the Honesty Café, a place where you take what you want and just leave money behind on a box on the counter – not too many places in the world where this ‘business plan’ would survive.

Batanes is unique – the coastline is beautiful and the traditional stone houses dating back to the Spanish era are unlike anything you can see elsewhere in the country. It's a place well worth visiting but be prepared -- tourist facilities are scarce and transport is hard to find.