wala akong alam na intro.. hehehe
basta post na lang kayo

Ang laming siguro ng panahon ngayon sa Batanes! sarap! ^^

Ang laming siguro ng panahon ngayon sa Batanes! sarap! ^^

I've read a report wherein "tens" die when there's a sudden drastic change in temperature :runaway:

^^ tens ? anyway @whippersnapper post ka lang pics ok na :okay:

Would like to share my photo gallery of Batanes during my visit few years ago. enjoy!

http://edmundtanso.smugmug.com/gallery/136904/1/118503582

wow... batanes certainly is a forgotten paradise... till now at least :nuts:

amazing photos edmund. u should post the photos here.

ive always wondered what those weird looking hats are for... looks like its heavy or is it just cuz the man is old?

-The person you meet on the street greets you with the question: "Ngan mo'" (where are you going?) even if he does not really care where are you heading to.

-People on the streets smile at each other even they do not know each other personally.

-The farmers bring their REMS radios to the fields.

- You can't make a business bottling mineral water because everybody can drink directly from the faucet without fear of contracting amoebiasis or diarrhea.

-In a fiesta lunch or picnic, the main dish consists of delicious yellow rice (supas) and uved.

- The valleys and seas are in their nature given color.

- The airport is full of spectators during a "plane day".

- Everybody seems to know each other and everybody seems to be a relative of the other.

- You don't feel guilty if your six-year-old sets out for school without "baon".

- You can sleep in the park or on the seashore overnight without fear that somebody may harm you.

- You feel confident that somebody who found your lost key will bring it to the local Radyo ng Bayan Station.

- The townsfolk speak funny and sometimes, good English when they are drunk.

- Stone houses are refreshing sight.

- Coconut crabs, kuyabs and valichits are abundant during certain seasons of the year.

- The prelude to a fiesta's noontime show is an ethnic dance called palo-palo.

- The women like mestiza blondies in their native "vakul" headdresses.

- The doors of houses are left open while the owners are out to work.

- You tune in your AM radio in the morning and hear love songs dedicated to you instead of one horrible news story after another delivered by newscasters that make you manic depressive the whole day.

- You don't have to worry about the traffic.

- The town mayor or the public school teacher also casts their fishnets and till the soil (at least, outside office hours).

- There are no squatters, even in abandoned houses.

- You can have fresh vegetables and fresh meat for free, sometimes.

- The governor rides on his bike to the capitol.

- You can go out even without a cent in your pocket.

- The brilliance of the moon and the stars do not compete with commercial lights.

- You don't feel ashamed eating and drinking all you can in wedding receptions even if you are not invited.

- The politicians don't get charged with smuggling and drug trafficking.

- Youngsters called the elderly their uncle, aunt, lolo or lola even if they are not in any way related to them.

- There are no beggars, real or fake, asking for alms on the streets.

- Your gelled hair does not get sticky with dust and pollution at the end of the day.

- You send your child to the day care center without fearing that he will be kidnapped.

- The air you breath is fresh, really fresh.

Ang laming siguro ng panahon ngayon sa Batanes! sarap! ^^

malamang every jan-feb malamig dun lalo na sa higher elevations... ok sana kaso every year din nadi-direct hit sya ng typhoons....

on a positive note, its a good location for establishing renewable energy (solar, wind)...

What's a plane day?

^^ When a scheduled flight arrives at their local airport.

napapag iwanan na ata talga ang batanes..

to dinabaw.. d ako taga batanes.. cencia na.. naisipan ko lang gwan na thread to

Would like to share my photo gallery of Batanes during my visit few years ago. enjoy!

http://edmundtanso.smugmug.com/gallery/136904/1/118503582

great pics!

parang gusto ko magpunta dyan this holy week! at least magkano ba budget? im sure its more than a "bora holiday".

i think asian spirit lang ata ang may air service to basco, kaso sabi super unpredictable ang weather, prone to delay or cancellation ang mga flights.. wala rin atang scheduled public transport sa island..

parang adventure sumakay ng outrigger crossing the babuyan channel.. :nuts:

Batanes was one of my sought after travel destinations before. Sad to say, di matuloy tuloy ang pagpunta ko doon.

^^ i wish i could travel there soon and experience the laid back lifestyle which is hard to find these days.

^^ When a scheduled flight arrives at their local airport.

Ah. I thought so. :D Any more pics?

Batanes is Taiwanese?
By Antonio C. Abaya
Written Jan. 28, 2007
For the Standard Today,
January 30 issue

A retired, former high-ranking Philippine naval officer has emailed to me the following article written by a Chinese history professor which, in a nutshell, claims that the Batanes Islands are not rightfully a part of the Republic of the Philippines because they were not part of the Philippine Islands that were ceded by Spain to the United States of America through the Treaty of Paris of 1898. Read and judge for yourself.

Bashi Strait: a lesson in geography

By Chen Hurng-yu

Thursday, Sep 23, 2004, Page 8. There are two groups of islands between Taiwan and Luzon Island in the Philippines. The Batan, or the Batanese Islands, are located close to Taiwan at a distance of 190km, and the Babuyan Islands are located close to Luzon Island. The Batan Islands are comprised of 10 small islands, the largest being Itbayat, followed by Batan Island.

The Batan Islands cover an area of 210km2. Research has shown that the people living on the islands have unique traits. They say they belong to the Ivatan people, and the local language is also called Ivatan. According to one explanation, this people may have migrated from Taiwan and later mixed with the Spanish colonizers living there.

Because the Batan Islands are located near Taiwan, Taiwanese fishermen have
traditionally fished in the area around the islands. As a result of regular contact, some Taiwanese fishermen have taken up residence on the islands, and there have been marriages with the local population, which has led to some locals understanding some Hoklo, commonly known as Taiwanese.

After the Spanish were defeated by the US in 1898, one of the conditions of the peace treaty was that Spain cede the Philippines to the US. But a close reading of the US-Spanish Treaty of Paris is surprising: the northernmost part of the Philippine territory ceded by Spain to the US ends at the 20th parallel, or south of the Balintang Channel. This means that the Batan Islands fall outside the scope of the peace treaty.

What does this mean? Was it a measurement mistake? Or was it due to other
reasons?

To deal with these questions, we have to go back to 1895 and the maritime border agreement signed by Spain and Japan.

On Aug. 7, 1895, during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, Japan and Spain signed an agreement delineating the borders of Taiwan and the Philippines. The agreement defined "the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi parallel to the latitude as the Western Pacific border between Japan and Spain."

Because the agreement did not define borders in terms of latitude and longitude, and because there was no definition of what was meant by the Bashi Strait, the unclear geographical scope created problems in later talks between the US and Spain.

In June 1896, war broke out between the US and Spain. The US defeated the Spanish fleet in the Bay of Manila, thereby winning the war. Representatives of the US and Spain reached an agreement on Nov. 28, but did not reveal the contents. A newspaper therefore guessed at the scope of Philippine territory demanded by the US, writing: "It is believed that the definition of the limits of the Philippine group in the American demands will be as follows: From 5’ 32' north latitude to 19’ 38' north latitude, and from 117’ east
longitude to 126’ east longitude, thus covering about 1,000 miles north and south and 600 miles east and west."

This report shows that the most northerly point of the Philippine group of islands as agreed to by Spain and accepted by the US was south of the 20th parallel. This rumor was later verified by the official agreement.

The US and Spain then signed a peace treaty in Paris on Dec.10, 1898. Article 3 of the treaty specifies that Spain should cede the Philippine islands it occupied to the US, as defined in terms of longitude and latitude. The text of Article 3 reads: "Spain hereby cedes to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippines Islands, and comprehending the islands lying within the following line: A line running from West to
East along or near the Twentieth (20th) parallel of North latitude, and through the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi, from the one hundred and eighteenth (118th) to the one hundred and twenty-seventh (127th) degree meridian of longitude East of Greenwich, thence along the one hundred and twenty-seventh (127th) degree meridian of longitude East of Greenwich to the..."

In 1895, Spain had not defined "the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi." The negotiations between Spain and the US in 1898 clearly specified that it was located on the "20th parallel of the North latitude" and officially recognized that the islands north of this line belonged to Japan. Spain's representatives during the negotiations insisted that the US' representatives only could take possession of the islands south of the 20th
parallel. This was accepted by the US and the border was set at the 20th parallel.

Regardless of how the Bashi Strait is defined, Spain said during the negotiations with the US that it could not cede to the US islands that did not belong to Spain. They insisted that the border be drawn along the 20th parallel. It is also important to recognize that when Spain and the US signed the peace treaty in Paris, Spain respected the regulations of the
1895 agreement between Spain and Japan.

Furthermore, how is "the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi" related to the 20th parallel? As the Spanish negotiator at the time understood it, the Bashi Strait is the strait stretching from Taiwan to Luzon Island, which places the middle along the 20th parallel. The Spanish representative opposed the US representative's position that the area south of 21 degrees 30 minutes north latitude should be ceded to the US.

Following navigation practice at the time, there were two navigable lanes in the Bashi Strait: one was the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Batan Islands, and the other was the Balintang Channel between the Batan Islands and the Babuyan Islands. At the time -- 1895 to 1898 -- the Bashi Channel was not the navigable sea lane normally used. Ships at the time were not as powerful, so boats and ships traveling to Taiwan or Japan would normally go through the Balintang Channel when passing west of Luzon. After reaching the Pacific, they would turn north and aim for the south of Taiwan or directly
for Japan.

This sea lane follows the Japan Current, and was probably the main sea lane at the time. This is the case in sea lane charts in many books from that time. Boats would not cross the Balintang Channel into the Bashi Channel only to then cross the Bashi Channel to reach the Pacific, because such a route would encounter a powerful counter-current branching off the Japan Current which flows from the east to the west, making it an inappropriate route.

Based on this, Spain probably conducted its negotiations with both Japan and the US based on the contemporary understanding of what constituted the navigable sea lane: "the middle of the navigable channel of Bashi" was the channel along the 20th parallel, which today is called the Balintang Channel.

In a letter to US Secretary of State John Hay on Jan. 12, 1899, John Bassett Moore, legal council to the US negotiation delegation, wrote that he believed the dispute regarding the Batan Islands located north of the 20th parallel could be discussed with Japan and resolved by reaching an agreement. The US government did not accept Moore's suggestion, and on Jan. 10, 1900, it sent troops to occupy the Batan Islands.

Was that a rightful occupation? As explained above, the Batan Islands were not "no man's land," but should be considered as belonging to Japan, which, however, never had occupied them. It seems the US thus had no right to occupy them based on the claim that the islands were no man's land. The US occupation was tantamount to invasion.

By unilaterally extending Philippine territory from the 20th parallel to the 21st parallel without prior negotiations with Taiwan, the "Republic Act No. 3046: Act to define the baseline of the territorial sea of the Philippines" promulgated by the Philippine government on June 17, 1961 clearly conflicted with the Treaty of Paris between the US and Spain.

Regardless, from the perspective of international law, the arrangement concerning the Batan Islands set up by the US and Spain in treaty form in 1898 confirmed that the islands were part of the territory of Taiwan, which at the time was under Japanese control. An international treaty should hold more binding power than the unclear 1895 agreement between Spain and Japan.

The Philippines' unilateral action in 1961 cannot invalidate the 1898 Paris Treaty between the US and Spain, because that treaty involves the territory of a third party. The Philippines cannot unilaterally define its northern border without consultations with that third party. From a juridical perspective, the legitimacy of the Philippine occupation of the Batan Islands is questionable.

Chen Hurng-yu is a professor of history at National Chengchi University. Translated by Perry Svensson *****

Reactions to acabaya@zpdee.net. Other articles since 2001 at www.tapatt.org

can anyone here post pictures of Batanes? The only pictures left in my mind was when Mel & Jay (more than 10yrs ago) featured the beautiful place in their episode. thanks!

The only thing that keeps me away from Batanes is the transportation. If only PAL or CebuPac flies there. Nakakatakot Asian Spirit :lol:

The only thing that keeps me away from Batanes is the transportation. If only PAL or CebuPac flies there. Nakakatakot Asian Spirit :lol:

katakot nga yung maliliit na planes. i doubt if pal or ceb will have flights there pero sana nga.

^^ Batanes is so, Enya-esque; it feels like something celtic is happening.

^^ i was thinking the same thing. it's like a version of the scottish and irish coast. anyway. i'd love to go to batanes. it looks so serene there.

@bondurant: haha! they are kinda scary. but they're totally safe. i usually use asian spirit when going to boracay. oh yeah, i rode a 9 seater plane going to palawan before. that was scary!

^^ Batanes is so, Enya-esque; it feels like something celtic is happening.
i'd love to visit batanes..
siguro parang maririnig mo ang 'book of days' at the back of your mind pag nandun ka..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes-mediamomma.jpg
Above photo by mediamomma

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes3-estan.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes-estan.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes2-estan.jpg
Above photos by estan

from flickr

Batanes is Taiwanese?
By Antonio C. Abaya
Written Jan. 28, 2007
For the Standard Today,
January 30 issue

A retired, former high-ranking Philippine naval officer has emailed to me the following article written by a Chinese history professor which, in a nutshell, claims that the Batanes Islands are not rightfully a part of the Republic of the Philippines because they were not part of the Philippine Islands that were ceded by Spain to the United States of America through the Treaty of Paris of 1898. Read and judge for yourself.

If they were not ceded by Spain to the US and the Spanish actually settled there and governed the islands from its capital Basco (named after the Spanish Gob. Gen.), who had control of Batanes then after Spain left? If the Taiwanese took over, the Ivatans would have at least been influenced by Mandarin culture and language. But they didn't.

I remember reading an article ages ago that mentioned that Taiwan natives in the southernmost part of Formosa and the Ivatans that inhabit Batanes look so much alike and their languages (Formosan and Ivatan) are relatively similar. The only difference was that the Ivatans are Catholic like the rest of the country and the Formosans are Buddhists. So even if there will be a plebiscite on this, whether Batanes should be returned back to their "real owners", it's not going to work; Batanes is already historically, culturally and even physically (the old churches in Batanes are pretty) Filipino.

Batanes!

Mysterious Batanes...

Sana marating kita in my lifetime... :)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes-mediamomma.jpg
Above photo by mediamomma

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes3-estan.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes-estan.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes2-estan.jpg
Above photos by estan

from flickr

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/139086589_f892ee66d3_b.jpg
Naidi Hills, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/256018119_90bb9f1fce_b.jpg
Hills of Chadpidan, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/135358119_1672e998a4_b.jpg
Nakabuang beach, Sabtang island, Batanes | Photo by Farl

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/138131070_b29c9147e7_b.jpg
Dacay House, Ivana town, Batan island, Batanes: The oldest stone house in Batanes | Photo by Farl

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/49/124755408_0940888b00_b.jpg
About to land in Batanes | Photo by bingbing (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bingramos/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/139691457_596044b6d3_b.jpg
Basco Provincial Capitol, Basco, Batan island, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/135393726_b875023b9c_b.jpg
Sto. Domingo Church, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/136804561_c755d627f4_b.jpg
Church of San Jose de Ivana, island of Batan, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

If they were not ceded by Spain to the US and the Spanish actually settled there and governed the islands from its capital Basco (named after the Spanish Gob. Gen.), who had control of Batanes then after Spain left? If the Taiwanese took over, the Ivatans would have at least been influenced by Mandarin culture and language. But they didn't.

I remember reading an article ages ago that mentioned that Taiwan natives in the southernmost part of Formosa and the Ivatans that inhabit Batanes look so much alike and their languages (Formosan and Ivatan) are relatively similar. The only difference was that the Ivatans are Catholic like the rest of the country and the Formosans are Buddhists. So even if there will be a plebiscite on this, whether Batanes should be returned back to their "real owners", it's not going to work; Batanes is already historically, culturally and even physically (the old churches in Batanes are pretty) Filipino.

I have met before in Kaoshiung and in a mountain resort near an Eastern Taiwan port some of those mountain people of Taiwan who was called Yamis.

In the northermost part of Batanes there is an island named Y'Ami.

In some books I have read before, it said those Yamis of Taiwan were of Malay race and they reach Taiwan by boat from the Malay / Indonesian region or perhaps from Northern Luzon thousands years ago. However the present Yamis of Taiwan it seems where already mixed with chinese since most of them were slit-eyed though most of them were generally brown skinned.

[QUOTE] whether Batanes should be returned back to their "real owners", it's not going to work; Batanes is already historically, culturally and even physically (the old churches in Batanes are pretty) Filipino [ QUOTE]

Return to which real owner ? neither the Japanese nor the Chinese is the real owner of Taiwan.
Since the original Yamis were brown race it is possible that the real owner of Taiwan island is the people of Northern Luzon a thousand year ago, since most probably these Malay-origin Yamis probably came from northern Luzon.

Therefore since Taiwan itself whose aborigines the Yamis probably came from Northern Luzon, then it is possible that Taiwan is a part of the present Philippine archipelago during the dawn of history. Therefore Batanes is 100 percent belongs to the Philippines, of course it is difficult to reclaim Taiwan to be part of the Philippines, just like Texas etc difficult for the Mexicans to reclaim it back from the Gringos.

[QUOTE=Lucentino;11638319]Batanes is Taiwanese?
By Antonio C. Abaya
Written Jan. 28, 2007
For the Standard Today,
January 30 issue

A retired, former high-ranking Philippine naval officer has emailed to me the following article written by a Chinese history professor which, in a nutshell, claims that the Batanes Islands are not rightfully a part of the Republic of the Philippines because they were not part of the Philippine Islands that were ceded by Spain to the United States of America through the Treaty of Paris of 1898. Read and judge for yourself. QUOTE]

How about returning also the Falkland island (Malvinas) to Argentina, the state of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, etc to Mexico. :lol:

Then return also Sabah, Palmas island off Davao, the Carolinas and Marianas islands to the Philippines. :)

Actually there is a possibility that since the native of Taiwan the Yamis belongs to Malay race there is
a possibility that Taiwan or Formosa during the dawn of history were part of the Philippine archipelago. Hence Taiwan and Batanes was a part of a Malay civilization in south china sea which the seat of power is in Manila or in Northern Luzon.

^^^^

Although it was not ceded, our claim is based on occupation, which dates back to the early years of the Spanish conquest of the islands. Besides, it is defined in our constitution in the national territory.

And the people above are right. No one owned the islands before except the Ivatans themselves.

The Ivatans are closely related to the people of an island south of Formosa - Botel Tobago or Orchid Island.

ganda ng BATANES

hope i can go there.....

parang ang sarap ngang tumira jan...
pinupuntahan b yan ng pangulo o naging panguolo natin?

ang ganda ng batanes...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/139086589_f892ee66d3_b.jpg
Naidi Hills, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/256018119_90bb9f1fce_b.jpg
Hills of Chadpidan, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl


Ganda parang southern England... pati weather ata maganda dito except during typhoon season... pwede siguro maglagay sila dito ng wind mills for electricity generation---kaso makakasira sa view ang maraming elisi...:)

nakakatawa lang minsan ang mga weather forecaster natin kasi pag sa batanes area na ang direksyon ng bagyo at hindi sa region 3, 4 or NCR e parang good news pa! hindi na ba pinas ang batanes para magbunyi sila?

how is the infrastructure in this part of the country... alam ko sa Pag-asa (spratly) may cel site na... radio & tv stations ata taiwan ang kuha nila...

^^ Pansin ko rin yun! parang good news pag nasa Batanes na. hehe. :D Batanes could be a major international gateway to Asia in the future. Ok ang location, malapit sa Taiwan.

The Philippines continues to amaze me with new places I've never seen before. This really reminds me of the pastoral English/Irish coasts or a New Zealand coastal town. So now we have white sandy beaches, rainforests, craggy mountains, volcanos...do we have a desert? Amazing...

^^ we have a desert somewhere in Ilocos.

^^ IMHO: It was portrayed as a desert (in movies---i.e. Panday), but I think it is not really a desert in itself... I believe it is located in Northern Luzon---near Abra River...

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5506/zabranz1.png
http://i1.trekearth.com/photos/29333/after_harvest2.reduced.jpg

Sorry for the off-topic...:lol:

Sa Ilocos Norte yan. There are 2 locations, the Paoay Sand Dunes and La Paz Sand Dunes in Laoag.

Batanes lies at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, where the Pacific Ocean merges with the South China Sea, and was created by a series of volcanic activities millions of years ago. It is composed of three major islands: Batan, which contains the capital town of Basco, Sabtang, and Itbayat. Close by are seven islets including Amianan, which is the closest to Formosa. It is because of its location that Batanes has been identified as the country's potential gateway to East China.

The Batanes province has seven public high schools, five of which are located on the main island of Batan, one in Sabtang Island, and another one in Itbayat Island. There are no landline telephones in Batanes. Cellular networks are the only means of communication in the province and signal is limited to specific areas in the islands.
Thumbnail: Mountain

Batanes presents a major challenge to GILAS or the Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students project, as the only economically viable source of Internet in Batanes is from a Smart network tower, one of the country's top cellular phone company, on Basco Island, whose range is not powerful enough to reach the surrounding islands where other schools are located. The only solution to connect Batanes to the Internet is to go wireless. Normally, this would present a daunting challenge for GILAS, but since its strength is derived from a consortium composed of experts in different fields, including specialists from the University of the Philippines Electric and Electronic Engineering, GILAS is confident that it will be able to deliver service to the schools in this province to add to the growing number of Philippine public high schools connected to the Internet. To date, more than 1,085 public high schools in the country have access to the World Wide Web.

GILAS looks forward to connecting the northernmost part of the Philippine archipelago very soon, proving that no classroom is too remote to have a world-class education.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr23/images/liv1.jpg

Batanes Islands are mere dots on the map located in the northernmost tip of the Philippines. The place is an unpolluted natural setting enveloped by the winds and seas. It is an exotic atmosphere that evokes a total surrender to the nomadic will and the feeling of nearness to all creation, says Necitas Alconis, a retired teacher of 30 years and now the spokesperson of the Philippine Information Agency in Batanes.

Alconis lectured to a group of photographers on the first night of their stay in the island for a photo safari.

Beyond the province’s shorelines are the Pacific Ocean in the east and the South China Sea in the west. Though miniature in size, Batanes, has captured the minds and hearts of participants in the Mandy Navasero Batanes Photo Safari.

The best time to visit Batanes is in the months of September (little summer), December to February are "winter months" and often slight changes in weather pattern are experienced. Alconis and Lydia Roberto of Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant confirmed that tourists pour in from January to June.

The natives of Batanes are called Ivatans and they speak the Ivatan dialect. One of their strongest values is the spirit of cooperativism or Payuyuhan otherwise known as Bayanihan in Tagalog. This saved the Ivatans from begging when neighbors offer voluntary labor. There are no beggars in Batanes. Every child has a family to go home to. There are some isolated cases of juvenile delinquents but religious and civic groups help redirect their lives with the assistance of the government.

Batanes ranked first on the Human Development Index as manifested in its economic status: 70-75 percent are average income earning families, 10 percent are well-off while 15 percent are underprivileged.

The second value Ivatans give importance to is resiliency. Yearly, they are struck by calamities because of nature and scarcity, but they rise to rebuild their lives. Ivatans are hard working people and value labor.

Five sites in Batenes were nominated to the UNESCO Heritage list with the Batanes Heritage Foundation, Inc., working on the vernacular stone houses. The five sites are:

The hedgegrows or liveng. Trees or reeds are planted as windbreaker to prevent soil erosion and as boundary to properties only seen in Batanes.

The boat-shaped graves in Sabtang. UNESCO said similar graves can only be found in Scotland and Finland.

The Ivatan vernacular stone house. Only found in Scotland, Finland and Batanes, these are made from stones, lime and cogon. The Mandy Navasero Batanes Photo Safari summer of 2006 contributed some P264,000 to the Batnes Heritage Foundation, Inc., the proceeds from the photo exhibit auction and solicited contributions to restore one Ivatan house.

The ancient settlement in Diura, Mahatao. It is undisturbed and features the traditional corn grinder, columnar stones and remains of cooking utensils are remain intact.

The Ivatans have a high regard for life and are devoted to the religion adapted from the Spanish way of life. They also observe lucky dates and time in building houses, planting or storing produce. Also monitored are phases of the moon when planting, setting wedding dates and travels. They believe in Pilaton.

For some reasons they do not use the word "po" as a sign of respect. They also find it so costly to leave Batanes for the mainland as they say it is costlier than flying Manila-Hong Kong-Manila. All these add to the charms of Batanes as a destination for travelers.

Join the Mandy Navasero Batanes Photo Safari from May 6-12.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr23/livi1.htm

how do i get to that island???? it mesmerizes me so much! magkano ba ang gastos? sana maka.punta ako diyan!

^^ by plane hopefully? also, what kind of accommodations are available please?

thanks in advance

how do i get to that island???? it mesmerizes me so much! magkano ba ang gastos? sana maka.punta ako diyan!

You have to take a plane to Cagayan. Then from there take another smaller plane to Basco, Batanes.

I am really hesitant to ride in those small planes...

^^ Yeah, I remember when we flew there, there were a lot of air pockets. Medyo nakakanerbyos nga.

^ At diba, maraming napapabalitang nagkacrash na small aircrafts at medyo hindi sila reliable because they're quite old already? *sniff*SEAir*sniff*Asian Sprit*sniff*

You have to take a plane to Cagayan. Then from there take another smaller plane to Basco, Batanes.

magkano kya ang airfare galing cagayan... pwede naman mag bus papuntang cagayan para sightseeing dba....

napapag iwanan na ata talga ang batanes..

to dinabaw.. d ako taga batanes.. cencia na.. naisipan ko lang gwan na thread to

That's true - napag-iwanan ang Batanes in terms of infrastracture and globalization. That's good. Why? Baka babuyin lang ng mga walang-hiyang mga taga-siyudad ang Batanes. ;)

The only thing that keeps me away from Batanes is the transportation. If only PAL or CebuPac flies there. Nakakatakot Asian Spirit :lol:

Kung sakaling (huwag naman sana please) may flights ang PAL at CEB sa Batanes, magagalit talaga ako sa airlines na yan. Why? Dadami ang tourists dun - more tourists mean more garbage.

katakot nga yung maliliit na planes. i doubt if pal or ceb will have flights there pero sana nga.

Yung Asian Spirit may Manila-Basco-Manila 10,000 pesos roundtrip - 40 seater plane na yan ha. May mas maliit pa nyan (Great, it spells adventure) yung Chemtrad 10-seater lang.:)

---

I'll be going to Batanes this May. Excited na ako!

^ At diba, maraming napapabalitang nagkacrash na small aircrafts at medyo hindi sila reliable because they're quite old already? *sniff*SEAir*sniff*Asian Sprit*sniff*

That's so wrong. Wala pang fatal plane accident in Batanes. Isa lang yung alam ko Laoag International Airways Manila to Basco pero sa Manila Bay naman yun eh.

IMHO flying on smaller aircrafts is better than on Airbus Industrie or Boeing planes. Sight-seeing - adventure sarap!

That's so wrong. Wala pang fatal plane accident in Batanes. Isa lang yung alam ko Laoag International Airways Manila to Basco pero sa Manila Bay naman yun eh.

IMHO flying on smaller aircrafts is better than on Airbus Industrie or Boeing planes. Sight-seeing - adventure sarap!

GO!!!

^ I was not specifically referring to Batanes dear, I was pertaining to small aircrafts in general ;)

GO!!!

Is this a sarcastic post?:lol:

---

Hey Sinj! Ganun ba?:D

Is this a sarcastic post?

Nope. Just encouraging you... But of course, be aware of the risks... :D! Sana maging successful ang biyahe niyo!

Nope. Just encouraging you... But of course, be aware of the risks... :D! Sana maging successful ang biyahe niyo!

:lol: Hindi naman ako takot bumiyahe. Takot nga lang ako kung hindi matutuloy ang biyahe. :bash: Well, I will rather die on a plane crash than being shot.:banana::badnews:

Tanong ko lang sa mga taong nakapunta na or knowledgeable enough about Batanes: May phone lines ba sa Batanes? Internet connectivity? Cellphone coverage? Ano ba ang modes of transportation? May jeepneys din ba?

^^

Hindi pa ako nakapunta dun but according to my research (since January 2007):
May internet, may telephone (although satellite phones are better because of the distance of Batanes from Mainland Luzon), may cellsite (Smart), may radio station (Radyo ng Bayan although you can also listen Taiwanese stations).

Transpo: plane (Asian Spirit, Chemtrad, Pacific Airways), ship (for cargo), faluwa (parang banca purposely designed for Batanes), jeepney, bike, motor.

Bakit kaya yan palaging tanong ng mga peeps kapag Batanes ang topic? I invited some of my friends to join me and my travel buddy (actually our school librarian) for our Batanes escapade. OMG, ayaw nila kasi daw baka out of this world mala-Survivor daw yung dating. I wanna live nga forever sa Batanes eh. Walang gulo - 0% crime rate.

Tanong ko lang sa mga taong nakapunta na or knowledgeable enough about Batanes: May phone lines ba sa Batanes? Internet connectivity? Cellphone coverage? Ano ba ang modes of transportation? May jeepneys din ba?

Is that a concern for those who wanted to have relaxation? heheh...

^ Palagi kong dala ang laptop ko kahit saan ako magtravel so kailangan talaga may cellphone signal :D

Anyway, yung transpo na ibig kong sabihin is within the island/are within the islands. Ano, tricycle ba, pedicab? May taxi or jeepney? Or lalakarin lang?

^^

Hindi pa ako nakapunta dun but according to my research (since January 2007):
May internet, may telephone (although satellite phones are better because of the distance of Batanes from Mainland Luzon), may cellsite (Smart), may radio station (Radyo ng Bayan although you can also listen Taiwanese stations).

Transpo: plane (Asian Spirit, Chemtrad, Pacific Airways), ship (for cargo), faluwa (parang banca purposely designed for Batanes), jeepney, bike, motor.

Bakit kaya yan palaging tanong ng mga peeps kapag Batanes ang topic? I invited some of my friends to join me and my travel buddy (actually our school librarian) for our Batanes escapade. OMG, ayaw nila kasi daw baka out of this world mala-Survivor daw yung dating. I wanna live nga forever sa Batanes eh. Walang gulo - 0% crime rate.


Quite a research! U seemed confident talaga sa pagbiyahe sa Batanes ah...

Go!!!

^ Palagi kong dala ang laptop ko kahit saan ako magtravel so kailangan talaga may cellphone signal :D

Anyway, yung transpo na ibig kong sabihin is within the island/are within the islands. Ano, tricycle ba, pedicab? May taxi or jeepney? Or lalakarin lang?

It's better kung lakarin mo na lang... In that way, makaka-exercise ka pa and ma-eexperience mo ang beauty ng Batanes... ;)

^ Alam mo bang may sakit po ako sa puso? Anyway, pwede na rin, dadahan-dahanin ko lang. Step by step. Breath by breath.

^ Alam mo bang may sakit po ako sa puso? Anyway, pwede na rin, dadahan-dahanin ko lang. Step by step. Breath by breath.

Ooops, sori... Maybe you can try consulting your physician. Baka sakaling masabi niyang good for your heart ang "walking" with fresh air sa Batanes. You need some exercise, dude...

Palagi naman akong nag-eexercise eh, gusto ko magbuild ng muscles, yun lang at ang mukha ko ang puhunan ko :lol: Anyway, OT na tayo :)

^^Ah okay... I don't know that... If so, walking in Batanes may not be a problem to you after all... Heheh... pero I think you should still consult your doc...

^ Palagi kong dala ang laptop ko kahit saan ako magtravel so kailangan talaga may cellphone signal :D

Anyway, yung transpo na ibig kong sabihin is within the island/are within the islands. Ano, tricycle ba, pedicab? May taxi or jeepney? Or lalakarin lang?

Cool! Wala akong laptop eh pero for me ok na sa kin to have a well-invested backpack, a digicam with 2 gig SD card, a pen and a notebook. I wanna document kasi my travel this May. That would become my first leg of my Philippines tour.:lol:

Btw, walang taxi sa Batanes.

Quite a research! U seemed confident talaga sa pagbiyahe sa Batanes ah...

Go!!!

Lalong hindi matutuloy kung hindi ako optimistic, diba?:)

Cool! Wala akong laptop eh pero for me ok na sa kin to have a well-invested backpack, a digicam with 2 gig SD card, a pen and a notebook. I wanna document kasi my travel this May. That would become my first leg of my Philippines tour.:lol:


Cool :okay: Make a travel blog, take lots of pictures and post 'em here, so we can also enjoy your Batanes trip, though vicariously.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes-mediamomma.jpg
Above photo by mediamomma

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes3-estan.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes-estan.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/dxpsycho/batanes2-estan.jpg
Above photos by estan

from flickr

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/139691457_596044b6d3_b.jpg
Basco Provincial Capitol, Basco, Batan island, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/135393726_b875023b9c_b.jpg
Sto. Domingo Church, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/136804561_c755d627f4_b.jpg
Church of San Jose de Ivana, island of Batan, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/139086589_f892ee66d3_b.jpg
Naidi Hills, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl (http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/119/256018119_90bb9f1fce_b.jpg
Hills of Chadpidan, Basco, Batanes | Photo by Farl

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/135358119_1672e998a4_b.jpg
Nakabuang beach, Sabtang island, Batanes | Photo by Farl

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/138131070_b29c9147e7_b.jpg
Dacay House, Ivana town, Batan island, Batanes: The oldest stone house in Batanes | Photo by Farl

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/49/124755408_0940888b00_b.jpg
About to land in Batanes | Photo by bingbing (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bingramos/)

Cool :okay: Make a travel blog, take lots of pictures and post 'em here, so we can also enjoy your Batanes trip, though vicariously.

Hi dxpsycho!:wave:

I will definitely make one. My Northern Luzon will start my adventure around the Philippines.;)

^^ sounds like a plan... good luck! sana magka-budget rin ako para makapasyal sa buong pinas hehehe:)

Hi guys. I have a few pictures of Batanes I'd like to share with you, but I'm too dumb to figure out how to post them up here. Is there an idiot's guide somewhere that someone could kindly point me towards?

^^ Follow this link (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=458527). We'll be waiting for them! :okay:

Thanks Kiretoce. Why couldn't I find that link.. duhh.:ohno:
OK, first attempt. More later if this works..

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/3057/dscn0352db3.jpg

^^ It works! :cheer: Good job! :okay:

Maybe a bit bigger is better
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/2571/dscn0402ih4.jpg

And a couple more. These were all from April 2002 so a bit old but the place sticks in my mind as one of the most relaxing, friendly places on earth. But it must be hell when the typoons rip through..

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1158/dscn0421ra8.jpg


http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/685/dscn0378zk8.jpghttp://img354.imageshack.us/img354/6792/dscn0354uz0.jpg

^ beautiful :okay: more! :D

Thanks! I'm outa time now but more in a few days if they are appreciated.

Hindi pa man ako nakakapunta dun pero gusto ko nang tumira dun, as in forever. I wanna die facing the beautiful landscape, the wonderful sunset and the wild waves in Batanes.;)

Pwede pa kayang mapuntahan ang Y'Ami island, yung pinaka-dulo ng Batanes... I mean, pinaka-dulong hilaga na talaga ng Pilipinas!

^ Very hot and humid dyan sa Batanes. Parang malagkit sa balat.

Guys, in the unlikely event anything in the last couple of posts was aimed at me, apologies but I have no Tagalog. My loss.:(

Thanks! I'm outa time now but more in a few days if they are appreciated.

They're very much appreciated! :okay: Thanks for sharing....anticipating the next set of photos! :colgate:

Guys, in the unlikely event anything in the last couple of posts was aimed at me, apologies but I have no Tagalog. My loss.:(

Are you not Pinoy? Just curious....

Guys, in the unlikely event anything in the last couple of posts was aimed at me, apologies but I have no Tagalog. My loss.:(

Beautiful shots of Batanes @efp. Pardon us for posting in Tagalog. Well, let me translate the Tagalog portions: @Czarina said that even if she has not visited Batanes yet, she wants to stay there forever. She was wondering if it is possible to go to Y'ami island, the northernmost part of the Philippines.

I said something about the weather being hot and humid there that it feels sticky to the skin.

No need to apologise, we can't all be lucky enough to be born Pinoy....:cry:. I was just concerned you might be asking me something and think me rude not replying. I am a Brit btw, but with a filipina wife and a deep affection for the Philippines.
Thanks for the appreciation, I will run in some more pix as soon as imageshack stops crapping out on me. Is there a better host?
As far as Yam'i goes, it's 5 years since I was in Batanes but I don't think much will have changed. You arrive on Batan which is beautiful, Sabtang is awesome but the ferry trip is hair-raising in anything but the calmest weather and Itbayat is a long trip and had no accomodation or transport and only one ferry a day if you were lucky so we were advised against it at the time. Yam'i must be way out further so I guess the only option would be to charter a boat. We went in the April/ May weather "window" when we were told conditions were at their kindest but even then the sea conditions were savage. It would be a brave trip, but I can see the appeal.

^^ Try www.photobucket.com. :okay:

OK, I think I'm getting the hang of this now... a few more.

Batanes Resort, near Basco. Gov't run, at the time the only "resort". Rooms, location and staff lovely. Food dreadful..

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/7771/dscn0308oh2.jpg

The port at Basco at sunset, from terrace at Shanedel's Inn. Recommended.
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/1489/dscn0357xz4.jpg

A cow in "Marlboro Country", SE Batan

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/5567/dscn0307ru7.jpg


View from Ivana across the channel to Sabtang. Looks calm but it wasn't...

http://img462.imageshack.us/img462/8369/dscn0343agm0.jpg

^^ Batanes is so verdant and scenic, and not so tropical-looking at all!

Last for now.


Out guide Danny. If you meet him at the airport where he works, please give him our best regards and get me his email address which I lost. Typical Ivatan, honest and friendly. A thoroughly nice guy.
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z71/efpig/DSCN0434.jpg

Builders at work
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z71/efpig/DSCN0318.jpg

Sabtang native preparing food.
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z71/efpig/DSCN0396.jpg


Northern coast Batan
http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z71/efpig/DSCN0326.jpg

Landing dock at Sabtang

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z71/efpig/DSCN0373.jpg

Batanes is so beautiful! I wonder if their local tourism industry gets developed over time, will these tranquil and scenic vistas be overrun by the gaudy, kitschy, and tacky? I seriously hope not.

nice pics @efp... we are from the philippines but haven't been there --- talk about strangers in their own country... :ohno:

Weather here might be as unforgiving as the North Sea eh?

Since I haven't been to Batanes, it makes me wonder if there are gas stations or do those boats fill up somewhere else... saw some pics showing presence of motor vehicles, but I believe the main mode of transport in some islands are bicylcles...

Last few. Hope I'm not using up too much of peoples bandwidth..

The finest dining in town. Sorry we missed the Grand Opening...
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9607/dscn0382wb0.jpg


A room with a view.
http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/1475/dscn0416oh2.jpg


Compare and contrast. I believe this mansion and estate belongs to a top politician.
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2444/dscn0415fl6.jpg


Rush hour in downtown Sabtang port...
I dont recall seeing a gas station but I suppose there must be one somewhere, probably in Basco port for the few vehicles there are. I guess fuel is distributed in jerry cans locally.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6999/dscn0375yy5.jpg

^^ the politician's mansion, were you able to see the inside or was it off limits? it has a nice view of the surroundings for sure... i wonder where they get their drinking water...

nice restaurant -- how was the food? any "local" delicacy?

do you have a picture of the airport and some government buildings (the capitol or municipal buildings perhaps)?...

Thanks @efp!

efp, I love your pictures so much! Everything about Batanes is wonderful - in any angle, even its people. :)

Do you have pictures of the interior and the rooms of Shanedel's Inn?

Lucentino, can't help you there. I was more interested in the rural areas. No we didn't go any closer to the politicians house, and I'm afraid I can't recall what the food speciality was, but almost certainly fish. They are big on garlic tho, they grow a lot of it.
All I can offer is this view of Basco from the old wartime radar station on a hill just outside town. The buildings with red roofs at upper right may well be municipal offices. Just took the snap because of the funeral procession going into the graveyard.
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/54/dscn0457gz2.jpg

czarina, thank you for your kind words. Again, I'm afraid I didn't take any pictures of Shanedels, other than this rather poor effort of my wife and friends at dusk on the terrace which doesn't tell you a lot.. But they had the best food in town and spectacular sunset views from there.
And now I come to think of it I believe the food speciality of the area is gin..

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4954/dscn0365uh1.jpg

^^ Is she your Filipina wife? She is very lovely. She looks like a beauty queen or a model. :)

When I was in Batanes, I stayed in the monastery of Sto Domingo church. I have to rummage for pictures because that was years ago. At that time, Batanes did not have those concrete houses with the red roofs as lodges. I think a good idea for Batanes is to have "bed and breakfast" facilities.

There was a thread here on abandoned lighthouses. We have discussed there that that is good idea to preserve and utilize those lighthouses as well as promote tourism in those beautiful places of the Philippines that are rarely visited even by Filipinos, and also to preserve their pristine state instead of building those structures that look incongruous with the place.

I wonder if Batanes would have such a lighthouse. Most probably, it is still operational.

I am a very lucky man. Thank you.

Last few. Hope I'm not using up too much of peoples bandwidth..

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/6999/dscn0375yy5.jpg

I guess it's the same church shown in the photo below. It's beautiful. :yes: I like the whitewashed building with arches and the strong, wide columns. It's got that authentic, old Spanish Mission feel to it.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/135393726_b875023b9c_b.jpg

Thanks for the great photos, efp! :applause: and yeah, your wife is lovely :yes:

How many Catholic Churches are there in Batanes? How about churches of other religions, are there any? :D

Shucks, now I'm getting embarassed..:)
One more church for you fans then. This one is on southwest Batan coast by the departure point for the Sabtang ferry. The one I sent earlier was in Sabtang town but I think its not the same one you point out dxpsycho. I could be wrong but I think that is the big one on the main square in Basco. I say that because I recall it was attached to the ruins of a very much earlier church destroyed by earthquake which I think you can see at the left and a small museum at right. But I could be wrong. Date at top in this image is 1785 and above the door 1866 and 1869 by the way.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/379/dscn0341ff7.jpg

^^ Nice parang sa South America. :)

Shucks, now I'm getting embarassed..:)
One more church for you fans then. This one is on southwest Batan coast by the departure point for the Sabtang ferry. The one I sent earlier was in Sabtang town but I think its not the same one you point out dxpsycho. I could be wrong but I think that is the big one on the main square in Basco. I say that because I recall it was attached to the ruins of a very much earlier church destroyed by earthquake which I think you can see at the left and a small museum at right. But I could be wrong. Date at top in this image is 1785 and above the door 1866 and 1869 by the way.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/379/dscn0341ff7.jpg

The picture did not show through. Why be embarassed? This thread is for photo-sharing. We enjoy seeing those pictures. Thanks!

Well, embarassed on behalf of my wife, who is the last person to want to be commented on, and b.) that I appear to have hijacked the thread with 5 year old pictures and a very shallow knowlege of this amazing place.
Jhaelnis sorry, I have no idea on the churches. 3 big catholic churches we have here documented but I'm sure there are more. I am not aware of any other denominations but I would be surprised if there were anything else, at least formally. But I cannot pretend to be an expert, just an enthusiatic tourist.

^ So, to mitigate your wife's embarassment, perhaps show a picture with you there. :jk:

Anyway, the pictures were well worth it. :) All those stucco churches are stately. They look like those Mission churches in California and Mexico.

Oh yea. They do resemble the mission churches in southwest US and Mexico. (and the Sanctuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park). Nice! Thank you for sharing with us these pictures.

So, does anyone know why these churches in Batanes were patterned after them? What's the history behind these churches? And why are they different from the other churches in the Philippines that are mainly earthquake baroque type?

^^ That is an interesting architectural history study. Maybe these churches are of later vintage.

nice pic of the town @efp, you might have been more interested with the cultural and scenic spots of Batanes... I hope to take the pics of the infrastructure myself when I visit the place some day (wishful thinking :) )...

:cry:

I'm losing hopes. I think I must pursue my Batanes trip but my parents don't allow it.:(

I have been in Batanes many times for many years but never set foot. Never make a landfall there.

I always see Batanes shrouded by mist... and most of the time the seas around Batanes is rough.

Btw sharing this photos of Batanes I have taken from other sites.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/Batan_house.jpg

Batan house





http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/batanes.jpg




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/batanes3.jpg





http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/batanes4.jpg




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/batanes_lighthouse.jpg




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/2670639-Batan_Island-Province_of_Ba.jpg





http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/batanes4-1.jpg




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/batanes5_360.jpg




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/Batanes_5303367.jpg

I am a very lucky man. Thank you.

you are really a lucky man. she looks so nice and beautiful.

take good care of her and you will be blessed.

thanks for the photos of the islands of my dreams.

@TheAvenger, thank you for your kind comments and your pictures, some nice views which give a good flavour of the place and bring back fond memories. Im sad but can understand why as you never got to land there as a mariner though from my slight experience of the sea conditions, and that was in the good weather season.. but it's never too late.
@czarina, please hold on to your dreams. Forgive me but you sound young, and have a lot of life ahead of you. But maybe you can persuade your parents that Batanes has probably the lowest crime rate in the country if not the world and there is nowhere safer, on land at least.
@lucentino, not so much an issue in the friendly Philippines but as a foreigner its always a bit tricky to take pictures of infrastructure and strategic sites in many countries on national security grounds so I tend not to. Its only a year or so since some aircraft enthusiast countrymen of mine spent several months in jail in Greece for photographing military planes taking off, and in some places even photographing a bridge or port can be an offence.

@TheAvenger, thank you for your kind comments and your pictures, some nice views which give a good flavour of the place and bring back fond memories. Im sad but can understand why as you never got to land there as a mariner though from my slight experience of the sea conditions, and that was in the good weather season.. but it's never too late.
@czarina, please hold on to your dreams. Forgive me but you sound young, and have a lot of life ahead of you. But maybe you can persuade your parents that Batanes has probably the lowest crime rate in the country if not the world and there is nowhere safer, on land at least.
@lucentino, not so much an issue in the friendly Philippines but as a foreigner its always a bit tricky to take pictures of infrastructure and strategic sites in many countries on national security grounds so I tend not to. Its only a year or so since some aircraft enthusiast countrymen of mine spent several months in jail in Greece for photographing military planes taking off, and in some places even photographing a bridge or port can be an offence.

Thanks. I am young but I don't want to waste time.;)

:cry:

I'm losing hopes. I think I must pursue my Batanes trip but my parents don't allow it.:(

why not marry an ivatan and stay in paradise for good? :lol: (joke only!)... my problem is different from yours --- its my wallet that wont allow me to visit Batanes! :ohno:

@efp happens everywhere... restrictions... restrictions... were your friends jailed in Greece took the photos during the Olympics? Oh man I hope when I get to visit UK someday I wont suffer the same fate:ohno: ... I like those Tornados and Harriers you know...

why not marry an ivatan and stay in paradise for good? :lol: (joke only!)... my problem is different from yours --- its my wallet that wont allow me to visit Batanes! :ohno:

@efp happens everywhere... restrictions... restrictions... were your friends jailed in Greece took the photos during the Olympics? Oh man I hope when I get to visit UK someday I wont suffer the same fate:ohno: ... I like those Tornados and Harriers you know...

Marrying an Ivatan? Sorry but the vow of chastity forbids me (yeah, that's my principle in life). But I still have enough time to plan out for my future in Batanes, even if I'm just single.;)

^^ thats the spirit... pero teka, i dont get it --- you plan to remain single ba? or ur just too young pa? anyways good luck on your plans basta dont forget the pics ha...:)

Hey guys! I've been to Batanes last week. I finally got the chance to visit my province after 9-10 years!

Pictures will be posted soon. :)

looking forward for the pics!

Hey guys! I've been to Batanes last week. I finally got the chance to visited my province after 9-10 years!

Pictures will be posted soon. :)

Wow Ash, san sa family nyo ang Ivatan?

^ Palagi kong dala ang laptop ko kahit saan ako magtravel so kailangan talaga may cellphone signal :D

Anyway, yung transpo na ibig kong sabihin is within the island/are within the islands. Ano, tricycle ba, pedicab? May taxi or jeepney? Or lalakarin lang?

Sinj, transpo is very accessible now compared to previous years... may jeepneys, tricycles, cars, pick-ups you name it! except the big trucks and buses wala pa don. Pwede na kasing i-cargo ang mga kotse papuntang Batanes through cargo ships. So don't worry.

By the way Sinj, when I was I kid, we used to walk miles and miles just to go to some destination. Hindi pa uso non ang sasakyan. Ang nakakapag taka, hindi kami napapagod maybe because of my lola's kwento kaya hindi kami naiinip mag lakad and of course the sceneries! :okay:


About the cellphone signals, yup malakas ang signal ng Globe doon and they also have Smart, TM etc. but about naman sa internet connection, they have one in Basco but on the other parts of Batanes wala pa sila.

Wow Ash, san sa family nyo ang Ivatan?

both parents sinj. ;)

Sinj, transpo is very accessible now compared to previous years... may jeepneys, tricycles, cars, pick-ups you name it! except the big trucks and buses wala pa don. Pwede na kasing i-cargo ang mga kotse papuntang Batanes through cargo ships. So don't worry.

By the way Sinj, when I was I kid, we used to walk miles and miles just to go to some destination. Hindi pa uso non ang sasakyan. Ang nakakapag taka, hindi kami napapagod maybe because of my lola's kwento kaya hindi kami naiinip mag lakad and of course the sceneries! :okay:


About the cellphone signals, yup malakas ang signal ng Globe doon and they also have Smart, TM etc. but about naman sa internet connection, they have one in Basco but on the other parts of Batanes wala pa sila.

Wow, that's cool! Thanks for the info! :okay:

both parents sinj. ;)

Oh I see. Pa'no sila napadpad sa Cavite?

^^ before mahirap talaga mag hanap ng work sa Batanes. It's either you become a farmer or a fisher man. Of course my parents wanted to live a good life so they chose to study college here in Manila and to work as well. :) Then they saw Cavite... so ayun andito nakami. :D

Batanes Picutes

Batch 1: View from the Top

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5275.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5288copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5293.jpg
(saw these two rainbows by accident :D)

Batch 2: Disvayangan Mahatao Batanes

By the way, most of my pictures were taken in Mahatao, Batanes since my grandparents live there.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5524.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5527.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5571.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5945.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5573.jpg

My goodness, first batch palang eh nabusog na ako! :eat: Nice photos!

^^ haha... you should go there Sinj, kaso dapat matiisin ka. Kahit ako hindi ko kinaya na walang internet but makakalimutan mo rin kahit papano pag lagi kang nasa labas.

batch 3 will be posted soon. :)

Teka question ko lang (although hindi pa ako pupunta ng Batanes in the near term, at hindi rin ito ang qualifications ko para pumunta ng Batanes), kumusta ang TV signal sa Batanes? At, may cable TV ba diyan? Lol ang weird ng mga tanong :lol:

^^ yup meron! Dream satellite ang provider nila so marami karing makukuhang channels. Dun ko rin natutunan manood ng Telenovela with my lola. haha

Great pictures ashley12, thanks!

Oh my, nice pictures. So green and so blue! Parang gusto ko na din pumunta. TARA!! Magkano gastos ng transpo papunta dun?

Ano yung small island sa pic 2 sa 2nd batch?

^^ one way fair is about 5500k-6000k including terminal fee but you can avail discount for students. :)

If I'm not mistaken the small island on the 2nd pic is Sabtang. I've been there once palang.

Great pictures ashley12, thanks!

thanks efp. :)

Hey guys! I've been to Batanes last week. I finally got the chance to visit my province after 9-10 years!

Pictures will be posted soon. :)

Hey Ash. hmm I think I remember you speaking (or was it "IM'ing") the Ivatan language back in the YM confe days. :okay: Ang ganda ng pics! The sea looks so blue. More pics! :applause:

Batch : Still at Disvayangan Mahatao Batanes

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5988.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6038.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5970.jpg
dried fish also known as Dibang

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6047.jpg
at sun down

^ I like the dive pic. nice timing hehe.
Cute yung shell.

^^ actually may laman yung shell... parang maliit na crab, ayawe lang lumabas. I forgot what it is called.

^^ A hermit crab? :dunno: Awesome photos by the way Ashley! :okay:

What a refreshing sight! :rock: ... nice pics @ ashley12... how long did you stay there?

The only eyesore were the posters of candidates lining up the Mahatao road... it kind of reminds you that it is really a part of the Philippines...

Air fare is 6k one way:ohno:... I saw a lower fare on this site (http://www.asianspirit.com/fare_domestic_php.html) --- how about the places to stay, would it cost that much as well? This would really be a once in a lifetime experience...

Those Dibangs would be a delicious viand specially if fried and you'll dip them on soy sauce with calamansi and chili pepper:pepper:...

Those are really wonderful photos.

What a refreshing sight! :rock: ... nice pics @ ashley12... how long did you stay there?

The only eyesore were the posters of candidates lining up the Mahatao road... it kind of reminds you that it is really a part of the Philippines...

Air fare is 6k one way:ohno:... I saw a lower fare on this site (http://www.asianspirit.com/fare_domestic_php.html) --- how about the places to stay, would it cost that much as well? This would really be a once in a lifetime experience...

Those Dibangs would be a delicious viand specially if fried and you'll dip them on soy sauce with calamansi and chili pepper:pepper:...

I stayed there for 6 days. :)

About the flight, there's a cheaper way to go to Batanes. You can ride a bus from Manila to Laoag Airport then ride a plane going to Basco. I'm not sure about the exact fare but for sure its cheaper.

Asian Spirits by the way is the only airlines that accommodate flights directly from Manila going to Batanes that's why it costs very high.

Nyapala, the fare that is shown on the site is already out dated. :) If you want to inform about the prices you can go to their office at Domestic Rd. corner Andrews Ace. Pasay City or call them at this no. for your reservations: (02) 8553333


Re:posters
yup your right! I really don't like seeing these posters all posted on the walls. I asked my Lola if they will take it down after the elections then she replied "don't worry, matatanggal din yan ng bagyo"... :D true.

Batch 2: Disvayangan Mahatao Batanes

By the way, most of my pictures were taken in Mahatao, Batanes since my grandparents live there.


Wow Ashley, taga Mahatao ka pala. We made it a point to stop by Mahatao townproper when we visited Batanes some years back. Ang ganda ng backdrop ng town proper against the blue sky. Wala nga lang akong pic ng green house doon, yung may ivy. Saan ang Disvayangan? After the seawall coming from Basco, or just before na umakyat ng bundok ang main road going to Ivana? Kasi ang pics mo, may mga dagat. Ganda rin ng bay on the other side, malayo nga lang ( by foot ).

Nagsawa rin ako sa dibang, fried, sarsiyado at yung may sabaw. Ang di ko lang natikman, yung dorado. Di raw pinagbibili dahil pang tag-ulan daw. Mukhang di ka naglibot sa home province mo.

Those are really wonderful photos.

thanks! :)

Wow Ashley, taga Mahatao ka pala. We made it a point to stop by Mahatao townproper when we visited Batanes some years back. Ang ganda ng backdrop ng town proper against the blue sky. Wala nga lang akong pic ng green house doon, yung may ivy. Saan ang Disvayangan? After the seawall coming from Basco, or just before na umakyat ng bundok ang main road going to Ivana? Kasi ang pics mo, may mga dagat. Ganda rin ng bay on the other side, malayo nga lang ( by foot ).

Nagsawa rin ako sa dibang, fried, sarsiyado at yung may sabaw. Ang di ko lang natikman, yung dorado. Di raw pinagbibili dahil pang tag-ulan daw. Mukhang di ka naglibot sa home province mo.

Yung Disvayangan malapit yan sa Plaza ng Mahatao. The road there is the National Road going to Ivana.

NAglibot naman ako. :) I went to Itbud, Ivana, Uyugan, a little of Basco then toured around Mahatao. Later muna yung pics kasi umabot ako ng 1000+ so inaayos ko lang muna lahat. :D

Batch 4: Old Houses and Roads

Barangay Uvuy:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5928.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5322.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6340.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5504copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6769.jpg

Barangay Hañib:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5417copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6823.jpg

Gosh! There aren't any words left to describe the place! Even from the photos, Batanes just takes your every breath away! :colgate:

true true. :D

The names of the places sound exotic -- Uvuy, Disvayangan, Hañib.... :okay:

^^ You hear Ashley talk Ivatan....it's sounds so foreign sounding to be an indigenous Filipino language.

Batch 5: Itbud

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5842copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5840copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5861copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5862copy.jpg

The ghost town of Itbud also known as Song-song

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5850.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5853copy.jpg

@Ash: Kumusta ang buhay ng lola mo if may dumaan na mga bagyo? Safe ba sila?

I think if you are a writer and you need to be inspired while writing, it would be nice to stay in Batanes. Awesome pics again Ash. Your photographic and artistic skills do justice to the beauty of the place.

@Ash: Kumusta ang buhay ng lola mo if may dumaan na mga bagyo? Safe ba sila?

Sinj, hindi naman siguro mag-stay jan yung grandparents ko kung hindi safe diba? Kaya nga meron silang bahay na bato para panlaban sa bagyo. The food and water is not a problem too. Marami silang mapagkukuhanan kaya hindi ka talaga magugutom. At higit sa lahat walang baha sa Batanes. Walang naman kasing basura kang makikita sa kung saan saan lang. Matitibay ang mga disiplina ng mga taga Ivatan kaya hindi sila nagkaka prublema.

About naman sa crime rate, napakababa nito kumpara sa ibang probinsya. Kahit maglakad ka sa daan na walang kasama (tulad ng ginagawa ko tuwing gabi), walang dudukot sayo don at papatay. :)

^ Sana naman lahat ng Pilipino Ivatan :D

sarap naman dyan!! balik tayo dyan!

Sinj, hindi naman siguro mag-stay jan yung grandparents ko kung hindi safe diba? Kaya nga meron silang bahay na bato para panlaban sa bagyo. The food and water is not a problem too. Marami silang mapagkukuhanan kaya hindi ka talaga magugutom. At higit sa lahat walang baha sa Batanes. Walang naman kasing basura kang makikita sa kung saan saan lang. Matitibay ang mga disiplina ng mga taga Ivatan kaya hindi sila nagkaka prublema.

About naman sa crime rate, napakababa nito kumpara sa ibang probinsya. Kahit maglakad ka sa daan na walang kasama (tulad ng ginagawa ko tuwing gabi), walang dudukot sayo don at papatay. :)

Wow... I was in college when I went there. Maganda pa din, kahit sa picture pa lang. Sabi nga ni Mang-artur, ayh siyal retern!
I miss the inihaw na isda sa baybay.

Nice set of photos again. Ang ganda ganda. I like the blue painted window photo ashley. :okay:


About the flight, there's a cheaper way to go to Batanes. You can ride a bus from Manila to Laoag Airport then ride a plane going to Basco. I'm not sure about the exact fare but for sure its cheaper.

I think I saw that particular plane one time. It looks scary. :lol:

About naman sa crime rate, napakababa nito kumpara sa ibang probinsya. Kahit maglakad ka sa daan na walang kasama (tulad ng ginagawa ko tuwing gabi), walang dudukot sayo don at papatay. :)

Napanood ko minsan at na-feature sa tv ung Batanes. hindi ko lang sigurado kung lakbay tv... dahil nga sa zero crime rate duon, pinakita ung prison cell ng police station. ginagawang tulugan na lang ng pulis ung katre sa loob ng cell. :lol: sana nga lahat ng lugar sa pilipinas eh katulad ng batanes, eh di laking asenso natin.

Batch 6: Lighthouse + "Marlboro Country"

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5738.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5713.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5743copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5776copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5796copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5836copy.jpg

^Looks like a scene from Middle-Earth :okay:

nice pics you got ther ash!!!

that's one of the places i like to visit someday!!! the place is so beautiful, ang sarap tingnan...:D

^^ actually may laman yung shell... parang maliit na crab, ayawe lang lumabas. I forgot what it is called.

ang liit na hermit crab naman yan!!! haha.. :lol:

nice pics you got ther ash!!!

that's one of the places i like to visit someday!!! the place is so beautiful, ang sarap tingnan...:D

thanks Ish! Yah, after siguro we graduate punta tayo uli. Ako na sagot sa inyo pag dating don kayo na sa pamasahe. :D

Ngapala, visit my Flickr I got more pics there. :)

Batch 5: Itbud

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5842copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5840copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5861copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5862copy.jpg

The ghost town of Itbud also known as Song-song

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5850.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5853copy.jpg

What happened to song-song?

^Looks like a scene from Middle-Earth :okay:

:lol: Yeah, thats what I thought din when I saw the last pic sa Batch 6. Parang papuntang Gondor or puede din Mordor :D

Ganda pics ulit :okay:

^^I agree w/ the two of you... Nice pics of Batanes... really really foreign-looking... Love it.

What happened to song-song?

there was a tidal wave before in Itbud that hits the small town. Some of the houses were destroyed but luckily a few still stand. It only shows that these indigenous houses of Batanes are so strong it can even withstand the strongest waves and typhoons to hit Phil.

:D

:lol: Yeah, thats what I thought din when I saw the last pic sa Batch 6. Parang papuntang Gondor or puede din Mordor :D

Ganda pics ulit :okay:

Yeah, yung last pic parang malapit na sa Gates of Mordor. Yung Pic 1 naman parang The Shire and yung Pic 5 parang Rohan, :D :okay:

there was a tidal wave before in Itbud that hits the small town. Some of the houses were destroyed but luckily a few still stand. It only shows that these indigenous houses of Batanes are so strong it can even withstand the strongest waves and typhoons to hit Phil.

:D

What about the unique headress that Ivatan women wear? I found out its called Vacul. Ano ang purpose nya and what is it made of? I like it. :okay:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/131409587_9e9c8f5670.jpg?v=0
Photo by estan (http://www.flickr.com/photos/estan/)

^^ It's a portable shelter from the heat and rain. The elements can be a bit harsh in Batanes when exposed for a long time. As you can see, there are not many trees there -- mostly grass lands.

@ashley my dear, ( i used to call female member of SSC as my dear)

wondering if there is a oral history or folklore linking the native people of Taiwan the Yamis to Ivatan. Also the northermost island of Batanes which is inside the Phil territory is called Y'ami. I am sure your ancestors thousands of years ago ruled the island of Taiwan.



below is some article about Yamis of Taiwan :

http://www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/culture/0795_TribesOfTaiwan.html




The Tribes of Taiwan
By Cliff Vost, Photos by Sung Chih-hsiung


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes1.jpg

The spirited hair dance performed by Yami woman.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes2.jpg

Aborigines have adapted their housing to centuries of life on sub-tropical Taiwan.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes3.jpg

Replicas of human skulls adorn an aborigine wall.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes4.jpg

Evil spirits stay clear of this tribal art.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes8.jpg

Island of Diversity

Before the Han Chinese immigration began in the mid-1600s, Taiwan was inha-bited by people belonging to the Austronesian race, the members of which lived in a vast area extending from Madagascar in the west to Hawaii and Easter Island in the east, and from New Zealand in the south to Taiwan in the north. Taiwan's aborigines are believed to have come from the Malay archipelago in different waves about 6,000 years ago at the earliest and less than 1,000 years ago at the latest. Since their languages are very different--more varied than those of the Philippines--some scholars suggest that Taiwan is the original homeland of all Austronesians. Archeological findings indicate that Taiwan had been inhabited by other people before the current aborigines came. However, little is known about them, particularly when and why they disappeared.

When the Han Chinese came to Taiwan, they divided, for convenience, the aborigines into Pingpu (plains) people and Kaoshan (mountain) people. They further subdivided the Pingpu people into 10 tribes and the Kaoshan people into nine. These labels are misnomers, for they don't reflect cultures and languages, or place of residence, properly. A tribe in one division often has more similarity with one in another division than with one in its own division, and three tribes of "mountain people" don't live in mountains at all.

The early Han Chinese immigrants were mostly bachelors, and many of them married Pingpu girls, which sped up the melding of the two ethnic groups. There is a Taiwanese saying that "We have mainland forefathers but no mainland foremothers." The Han Chinese totally overcame the Pingpu people and nearly killed their languages. However, many Pingpu phrases remain in Taiwanese. The word kanchiu (wife) is derived from the Siraya tongue of the Pingpu; and mangga , the old name of the Wanhua district of Taipei, is the language of Ketagalan, a Pingpu tribe that once lived there. None of Taiwan's aborigines had a written language. To study the Pingpu culture, one must rely on archeological finds, written records from Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and Spanish explorers and rulers, and remaining oral tradition.

The Nine Tribes

The Nine Tribes The nine tribes of the "mountain people" live in less accessible mountains, remote eastern Taiwan, and the offshore Orchid Island, where their culture and languages are relatively well preserved. Following are some of the distinctive historical traits of these nine remaining aborigine groups in Taiwan. Noted traits that were common to these groups included tattooing (except among the Yami and Bunun), pantheism, shamanism, and head-hunting (except among the Yami).

Atayal
The Atayal are distributed over a large area in northern Taiwan. Their language can be divided into the Atayal and Sediq branches and is not closely related to any other aborigine language. Atayal men are good hunters, and Atayal women good weavers. In the past, facial tattooing among men and women, for beauty and distinction and to ward off evil spirits, was a feature of this tribe. This practice has been outlawed since the Japanese occupation (1895-1945). Now only those Atayals over 80 years old still have tattoos on their faces.

The Atayal kinship system is patrilineal. Leaders of several religious groups of a community usually constitute the political authority. The prototypical Atayal house is either semi-subterranean or built at ground level, and is made of wood and thatch. There is a watch tower for each cluster of houses.

Saisiyat
The Saisiyat are the smallest of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes in terms of population and area. They are surrounded and strongly influenced by Hakkas and the Atayal, and were the first among the tribes to be acculturated by the Han Chinese and adopt Chinese names. Like that of the Atayal, tattooing was also a feature of the Saisiyat.

The Saisiyat are noted for a unique festival of theirs: the Ceremony of the Pygmies--pas-ta'ai. The legend has it that a group of pygmies once taught the Saisiyat to farm, sing, and dance, but also harassed and raped the Saisiyat women. The Saisiyat entrapped and massacred all the pygmies but two. As the two survivors were escaping to the east, they cursed the Saisiyat. To appease the souls of the pygmies, the pas-ta'ai is held once every two years at the tenth full moon of the lunar calendar, and a grand pas-ta'ai takes place once every 10 years. Like the Greeks observing Olympia, the Saisiyat forsake fights and quarrels during the pas-ta'ai.

Bunun
The Bunun live in the mountainous regions of central Taiwan. They are patrilineal, have strong family ties, and practice the extraction of certain front teeth as a sign of social identity as well as adulthood. The Bunun are good singers and often sing when working. Their harmonic skills are advanced and elegant, and they impressed the world with their "Millet Harvest Song" at an international ethnic music convention in 1953.

Tsou
The Tsou live on the west side of the middle section of the central mountain range. The "Northern Tsou" and "Southern Tsou" are distinct in language and custom. In the past two centuries, the Tsou's population has decreased dramatically due to the expansion of surrounding ethnic groups and also to various epidemics.

The typical Tsou house has rounded corners and a dome-shaped thatched roof which extends almost to the mud floor. The men's meeting huts, or kuba, serve as religious, political, and masculinity training centers. Enemy heads and a box of implements for igniting fires are kept there; women are not allowed in a kuba. The past significance of hunting among the Tsou is evident in their extensive use of leather in clothing.

Paiwan
The Paiwan live in the mountains of the southern end of Taiwan and are divided into the Raval and Butaul branches. They live on farming as well as hunting, animal husbandry, and creek fishing. They have a social system founded on land ownership, and their kinship is ambilineal. The Paiwan are noted for their wood and stone sculpture. The Butaul branch holds a major sacrificial rite every five years, called maleveq, to invite the spirits of their dead ancestors to come and bless the living.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes5.jpg

Rukai woman in festive dress and action.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes7.jpg

Master wood carvers earn the utmost respect in the Rukai community.
Rukai


The Rukai live in the southern part of the central mountain range. Their economic activities, social strata, and kinship are similar to those of the Paiwan, with the distinction that the Rukai practice primogeniture. Rukai houses are built of wood, bamboo, and thatch as well as stone slab. Some houses, including the roof, are built entirely of stone slabs. Rukai women are good cloth and basket weavers, and Rukai men are good wood carvers. Master wood carvers are highly respected in the tribe. The lily flower is comparable to the laurel worn by the heroes of ancient Greece; only very brave warriors and very chaste women, after being recognized by the chief, have the right to wear it.

Ami

The Ami, with a population of 123,000--the largest of all of Taiwan's aborigine tribes--are mainly plains dwellers, living in the valleys and coastal plains of eastern Taiwan. The Ami are divided into five groups based on geography, custom, and language.

The Ami began to use oxen in cultivating paddies relatively early. Fishing is an important part of their economy, but hunting is now solely recreational. In Ami society, kinship is matrilineal, but men's clubs are well organized. Ami villages are relatively large, each with a population of between 200 and more than 1,000. The Ami are the only aboriginal tribe on the island of Taiwan to practice the art of pottery making.

The Ami harvest festivals have evolved from warrior training. Nowadays sports, symbolic fishing in the open seas, and singing and dancing are observed throughout the villages in a series of celebrations in July and August.

Puyuma
The Puyuma live in the small Taitung plain and surrounding hills in southeast Taiwan. They are an agricultural people, supplementing their harvest with fishing and hunting. The Puyuma kinship system is ambilineal; while family inheritance goes to the eldest daughter, men and women share in kinship equally. The village is an independent political unit in Puyuma society, and feuding is common among villages. Young men's houses are centers for education, warrior training, and religious ceremonies. Teenage Puyuma boys used to receive spartan education at the men's house five months a year. The men's house also serves as the house of spirits, or karumaan. Each clan has its own karumaan.




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes6.jpg

Launching a freshly constructed boat is one of the most important occasions of Yami sea-going life.

Yami

The Yami live on Orchid Island, or Lanyu, a small island lying in the Pacific Ocean 60 kilometers southeast of Taiwan. Evidence shows that the Yami reached Orchid Island less than a thousand years ago from the Batan islands in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and Luzon.

Fishing is central to the Yami economy and is supplemented by farming. Men are responsible for building and fishing, women for farming. The Yami kinship system is basically patrilineal although they also observe matrilineal kinship rules in matters like marriage taboos and revenge. The prototypical Yami dwelling consists of a semi-subterranean house, a work house, and a rest pavilion. Pottery making is an outstanding feature of Yami culture. The first launching of a newly completed boat and the Flying Fish festival in the spring are the Yami's most important celebrations.

Taiwan's Aborigines Today


With tender care
Let us set in motion
our blood that is once again warm
Let us recall
our songs
our dances
our sacred rituals
And the tradition
of unselfish mutual coexistence
Between us and the earth

-- Paiwan Poet Monaneng

Head-hunting is long gone, tattooing is fading away, and pantheism and shamanism have largely given way to Christianity. Young people are leaving their traditional occupations and habitats and are taking up jobs in the cities. Aborigine languages are still spoken; but native speakers are dwindling in number and youngsters, who are more fluent in Mandarin or Taiwanese, have difficulty communicating with their elders. Some traditions are still maintained, like holding harvest festivals and wearing loincloths by men on Orchid Island; but new habits are forming, like watching TV and wearing western attire. Chiefs and other old-fashioned leaders are still respected, but elected representatives and officials have taken away much of their authority and functions. Remoteness and isolation of habitat have attenuated; intermarriage among the tribes and other ethnic groups is getting popular. According to the 1990 Taiwan census the island's total aborigine population amounted to under 340,000 individuals.

The once masters of Taiwan have now become a minority group on their own land. Like other minorities elsewhere, they deserve their fair share of the world. As Taiwan is undergoing rapid democratization and the emphasis on human rights is becoming more prevalent all over the world, Taiwan's aborigines are being more assertive on their well-being. They have become more aware of the need to preserve their culture and maintain their identity. Some are beginning to forsake their compulsory Han Chinese names and return to their traditional names; and, officially, they are now called aborigines instead of "mountain" people.


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes5.jpg




http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/0795_Tribes2.jpg

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 1995 Vision International Publishing Co.

http://www.samoa.co.uk/taiwan.html


The Linguistic Evidence.

The Polynesian languages are part of a larger group of languages called the Austronesian family. The indigenous languages of Taiwan are also members of this family. The bulk of them however form a group called the Formosan languages which have very little in common with languages spoken anywhere outside of Taiwan. However one language, Yami, is part of the Western-Malayo-Polynesian group, and is very closely related to languages in the Philippines.

Throughout Polynesia there was a belief in a mythical homeland called Hawaiki. This name crops up in various forms, Hawaii, Savai'i, Tahiti. Perhaps it is possible that Taiwan is yet another corruption of this place name.

As yet we have been unable to track down very much about the languages. But we have come across the Yami phrase for "the heavens" - "mata-no-angit" which translates as "eyes of the firmament". The Samoan word for eyes is 'mata' and for sky 'lagi'.

http://www.uga.edu/~asian-lp/jpn_html/yami/chpt.1.html


Lan Yu (Orchid Island) is part of the Republic of China and is governed according to the laws of that country. The Yami, the native population of the island, are of Malayo-Polynesian stock and their culture is similar to that of the peoples inhabiting the northern part of the Philippines. The language of the tribe is also similar to the ones spoken in the northernmost part of the Philippines. In Taiwan, however, the Yami, like all other citizens of the Republic of China, are regarded as Chinese and their language is considered not a separate language, but a dialect. Yami children who attend Chinese schools are told that only Mandarin, the official language of the country, is acceptable for a good education and that the Yami fang yen (dialect) is not supposed to be spoken within the school compounds. The Yami traditional way of life is regarded by the Chinese teachers as savage, and the wearing of G-strings is viewed as an obscene custom.

Strongly discouraged and occasionally barred from taking over the cultural heritage of the older generation, the young Yami graduate from school without any traditional knowledge of how to survive on their own island. With no industry of any kind on Lan Yu to provide jobs in the modern sense, young people must go to Taiwanand find work. Once they encounter modernized life they do not want to return to live on their native island, although most of them will visit their parents and relatives during the time of the lunar new year holiday. What is happening to them in Taiwan is a sad, but also very interesting, case to be investigated by social anthropologists.

Before exploring the links among the languages of the Batan Archipelago, it would be helpful to present some general background on these languages. Curtis D. McFarland, compiler of one of the few authoritative linguistic surveys of the Philippine languages, A Linguistic Atlas of the Philippines, calls the northernmost languages of the Philippines "Ivatan languages." He probably calls them that because they are related to, and are spoken in, the vicinity of the island of Ivatan. Thus, this name designates only the languages that belong to the northernmost Philippine territory. The atlas lists three Ivatan languages: Itbayaten, Ivatan, and Babuyan. Though Lan Yu does not belong to the Philippines, but to the Republic of China, the Yami language belongs to the group of Ivatan languages. McFarland notes the relationship between the Ivatan languages and Yami, but positions the Yami in Taiwan. It should also be mentioned that Babuyan is not closely related to the languages of the Batanes, and it should not be listed as an Ivatan language. It is true, that Ivatan languages are spoken in the Babuyan islands, but only by people who are natives of the Batanes and who immigrated to those places. The Philippine languages belong to the large family of Austronesian languages, but they are not the only members of it. This large language family is divided into four large groups: (1) Indonesia, Sarawak, Southeast Asia Mainland, Madagascar; (2) Taiwan, Philippines, North Borneo, Brunei; (3) Micronesia, Polynesia; (4) East New Guinea, Melanesia (Dyen 1965, 23).

The more than one hundred languages and dialects spoken in the Philippines are divided into three major area groups: Northern Philippine, Meso-Philippine and Southern Philippine.

The Philippine languages belong to a subgroup of the Austronesian family, which is the Western Austronesian; group called "Hesperonesian." Many Malaysian and Indonesian languages are also listed under this category, but it excludes the Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian languages (McFarland 1983, 11).

All Philippine languages of the Hesperonesian group are related to each other, but this does not mean that all dialects are mutually intelligible. For a better understanding of the relations among all these languages, Hocket created certain classification categories by introducing the concept of L-simplex and L-complex.

An L-simplex is a "language" both in the sense that it can be spoken and understood by all its speakers, and in the sense that it has a clearly defined set of speakers--no speaker of an L-simplex is the speaker of any other language (except of a second language). An L-complex is a language in the sense that it has a clearly defined set of speakers but not in the sense that it can be spoken and understood by all of its speakers. A component of an L-complex is a "language" in the sense that it can be spoken and understood by all of its speakers but not in the sense that it has a clearly defined set of speakers--a given speech variety may belong to more than one component of an L-complex. (McFarland 1983, 10)

While the first grouping of the Filipino languages is more a geographical division, according to how the languages are related to each other, McFarland divides all Philippine languages of the Hesperonesian group into seven subgroups: Ivatan, Northern Philippine, Meso Philippine, Southern Philippine, Sama, South Mindanao, and Sangil (Indonesian).

As shown above, the Ivatan languages, even though they are part of the geographic Northern language group, are not part of the linguistically grouped Northern Philippine languages. The linguistic atlas indicates that the Ivatan languages are closely related to each other, but are not directly related to any of the other groups. It is still unknown where the Ivatans came from. The origin of the Ivatan languages is equally unclear, and I can present only a very limited amount of new data for this problem. I shall, however, offer a comment on a theory of direction of migration.

Because the Yami language is not included in the "Ivatan" language group, my study will replace, for practical purposes, the term "Ivatan languages" by "Bashiic." "Bashi" was first used by Yukihiro Yamada to designate the area on the two sides of the Bashi Channel, the islands south of Taiwan including the island of Irala and all the islands of the Batanes. Yamada uses "Bashiic" as a collective name for all the languages spoken on these islands (Yamada1977). In my analysis "Bashiic" stands for both language and culture.

The map of the Batanes shows ten islands, in the area known as the Batan Archipelago. The name of the islands on the official map released by the Geodetic Survey Office in Manila are, from north to south, the following: Yami, North, Siayan, Mavodis, Itbayat, Diogo, Ivatan, Sabtang, Ivohos, and Dequey. The name of the first island, "Yami," seems to be a mistake and has led to the erroneous belief that this island is populated by the Yami people. The natives of the Batanes call the ten islands of the province Mavodis, Misanga, Ditarem, Siayan, Itbayat, Dinem, Ivatan, Sabtang, Ivohos, and Jikey. One may notice that the names given by the map north of Ivatan are either different from what they are called by the natives of the archipelago or are listed in a different order. This suggests that it is not a case of different names but of different errors that found their way into the official documents. And indeed, most official or unofficial listings of the northern islands, especially in their relation to the Yami, contain much contradictory and erroneous information. For the past hundred years, most Spanish and Filipino authors who have described the Batanes also mention the existence of the Yami. Not only do they place the Yami on the wrong island, but somehow they also exacerbate each other's mistakes. The first misleading description of the islands' location seems to come from Fr. José Brugues O.P. in his Descripcion de Batanes y Babuyanes, dated 1900, now in the Archivo Provincial de la Provincia del Santissimo Rosario, Manuscritos. Here is a passage concerning the Yami, in the translation of Llorente: "A massive hill almost in its entirety, it does not have any landin gplace. The people who still live in a primitive stage of nudeness and savagery number 1,500. This island could provide abundant material for both ethnographic and ethnological studies, since the inhabitants are still in their original state" (1983, 5). The people mentioned here are the Yami indeed, but the island described is not the one on which the Yami live. It is, I believe, Mavodis, which fits the description but is uninhabited.

In 1966, P. Julio Gonzáles, O.P., author of a very good monograph on the religious history of the Batanes, wrote:

Diami lies about 12 leagues N 30 W. It is peopled by men coming from Batanes who speak the same language and exhibit the same customs. It has no landin gplace, being a massive cliff almost in its entirety. The island could provide abundant material for both ethnographic and ethnographic studies of the Batanes, since the inhabitants are still in a very primitive state. Diami belongs to Hermosa Island. It is closer to Formosa than to Batanes. Which is why at present visits to Diami are made by a Catholic missionary from Formosa. The name Diami, which is given to it in ancient documents and accounts, could have originated in a confusion with Yami, an uninhabited island located at the extreme north of Batanes. The natives call it today "Botel Tobago" (Gonzáles 1966, 96-97).

This passage is a paraphrase of the Brugues text and it is just as wrong. Gonzáles, too, describes inaccessible Mavodis as the island of the Yami. I should mention here that the shore of Lan Yu is not mountainous at all, but flat with countless good landingplaces. Gonzáles added something very important, however, when he wrote that the Yami were "men from Batanes." His remark is probably based on part of the unwritten truth concerning the Christianization of the Batanes and calls for a short digression.

According to official documents, a late eighteenth century governor-general of the Philippines, José Basco y Vargas, wrote a letter to the principales of the Batanes on the 15th of February, 1782, in which he asked them "whether they agreed to accept the authority of the King of Spain, for if they did, he would establish Spanish rule in the islands, but not otherwise" (Gonzáles1966, 27). According to the Spanish documents, the natives, although living, as the Spanish put it, in a state of total savagery, could nevertheless understand immediately what the "rule of Spain" meant and how beneficial colonization was going to be for them, because they unanimously voted "yes." And we also learn from the published records that all the natives were more than happy not only to accept Christianity, but also to welcome the Spanish officials, with their laws, bureaucracy, military forces, and taxation.

Some of the eldest informants of Itbayat, however, gave me a drastically different account of the early times of Christianization on their island. Mr. Inocencio Ponce, for instance, said that he remembered his grandfather saying that, long ago, it was common knowledge that when the church of Itbayat was being built by forced labor, those natives who did not show up at work but tried to attend to their fields or their livestock were brutally beaten by the Spanish. Because of this oppressive situation, many of the natives thought of leaving Itbayat, but the Spanish had control over all the boats. Finally, many of the inhabitants, mainly men, took to the waves on makeshift rafts, leaving themselves to the mercy of the current, which they knew was going to carry them North. To this day, however, I have not seen anything of the sort mentioned in the books or articles written by those who carried out missionary work in the Batanes. Because we know that the colonizing Spanish recorded in great detail all events that took place during their rule, there must probably exist reports of happenings similar to those retold by Mr. Ponce, somewhere in the archives of the Dominican order, either in the Batanes, Manila or in Spain, or perhaps in the archives of the Vatican, and future research will most likely uncover them.

To return to the problems surrounding the names and locations of the islands, Gonzales indicates that there is an island called Yami which is uninhabited and should not be mistaken for the island inhabited by the tribe called Yami. He still does not realize, however, that he is committing the very error that he warns against. Another incorrect statement in his report is that the natives call the place Botel Tobago. As has already been mentioned, this name was given by Westerners to the island before the Chinese named it Lan Yu. Based on my inquiries, I am certain that the natives have never called their place Botel Tobago.

Another book, titled A Blending of Cultures: the Batanes, 1686-1898 and published in 1983 by Ana Maria Madrigal Llorente, lists the islands according to the official map and cites all the wrong Yami data of Brugues. Right after the quotation paraphrasing Brugues, however, Llorente adds: "Though they are about the same race, and have the same customs and language, the inhabitants of Yami and the Batanes are irreconcilable enemies." Although this statement can not be taken as valid today, several hundred years back in the history of the archipelago it seems to have been true. As it happens, the topic of hostile relations is the theme of the legend of a famous Yami, Siapen-Mitozid of Iratay village.

On the other hand, the inhabitants of the Batanes do not associate the Yami people with the northernmost island of the country, which they do not call Yami island, but Mavodis, meaning "low." The elder folks of Itbayat and Ivatan can vaguely remember one more populated island outside the Batan Archipelago to the north somewhere, which they call Dihami. The word Yami is of an ancient Austronesianstock and it means "north." After having examined the occurrences of this name in the local mythology, I find it safe to assume that the Yami were given this name by other tribes because they were the ones who had reached the northernmost islands of the archipelago. The first to report that the inhabitants of Botel Tobago called themselves Yami was Torii, a Japanese scholar who visited the island in 1899. Ever since, the Japanese and the Taiwanese have called them by that name. The natives know that foreigners call them Yami, but they never use that name among them. Thus, it has been speculated that Torii actually mistook the word yami, which means "we," for the name of the people. "Yami," designating the inhabitants of Botel Tobago, must have been in use for a long time but not among the inhabitants themselves. It appears that they were given this name by the natives of the Batan Archipelago, with whom they share common ancestry.

In all my recordings of myths, legends, tales and songs, the natives of Botel Tobago never called themselves Yami, but tawo, which means "man, person", also tawo no pongso, which means "people of the island", or tawo no Irala, which translates as "people of Irala." In the story of Simina-Vohang of Ivalino, however, there is an episode in which the narrator, Siapen-Manabey of Ivarino, quotes an Ivatan woman who calls the natives of Botel Tobago "Yami." Therefore I am inclined to believe that Torii was right: the natives, knowing that on the southern islands of the Batan Archipelago they used to be called Yami, provided the Japanese researcher with this name to designate their own ethnic group.




General Location, Name, and Cultural Affiliation

Irala, which lies 45 nautical miles off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, belongs to the Republic of China. It has a surface area of 30 square miles (see map at the end of the section). The members of its indigenous tribe are called Yami, and belong to the Malayo-Polynesian group. They speak a Bashiic dialect, which is part of the large family of Austronesian languages. The Bashi area is defined as the area comprising the islands of the northernmost and smallest province of the Philippines known as Batanes, as well as the Bashi Channel itself and Irala.

Throughout its history, Irala has been known by many names. A Formosan aboriginal group, the Puyuma, call it Botol, and the natives of another Formosan group, the Ami, call it Buturu. On Japanese charts in 1607-1608, it first appeared as Tabako Shima. On a French map of 1654 it is marked as Tabaco Xima. The Chinese called it Hung-tou Yu, and when it was under Japanese occupation it was known as Kotosho. In the Western world it was referred to as Botel Tobago (Asai 1936, 2). Now the Taiwanese call it Lan Yu Tao. The English translation of this is Orchid Island. In the local language, however, it is commonly referred to as pongso no tawo or irala. The first name simply means "island of the people." The second, with a more frequent occurrence in the local folklore, means "land" in the sense of direction when navigating, versus ilawod, which signifies the direction towards the open sea.

During the Ching Dynasty (1681-1895), the island was very isolated from Taiwan, and except for two ill-fated treasure hunting expeditions, there was almost no contact. During the Japanese occupation (1895-1945), the island was declared an open-air museum for ethnological research and put off limits to public access by the Japanese government. It was mainly due to this measure that the Yami culture remained one of the societies least changed by outside influence in Southeast Asia.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/map.gif


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYX6wwtgwFg

The Tao (達悟族), commonly known by the misnomer Yami (雅美), are a Taiwanese aboriginal people, native to tiny outlying Orchid Island. The Tao are an Austronesian people linguistically and culturally closer to the Ivatan peoples of the Batanes islands of Luzon in the Philippines than to other aboriginal peoples of mainland Taiwan. The word "Tao" (pronounced Ta-Oh) means "person" or "people" in the Tao language. The Tao people are traditionally good at making canoes, which is a symbol of their tribe.

Just some additional info about Batanes.

Some more Photos about Batanes:

Batanes - Natures Playground (http://www.photonski.com/melovillareal/batanes1)

So, pag hindi ko pa binuksan tong thread na to ang dami ko palang mamimiss. Hala!

Ang gaganda ng mga pix, Ash! Post ka pa:D

Sana pala nagpabili ako kay Ash ng Vacul para ipauso natin sa mainland haha!:lol:

Pinauso na yan ni Tina Turner... :)

^^Hehe...oo nga ano:D

Pinauso na yan ni Tina Turner... :)

Eh si sa ngayon laos na. :D

nice pics you got ther ash!!!

that's one of the places i like to visit someday!!! the place is so beautiful, ang sarap tingnan...:D


i totally argee with you , Ish! i look forward to visit Batanes in the very near future too :okay: :)

So, pag hindi ko pa binuksan tong thread na to ang dami ko palang mamimiss. Hala!

Ang gaganda ng mga pix, Ash! Post ka pa:D

Sana pala nagpabili ako kay Ash ng Vacul para ipauso natin sa mainland haha!:lol:

Salamat! :) Ty, kahit ako naghanap ng vacul. Nung umuwi ako isa lang ang nakita kong naka suot ng vacul (See pics from batch 5).

Batch 7: San Carlos Borromeo Church Mahatao, Batanes

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5932copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5935.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_5938copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6729.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6747copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6748.jpg

^wow, i think that is arguably one of the most beautiful churches in the country. The whitewashed walls, Spanish Mission architecture,and bougainvilleas make it look quaint and very pleasing to the eyes. The interiors aren't bad too. It's breathtaking :master:

thanks Ish! Yah, after siguro we graduate punta tayo uli. Ako na sagot sa inyo pag dating don kayo na sa pamasahe. :D

^pwede po makisabit?... :lol:

ganda ng church parang hindi sya kayang maapektuhan ng bagyo... preserved pa rin ang beauty nya... iba talaga ang mga ivatan may "urbanidad" kahit classified na "rural area" ang Batanes...

^^ I agree! Mukhang marami pang nakatira sa rural areas na may urbanidad.

^^wow ang ganda ng Church as a whole...specialy yung ceiling...Orig!

Trouble in paradise, maybe..
Lifted shamelessly from the Inquirer site:
--------------------------------------
INQUIRER.net, Northern Luzon Bureau
Last updated 08:31pm (Mla time) 05/13/2007


MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 3) Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Calderon has relieved the provincial police director of Batanes province following an ambush there that left a congressional candidate wounded.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Macusi will be replaced by Senior Superintendent Rolando Duran in an acting capacity, said police deputy spokesman Chief Inspector Nelvin Ricohermoso.

Carlo Diasnes, a physician, was reportedly ambushed in Manatao village, in the provincial capital of Basco at 1 a.m. Saturday, said Chief Superintendent Ameto Tolentino, Cagayan Valley region police chief.

Diasnes is running under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino or Partner of the Free Filipino) party. He is running against Governor Vicente Gato, who is seeking a third and final term, Tolentino said.

However, former Batanes representative Florencio Abad said Diasnes faked the ambush to force authorities to relieve Macusi.

"That is really a staged assassination attempt. He wants a police chief who is more sympathetic to him," Abad said in a phone interview.

Abad claimed Diasnes did not go to the hospital after the alleged incident and did not have it recorded on the police blotter.

He also noted that Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno is Kampi party president. The interior department, through the National Police Commission, has operational control over the PNP.

Asked if he thought Puno had a hand in Macusi's relief, Abad said: "That would seem to be the logical conclusion."

Abad said Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) also believed that the ambush was staged.

^ I tend to believe representative Florencio "Butch" Abad's charge that that was staged. Looking at the personalities involved, he has high credibility while this Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno is really shady. I am surprised that Puno keeps on being appointed in government positions when he was a crooked Marcos apologist who headed the Philippine Information Agency at that time when they used to do information blackout and fraudulent media spin on issues. I guess it's because he curries favors with whoever is the incumbent because he is a wily campaign strategist who manages to align himself with the election winners. Former Governor and now representative Butch Abad, on the other hand, is a well-loved leader of Batanes whose term there as governor (before joining the cabinet and now Congress) was marked with peace and order of the islands.

Thanks lili, I can believe you.
FYI theres a quite interesting article on Batanes garlic also on the Enquirer page today. http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view_article.php?article_id=65603

^ Good to know that garlic continues to keep Batanes economically afloat. However, the trade liberalization is affecting them. I guess they really have to market it in such a way that will make it more enticing compared to competition because it is organic and grown in the unique and most propitious environmental conditions of the islands of Batanes. It really is about branding.

Batch 8: Abad's Residence

Pacita Abad's House
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6678copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6636copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6660copy.jpg

Butch Abad's House
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6639copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6640copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6648copy.jpg

Aurora Barsana and Jorge Abad, both of whom were distinguished politicians.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6656copy.jpg

^^ I like Pacita Abad's house. It's quite whimsical. Imagine going to that terrace overlooking the sea. @Ashley, did you get to go in to see her art works? Is she still alive?

Nope didn't get the chance to see her actual works even the interiors of her house. Saw her works on the net. Hopefully I could see some of it next time. She died three years ago by the way.

Love the rustic feel and architecture! :okay: A little piece of Ireland in the tropics, I say. :colgate:

nice house!... iba talaga ang mapera...:lol:

Wow, very picturesque. The first house looks like its straight out of Wuthering Heights. :okay: If not for the bright orange roof, it looks lonely. I like.

So beautiful... so close to heaven. :)

Batch 8: Abad's Residence

Pacita Abad's House
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6678copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6636copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6660copy.jpg

Butch Abad's House
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6639copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6640copy.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6648copy.jpg

Aurora Barsana and Jorge Abad, both of whom were distinguished politicians.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/ashley_30303/Batanes/DSC_6656copy.jpg

Oh my god..... one of the finest homes in the country....

I wouldn't trade that even for malacanang

parang sa southern california na bahay near the cliffs... are these two houses near each other? and does the Abad family own the entire hill (or island perhaps)?

I wonder if those structures at the entrace are rigid enough to withstand the strong cyclones...

^^ Tukon is what they call in that place.
Yup Lucentino they are about 100 meters apart and No they don't own the entire hill. In fact my lolo and some of my relatives own a lot near there. :) It's a big place, good thing about it is that they already constructed roads for vehicles so it would be easy for the tourist as well as for the locals to visit the site.

Love the rustic feel and architecture! :okay: A little piece of Ireland in the tropics, I say. :colgate:

Agreeng-agree ako jan!

Batanes is a mixture of Ireland (the hills and the cliffs overlooking the sea) and Mexico/Southern US (the churches)... This isle looks so foreign in my eyes... :)

^^ Tukon is what they call in that place.
Yup Lucentino they are about 100 meters apart and No they don't own the entire hill. In fact my lolo and some of my relatives own a lot near there. :) It's a big place, good thing about it is that they already constructed roads for vehicles so it would be easy for the tourist as well as for the locals to visit the site.

Wala bang house ang relatives mo malapit dito? ang impression ko e kumbaga sa subdivision exclusive siguro ang lugar na ito...

Matanong ko lang... 24 hours ba ang electricity dito? At ang tubig (drinking & household) hindi ba mahirap?

^^ Wala pang pinapatayo yung mga realtives kong bahay dito since may mga bahay panaman sila near the bayan.

Electricity is supplied by Batanes Electric Cooperative (Batanelco) to the Island of Batan 24hours a day 7 days a week. Depende nalang yon kung may bagyo. The water, its very fresh. Sa bahay ng relatives ko pwedeng inumin yung tubig directly from the faucet.

About the internet access,as of early February 2002 you can surf the internet from the BatanesConnect internet cafe in Basco along Abad street and to some town municipalities.

Guys, Batanes is not as rural as what you think it is. :) Hindi naman mga primative ang mga tao dito. Good thing about Batanes is that they manage to preserve their culture, property, and some of their characteristics of past times since it is also under for nomination of UNESCO. Because of technology, Batanes somehow manage to have some of the basic facilities needed for the island to at least progress.

Guys, Batanes is not as rural as what you think it is. :)

Salamat talaga sa mga clarifications at virtual tour Ash! Now I have a basic idea of what Batanes is. :yes: So, hindi ba naspare ang Batanes ng maruming pulitika? :lol:

^^ Well, politics will be politics Sinj. Hindi rin maiiwasan ang maling pagiisip. Inborn na siguro yon sa mga politicians and aspiring politicians. I've watched some of the Rallies by different political parties and I'm not really disappointed about their platforms. Pero syempre di rin maiiwasan ang bangayan ng bawat parties. Buti naman at hindi dumadating sa point na may patayan na, buti hindi kasing dumi ng sa iba. :)

Okay. Actually, I informed my dad of the expensive airfare to Batanes and he asked for more info and unfortunately I had nothing else to give to him. Inakala niya kasi na niresearch ko na lahat para makapunta sana ang buong pamilya ng Batanes. Oh I'm still hopeful! :D

Oi thats good Sinj. Okay, I'll try to post some infos about Batanes here. Hope it will help you with your research. :)

Overview

Batanes, the smallest province in the Philippines in terms of population and land area consists of ten tiny islands and islets located about 162 kms. north of the Luzon mainland. Of this island group, the largest and most economically important are Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang. Five islets, namely, Siayan, Mavudis, Diogo, North Island and Y'ami form the northernmost frontier of the Philippine archipelago, Farther north, only 46 miles away from Y'ami is the southernmost tip of Taiwan. Two islets, Ivuhos and Dequey are situated south west of Sabtang.

Toward the end of the Spanish regime, Batanes was made a part of Cagayan. In 1909, however , the American authorities organized it into an independent province. Because of its strategic location, the Batanes island group was one of the first points occupied by the invading Japanese imperial forces at the outbreak of the Pacific War.

The Batanes Islands are a special place. Isolated from the rest of the country by miles of rough ocean, they have evolved into a truly unique destination - unlike any other island in the Philippine archipelago. The land is different - windswept hills and boulder-hemmed shores that lure, challenge and haunt. The people are different - a brave and skillful race of hardy, inscrutable survivors. The weather is different. In fact, the weather is king. Everyone and everything steps aside. The houses are different - stone walls, whitened with lime and roofed in thatch. The boats, the language, the crafts, the wine - all different.

These islands have been compared to New Zealand, Ireland and the Scottish Highlands. They are not typically tropical. For some, they are a little too laid back, a little too unpredictable. The best laid travel plans have a way of going awry on these islands. So, you must make time for the Batanes. An Ivatan once said: "When you're on the Batanes, enjoy the Batanes. Don't worry about getting home". These islands grow on you, but you must wait and watch for your rewards - not a bad lesson for those of us who are sure we are the center of the universe. Once touched, you learn to enjoy the timelessness of these islands. For you, life can never be the same again. You know you'll return someday.

These informations are taken from this site http://travel.to/batanes

Food

Ivatan dishes use ingredients that are rich and unusual. During the off season, however, fresh food can be scaree and hot meals can be expensive. If you plan to visit during these months, and are not part of a package tour, bring alone some basic canned goods. Cows and goats are grazed extensively on the islands. Garlic is a leading export, second the cattle. Root crops such as camote (sweet potato) gabi and a unique variety of white ube, are raised for local consumpsion - especially in the lean months. Sugar cane is cultivated to produce the heady Ivatan brew, palek. From March to May, fish and seafood are available. Dorado (arayo) and Spanish mackerel (tanigi) are favorite summer catches. They are eaten fresh or salted for consumption during the typhoon months. Flying fish (dibang) is also a local specialty. Coconut crab (tatus), spiny lobster (payi), helmet urchins (unot), that can be enjoyed when available. Salads and vegetables dishes are made from fern fronds (pak o), heart of banana or dips with your food - bring your own, Batanes food is simple food. Unless you have brought your own food are ready to help in the kitchen, don't expect to be served gourmet meals.

Weather

The best season for a Batanes trip is from mid-April to mid-May. 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. An indian summer supposedly takes place around September. Cool weather - a phenomenon Ivatans like to call winter - prevails from November to January. When dealing with the Batanes, always remember that, on these islands, the weather often changes suddenly. Just be ready for whatever follows your way.

Transportation

The Chemtrad Aviation Corporation Pacific Airline provide an alternative air transport to the islands. They use the 10-seater Britten Norman Islander. They fly out of the Tuguegarao City Airport in Cagayan province and from Laoag City, everyday.

Asian Spirit, the country's third flag carrier, flies out of the Manila Domestic Airport 4 times a week. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. It flies once a day going to Basco.

Cargo ships owned by the Batanes Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc. regularly ply the Manila-Basco sea route, bringing-in much needed supplies, like construction materials, food stuff and many others. Both the M/V Queen of Fatima and the M/V Don Rudito accept passengers, although they are not equiped as passengers ships. Its third ship, the MV Ivatan Princess has a lying-in capacity of 300 passengers. It will plies the Currimao (Ilocos Norte)-Calayan (Cagayan)-Basco-Itbayat and vice versa sea route.



RE: Flight schedule and prices
Some informations are already outdated so I'm not including here the price and their schedules (specifically Chemtrad's and Cargo ships) that were written in the site . Schedules may also vary depending on the airlines provided so its better to call their offices for more infos.

cont.:

Public transportation in Batanes mainland is provided by at least 35 passenger jeepneys. The jeepneys could be hired also at a very much cheaper price. In Basco, tricycles abound. They charge P20.00 per trip within the town proper.

Additional:
Vehicles like cars, vans etc. can already be ship from Manila to Batanes.

Travel to the island-municipalities of Sabtang and Itbayat (The northenmost municipality of the country) is still by motorboat. Travel time to Sabtang is 30 minutes, while the Basco-Itbayat route is 3 1/2 hours.

^ Thanks Ash! :bow:

I hope Batanes remains as it is now. I don't know but I don't like to see a Jollibee invasion in Batanes. :lol: :weird:

^^ Or imagine an SM mall overlooking the ocean, gridlock traffic on interisland bridges, and all the bright advertising billboards in downtown Basco! :lol:

^^ I think Batanes will keep its traditional beauty even with Jollibee or McDo around... I just don't know if they will be interested in investing here since they only look for profits and more profits... But Basco can surely host one...

Thanks for the info @ashley12... we can also drink water directly from rivers (only in Mt. Banahaw :lol: )... I didn't know Batanes experiences Indian Summer, but I believe it lies in the temperate zone so it is possible... I wonder how cold it gets there during Dec-Feb (especially at Y' Ami Island)...

^ Thanks Ash! :bow:

I hope Batanes remains as it is now. I don't know but I don't like to see a Jollibee invasion in Batanes. :lol: :weird:

I fully agree with you Sinj! I even told my relatives that I don't want any SM malls or Jollibee or whatever to invade Batanes. I still want the place to be preserve and to be as it is.

Thanks for the info @ashley12... we can also drink water directly from rivers (only in Mt. Banahaw :lol: )... I didn't know Batanes experiences Indian Summer, but I believe it lies in the temperate zone so it is possible... I wonder how cold it gets there during Dec-Feb (especially at Y' Ami Island)...

your welcome. :) Yup its pretty cold there during dec-feb months.

more infos about Batanes:

Language

Ivatans still use their Austronesian language, peppered with pidgin Spanish and spoken with the musicality of Chinese. Ivatan is spoken on the islands of Batan and Sabtang. Ichbayaten is spoken in Itbayat. English and Tagalog are widely spoken and understood by Ivatans, 95% of whom are literate.

These are some example I know

one - asa
two - dadwa
three - tatdu
four - apat
five - dadima
six - anm
seven - papito
eight - wawahu
nine - sasyam
ten - sapahu

What's your name? - Angu ngaran mo?
Are you going with me? - Ara ka machivan jak'n ?

There are many gossips going around - Aru chirichirin a maychawpit.
What do you like to play? - Angu chak'key mo yayam?
his scoldings to his children amounted to nothing - arava u sinmo nu juyajuya na sa du anac na

Useful Ivatan Phrases:

Hello - Kapian capa nu dios
How are you? - Ara ca mangu?
I am fine - Taytu aco a mapia
I am not fine - Ara coava mapia
Thank you - Dios mamajes
Friend - Cayvan
Man - Mahacay
Woman - Mavakes
Where are you going? - Ngayan mo?
I am going to... - Mangay aco du...
Where is ___? - Ara dino si ___?
Left - Huli
Right - Wanan
Straight ahead</font> - Diretso
Money - Cartos
How much? - Pira?
Cheap - Mahumis
Expensive - Mayñin
Good - Mapia
No good - Mapia/Mavid ava
Yes - Oon
I want ___ - Makey ako no ___
I don't want - Makey aco ava
I have a problem - Mian problema ko
No problem - arava o problema
Good luck - Mapia palak
Eat - Kuman
Drink - Minom
Boat - Bapor/Tataya
Sea - Taw
Water - Ranum
Wind - Salao sao
Where is the house of ___? - Jino vahay da ___?
Fast - Malisto
Slow - Mawadi
Beautiful - Mavid

^ hmm..cool! :cool: :okay:

Tourism

Historic Churches

There are four 200-year old churches worth visiting: Santo Domingo in Basco, San Jose in Ivana, San Carlos in Mahatao and San Vicente on Sabtang. They are all made of massive lime and stone construction and originally decorated in baroque.

Radar Tukon

An abandoned weather station on a hilltop in Tukon, Basco offers a magnificent 360-degree view of Batan islands, the South Chine Sea, Mt. Iraya, Basco proper, boulder-lined cliffs, and the Pacific Ocean.

Sabtang

One of the 12 best destinations in the Philippines according to a coffee table book published by the Department of Tourism. Undisturbed and unspoiled, Sabtang exists in another time. Lime and stone cogon thatched houses gainst a backdrop of steep mountains or restless sea. Intermittent white sand beaches and rough country trails. This is where they make soot, the Ivatan rain cape, and the best round-bottomed boats called fallowa.

Architecture

Ivatan houses are small with meter-thick walls and foot-thick thatched roofs. Walls are made of lime and stone to withstand the strongest typhoons. Roofs are made of cogon which keeps cool in the hottest weather. There are usually two houses - one for the living and sleeping area, and a smaller one for cooking and storing.

Archaeological Attractions

There are, at least, two unique features that make Batanes a worthwhile stop for those with interest in archeology. One is the boat-shaped burial marker, another the stone columns.

In certain parts of Batanes, one can find burial sites marked with stones which are laid down to the shape of the local boat tataya, with a pit carved in the middle from limestone bedrock. The first site was discovered in 1994 on Ivuhos Island. Another, which yielded the skeleton of a juvenile, was discovered the following year. In 1996, another boat-shaped burial site which yielded the skeleton of an adult was discovered.

Experts say the only known boat-shaped burial markers are those made by the Vikings, dating about 8th to 12th centuries AD. They add that while there is no proven connection between the ancient burial traditions, their similarity would, at the very least suggests a parallel evolution of maritime societies.


I also personally recommend these places for you to visit:
Mahatao:
Rakwaydi
(Mini falls with Groto and pool. The pool there is not literally a pool with chlorine. Its only a pool but the water flowing is still fresh coming from the falls)

Crystal Cave
(Can be seen near rakwaydi)

Valugan Bay
(at the easternside of Batan Island. See a fleet of tatayas (one-man traditional row boats) that are designed to pitch and roll with the tumultuous waves lashing and whipping at the boulders, as you take pictures of the bay and the foot of majestic Mt. Iraya, an active volcano that dominates the island's landscape.)

Marlboro Country
(a referral derived from a TV ad, mainly because of the rolling hills of limitless grazing land, where cattles, carabao and horses are aplenty.)

Mananioy Bay
(Enjoy the sight of the mataw (dorado fishermen) in as they race their sail boats. Travel down to the fishing village of sitio Diura, where fishermen still perform their fishing rituals (praying to the anitos for a bountiful harvest) before the fishing season starts in March.)

roam the beach, you pass by Sitio Sumhao, also in Mahatao, where the country's first commercially operated wind-diesel power (wind mill) was inaugurated last 07 August 2004.The wind-mills and three generators, will provide alternative electric power to the people of mainland Batan island. As envisioned, the wind mills, will be switched on late in the afternoons when the winds are favorable to turn them. In the morning, when the winds weaken, the generators will be turned on instead to provide the electric power. But all these serve as stand-by electric power sources, as the National Power Corporation has its own huge generators providing the necessary electric power to all homes and offices.

Basco:
Abad's Residence
(I already posted some pictures here)

Radar Station in sitio Tukon
(Located about 300 meters above sea level, it affords you the chance to see both the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea at the same time.)

sitio Diajang,
(northwest of Basco town proper, for a unique visage of Baluarte Bay and the rolling Naidi Hills, site of what used to be the Philippine's tallest wireless communications facility, which was bombed by the Japanese invaders on 08 December 1941. Travel down by foot and take a closer look at the damaged buildings that used to house the communications facilities. Climb the four-story lighthouse and enjoy the panoramic view of Basco town.

Uyugan:
Song-song
(situated three kilometers away. Its inhabitants were forced to abandon their village in 1955, after they experienced severe famine as a consequence of the strong typhoons and tsunami in 1953 and 1954. The villagers resettled to Maramag, Bukidnon. The ruins of their houses are now the only living memories of what was Once a thriving community of fishermen.)

Ivana:
Bridge of San Jose
(the province's only existing Spanish bridge, having been built in 1850 - 1860, without the use of reinforcement steel.)

House of Dakay
(the province's oldest traditional house and marvel at the ingenuity of its design. The House, built in 1877, withstood the frightful earthquake of 13 September 1918, which left only five houses standing in town after its initial shock.)
]
Natural seaport of San Felix
(It was here where the Fr. Mateo Gonzales, the first Spanish missionary to reach the islands, landed in 1686. It was also here where the Katipuneros waded ashore in 1898.)

Itbud:
Barangay Itbud
(a favorite rest and recreation center of US servicemen,. who used to man the nearby US Coast Guard Station. traces of the American influence in the village are still very evident. Itbud, is also the favorite field research destination of UP anthropology and archeology students. They have a museum here where burial jars and antique farming and fishing implements are on display.)

Sabtang:
home of the BISUMI Guerilla Fighters, the province's only organized guerilla outfit that fought the Japanese during World War II.

idjang
(distinctly different from all the others in the province, because its sides were carved to make entry more difficult. The fortress is where the natives sought refuge during tribal conflicts. Aside from Batanes, these mountain fortresses could only be found in Gusuku in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan.)

Barangay Chavayan
(southernmost community in the province. It faces the northern tip of Luzon Island. Take a long deep breath, as you follow the winding road to the village. In the village, peek at the traditional detached Ivatan kitchen and catch a glimpse of their way of life, now being threatened by our ever-changing world. Observe the womenfolk as they weave the vakul or canayi, which serve as protection from the scorching heat of the sun or the wind and rain. These are weaved from carefully stripped and dried banana or voyavoy leaves. Watch old man Ireneo as he weaves the alogong, the headgear for men, that normally goes along with the canayi. Say a little prayer at the Chapel of Santa Rosa de Lima. It is the only house of worship in the islands that is still in its traditional form. When you step out of the chapel, look up into the cliff, and witness mother nature's most perfect sculpture - the Monument of Satisfaction.)

village of Sumnanga
(hike thru the mountain trail)

Ivuhos Island and Dequey Island
(The former is a communal pasture land for cattles and the latter for goats. In Ivuhos Island, is situated the boat-shaped burial grounds that can only be similar to those in the Nordic countries (Scandinavia, Scotland and Germany). One of the skeletal remains dug in 1995 in one of the graves, has been carbon-dated to 1595. Overlooking the burial grounds is Chuhangin idjang, the only one whose sides were built by the ancient Ivatans with stones placed on top of the other without the use of mortar.)

Barangay Sumnanga
(a portion of which used to be called"Little Hong Kong", because of the cobblestones that used to cover its pathways. You may chance upon the former Punong Barangay, Melvina, who is engaged in row-boat making.)


ENJOY!!! :D

Where To Stay and Dine

There are no hotels and restaurants in the province. However, two provincial government-owned houses provide cheap accommodations to the visitor in Basco.

Updated March 11, 2007

The Batanes Resort
Nestled comfortably on the hillsides of sitio Tamulong, Basco, are eight maroon-roofed cottages that make up the Batanes Resort. It opens directly into the highway that leads to Mahatao and two other municipalities --- Ivana and Uyugan. At Ivana, one can catch the ferry to the island municipality of Sabtang.

Accommodations:
Single --- P 550.00;
Double --- P 672.00;
Triple --- P 764.00
Meals :
Breakfast --- P 80.00;
Lunch / Dinner --- 150.00
Hall Rental :
Private Party --- P 2,000.00;
Seminar / Meeting --- 1, 500.00


Tel: (078) 533-3444
(078) 533-3456
Tel: (Manila) 927-2393

Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant
Seaside for short, this 13-room affair is perpetually fanned by fresh air direct from the sea. It’s almost “sitting” on the sea. Basco Bay is just a little to the right, and a little farther to the west is Naidi Hills. Just across the national road fronting the Seaside is Disung hills; at the foothills is the Batanes Development Foundation Inc. (BDFI) building which is a modern version of the typical Ivatan stone house (Lodging for transients available also here)

Room rates/day:
Regular (R) Aircon (A)

Single: Php 450.00(R) 800.00(A)
Double: 550.00(R) 1,100.00(A)
Triple: 700.00(R) 1,300.00(A)
Family: 800.00(R) 1,400.00(A)

Banquet and Catering Services
Weddings/Parties:
Php 1800.00(1st 6 hrs.);
Php 200.00/succeeding hour
Meetings/Seminar:
Php 1500.00/day
Amenities:
Videoke, Billiards, Disco Room

Also available: long distance calls, laundry services and car / motorbike rentals

For further information, call Ms. Luz Cartaño at 0921-2290120

Ivatan Lodge
This lodging house is located near the southern end of Basco. It has two executive rooms and five economy rooms.

It charges P100.00 a day for a single bed.
A group of five or less can rent a room for P400.00 / day.

Basco Bay just a stone’s throw away. Laundry services also available.

For more details, call the Governor’s office at (02) 535-4899 or e-mail ivatanlodge@yahoo.com

Shanedel's Inn and Cafe
A home-away-from-home atmosphere prevails in this lodging house. The family that owns and runs the place resides here. Located at the Bay area, Shanedel’s offers a good view of the boundless ocean. A cozy resto at the back doubles up as a viewpoint for sunset and sea lane watchers. Native plants and eye catching furniture fashioned from driftwood in their natural form, give an extra lift to the spirit of the weary traveler. Room rate here is P200.00 per day per person.


For more details, call 0920-4470737 (look for Mrs. Dely Millan) or at (02) 414-3279 (Look for Aubrey or Janice Millan). Or send e-mail to aeromite01@yahoo.com

Pension Ivatan
Pension Ivatan is a sanctuary for the traveler who does not have too much time in his hands. It is the lodging house nearest to the airport, and has single and twin-sharing rooms. Ideal for businessmen and other transients.

The St. Dominic College canteen and the IRC Canteen are the most popular canteens in Basco. While Shanedel's is a lodging house it has small restaurant which can be converted into a Karaoke Bar in an instance.

In Ivana, a one-room cottage, owned by my father (retired Navy Commander Jack E. Castaño III) could be rented out for an evening stay. He has two other cottages which he designed for picnics only. However, many of his customers, usually stay there overnight. The place is called Club John Andre.

John Andre has electricity, restrooms and basic cooking utensils, at no extra cost. The place, is a favorite destination of Basco residents who have become too bored in the capital town.

^^ interesting :|.....

Pero as per your advice, April-May ang best time to visit... so our window of opportunity has almost ran out pala... PAG-ASA has just declared that its already rainy season...

Yah best times they say, but still, you can experience the feel of Batanes anytime you visit.:) You just have to deal with the "bagyo" during rainy season.
Word of advice pala, if your planning to visit Batanes during summer season (April-May), try to book your flight a month earlier. Mahirap kasing kumuha ng lugar pag late na. :)

^^ Wala pang pinapatayo yung mga realtives kong bahay dito since may mga bahay panaman sila near the bayan.

Electricity is supplied by Batanes Electric Cooperative (Batanelco) to the Island of Batan 24hours a day 7 days a week. Depende nalang yon kung may bagyo. The water, its very fresh. Sa bahay ng relatives ko pwedeng inumin yung tubig directly from the faucet.

About the internet access,as of early February 2002 you can surf the internet from the BatanesConnect internet cafe in Basco along Abad street and to some town municipalities.

Guys, Batanes is not as rural as what you think it is. :) Hindi naman mga primative ang mga tao dito. Good thing about Batanes is that they manage to preserve their culture, property, and some of their characteristics of past times since it is also under for nomination of UNESCO. Because of technology, Batanes somehow manage to have some of the basic facilities needed for the island to at least progress.

What's the reason for the deferred nomination? I was expecting it to be taken up last year.

Tito Sarmago's Trip To Batanes: http://www.philskies.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6562

more infos about Batanes:

Language

Ivatans still use their Austronesian language, peppered with pidgin Spanish and spoken with the musicality of Chinese. Ivatan is spoken on the islands of Batan and Sabtang. Ichbayaten is spoken in Itbayat. English and Tagalog are widely spoken and understood by Ivatans, 95% of whom are literate.

These are some example I know

one - asa
two - dadwa
three - tatdu
four - apat
five - dadima
six - anm
seven - papito
eight - wawahu
nine - sasyam
ten - sapahu

What's your name? - Angu ngaran mo?
Are you going with me? - Ara ka machivan jak'n ?

There are many gossips going around - Aru chirichirin a maychawpit.
What do you like to play? - Angu chak'key mo yayam?
his scoldings to his children amounted to nothing - arava u sinmo nu juyajuya na sa du anac na

Useful Ivatan Phrases:

Hello - Kapian capa nu dios
How are you? - Ara ca mangu?
I am fine - Taytu aco a mapia
I am not fine - Ara coava mapia
Thank you - Dios mamajes
Friend - Cayvan
Man - Mahacay
Woman - Mavakes
Where are you going? - Ngayan mo?
I am going to... - Mangay aco du...
Where is ___? - Ara dino si ___?
Left - Huli
Right - Wanan
Straight ahead</font> - Diretso
Money - Cartos
How much? - Pira?
Cheap - Mahumis
Expensive - Mayñin
Good - Mapia
No good - Mapia/Mavid ava
Yes - Oon
I want ___ - Makey ako no ___
I don't want - Makey aco ava
I have a problem - Mian problema ko
No problem - arava o problema
Good luck - Mapia palak
Eat - Kuman
Drink - Minom
Boat - Bapor/Tataya
Sea - Taw
Water - Ranum
Wind - Salao sao
Where is the house of ___? - Jino vahay da ___?
Fast - Malisto
Slow - Mawadi
Beautiful - Mavid

WOW!! I'm really shocked to know that Ivatan and Maguindanao have a lot of similar words!!!

Impressive!!

What's the reason for the deferred nomination? I was expecting it to be taken up last year.

Well if I'm not mistaken, Batanes already filed their nomination to UNESCO but haven't included in the World Heritage List. They are still waiting for the committee to make the final decision on its inscription.

Actually, I have a photocopy of the files they sent to UNESCO (The Batanes Cultural Landscape). It covers all about Batanes, their developments, Their Heritage Managment Plan, Natural Heritage Zones etc. :)

^^ Hey Ashley! How much time do you think is enough to see/tour the whole province?

Its a small Island so a week is enough. :) But first you have to plan well your itinerary and find a good tour guide as well.

Its a small Island so a week is enough. :) But first you have to plan well your itinerary and find a good tour guide as well.

How will you do that? Find a good tour guide?

Ako! nyahaha kiddin'. :D

If you browse on some Batanes sites you can see Resorts and Lodges which offer tour guides too... or you could just call their office, I guess they can accommodate you with a good guide.

Some recent/planned government projects for Batanes (Source: neda.gov.ph)
Basco:
http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/3652/zzzbatanesyi3.jpg


Itbayat:
http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/5382/zzzbatanes2oq2.jpg

-The person you meet on the street greets you with the question: "Ngan mo'" (where are you going?) even if he does not really care where are you heading to.

-People on the streets smile at each other even they do not know each other personally.

-The farmers bring their REMS radios to the fields.

- You can't make a business bottling mineral water because everybody can drink directly from the faucet without fear of contracting amoebiasis or diarrhea.

-In a fiesta lunch or picnic, the main dish consists of delicious yellow rice (supas) and uved.

- The valleys and seas are in their nature given color.

- The airport is full of spectators during a "plane day".

- Everybody seems to know each other and everybody seems to be a relative of the other.

- You don't feel guilty if your six-year-old sets out for school without "baon".

- You can sleep in the park or on the seashore overnight without fear that somebody may harm you.

- You feel confident that somebody who found your lost key will bring it to the local Radyo ng Bayan Station.

- The townsfolk speak funny and sometimes, good English when they are drunk.

- Stone houses are refreshing sight.

- Coconut crabs, kuyabs and valichits are abundant during certain seasons of the year.

- The prelude to a fiesta's noontime show is an ethnic dance called palo-palo.

- The women like mestiza blondies in their native "vakul" headdresses.

- The doors of houses are left open while the owners are out to work.

- You tune in your AM radio in the morning and hear love songs dedicated to you instead of one horrible news story after another delivered by newscasters that make you manic depressive the whole day.

- You don't have to worry about the traffic.

- The town mayor or the public school teacher also casts their fishnets and till the soil (at least, outside office hours).

- There are no squatters, even in abandoned houses.

- You can have fresh vegetables and fresh meat for free, sometimes.

- The governor rides on his bike to the capitol.

- You can go out even without a cent in your pocket.

- The brilliance of the moon and the stars do not compete with commercial lights.

- You don't feel ashamed eating and drinking all you can in wedding receptions even if you are not invited.

- The politicians don't get charged with smuggling and drug trafficking.

- Youngsters called the elderly their uncle, aunt, lolo or lola even if they are not in any way related to them.

- There are no beggars, real or fake, asking for alms on the streets.

- Your gelled hair does not get sticky with dust and pollution at the end of the day.

- You send your child to the day care center without fearing that he will be kidnapped.

- The air you breath is fresh, really fresh.

sana ganyan sa buong pilipinas

ganda ng Batanes, gusto ko pumunta diyan

Meron po bang domestic flight papuntang Batanes from Manila (Philippine Airlines, or any other airline) how much?



BATANES GALLERY
http://www.pbase.com/apmurillo/batanes_taming_the_islands_the_sea_and_the_wind

^ Nice gallery you found there. ;)

^ Nice gallery you found there. ;)

yeah! ganda talaga parang painting yung mga pictures:)

Batanes

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1068/733307248_7eb4bb1e5e_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1374/732393043_08b9e5757f_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1100/732392495_cea861b614_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1309/732392519_ab318c7690_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1268/733211344_5d12d955e3_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/733211296_3af5b6f23b_o.jpg

by coolbabe_tita (http://flickr.com/photos/9662363@N04/)

Perhaps centuries ago Taiwan is governed by people from Batanes :)


Orchid Island (Traditional Chinese: 蘭嶼; Pinyin: Lán Yǔ; POJ: Lân-sū;

Yami language: Ponso no Tao or Pongso no Tao) is a 45-km² volcanic island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan and separated from the Batanes of the Philippines by the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait. It is governed as Lanyu Township of Taitung County, Republic of China.

The island is home to the Tao, an ethnic minority group who migrated to the island from the Batan Archipelago 800 years ago. The island is known to them as Ponso no Tao or Pongso no Tawo (island of the people) or Irala. The island is also known as Botel Tobago.

The island was first mapped on Japanese charts as Tabako-shima in the early 17th century and Tabaco Xima on a French map of 1654. The Chinese who had no contact with the inhabitants of the island, called it Hongtouyu (紅頭嶼 Red-headed island), from which it was called Kōtō-sho during Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan. The Japanaese colonial government declared the island an ethnological research area off-limits to the public. This restriction remained in effect when the Republic of China took over in 1945, but was lifted in 1967. It was because of the restriction that the Tao have the best preserved traditions among the Taiwanese aborigines. Since then, schools were built on the island and education in Mandarin became compulsory. Tourism to the island has also increased. The island is known by the Ami as Buturu and by the Puyuma as Botol.

In January 19, 1946, the island was designated as Hongtouyu Township (紅頭嶼鄉 "Red-headed Island") of Taitung County. November 24 of that year, it was renamed to Lan Yu, or Orchid Island, after the local Phalaenopsis orchids.

The island is accessible only by sea or air. Daily Air is the only airline to offer flights to Orchid Island. The flight duration is half an hour and the daily frequency is dependent on weather conditions. Ferry trips to the island is available from Taitung's Fukang harbor.

There are eight mountains over 400m high, the tallest mountain is Mt. Hongtoushan (紅頭山) at 552m.

The islanders are farmers and fisherman relying on a large annual catch of flying fish and on wet taro, yams, and millet.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=78701


By Kristine L. Alave
Inquirer
Last updated 08:39pm (Mla time) 07/25/2007


MANILA, Philippines -- In Batanes, the northernmost and smallest Philippine province, the Internet came first before the telephone.

Last June, the Batanes provincial government, with the help of private sector partners, established Internet connection in all of its public schools, besting other more accessible cities with much better infrastructure.

Getting the Batanes public school system wired was one of the milestones celebrated by the Gearing up for Internet Literacy and Access for Students (GILAS), a project by a consortium of private consortium and the Department of Education (DepEd) launched in January 2005.

The program aims to provide Internet access for students and basic Internet literacy programs in all of the 6,030 public high schools by the year 2010.

For every school, there are at least 10 computers that the students can practice on. According to GILAS computations, 10 computers can provide 400 hours of learning for students.

More than two years into the program, GILAS had connected 1,441 high schools to the Internet, including those in remote and mountainous towns in provinces like Batanes and Misamis Oriental. As of June 2007, all public secondary schools in 22 cities nationwide have been connected to the Internet.

Although Batanes is a small province located 280 kilometers off the northernmost tip of Luzon, putting it on the digital map was difficult and challenging as the country’s northernmost province doesn’t even have telephone lines and enjoy only partial electricity in some municipalities, officials behind the project said.

It took one and a half years for the Batanes project to be finished.

Former Batanes representative Dina Abad, who used part of her pork barrel to roll out the project, said they had to get help from many technical people to hurdle certain technical and geographical obstacles. Abad said the mountains made it hard for technicians to establish SMART Telecoms’ wireless connections’ line of sight.

“The reception was difficult because of the islands and the mountainous terrain,” she said in a briefing Wednesday.

Abad also explained that GILAS technicians had to find ways to protect the equipment from the island’s strong winds and stormy weather, which could disrupt the signals.

GILAS and the Batanes province tapped the University of the Philippines’ Electrical and Electronics Engineering to install Internet connections in the mainland and in the other islands.

UP engineering students trekked to the mountains to put up antennas and made special gadgets that would receive the wireless broadband signals and configured the computers.

Before GILAS came to town, Abad said the only Internet connection in the province could be found in the few computer terminals in the capital town of Basco.

Batanes residents and schools, she noted, were discouraged at the high costs of Internet connection via satellite -- the only option available in province -- which could run up to at least P15,000 a month, an unthinkable luxury in a place where residents’ main occupation are farming and fishing.

Teenage students were excited about the technology, Abad said. Abad hopes that the Internet access in schools would improve the Batanes students’ computer literacy and prepare them for college.

Abad said the technology would facilitate communication and improve the classroom experience. Tasks such as updating teachers with their lessons, helping students advance on subject matters they want to research, and sending of reports to reports to regional and national offices will now be easier and more convenient.

In the future, Abad hopes that teachers nationwide can meet on cyberspace, share lesson plans, and discuss teaching methods.

Mario Deriquito, director for Ayala Foundation Inc.’s Center for Social Development, said schools should encourage students to discover the Internet, while sticking to the Deped’s cybereducation curriculum.

Governor Oscar Moreno, of the province of Misamis Oriental, which recently had all its high schools connected to the Internet said he does not mind students who chat and play games or surf social networking sites like Friendster as long as it’s in moderation.

Moreno said such activities help students get comfortable with the technology and realize its potential.

“The children, they are naturally techies. They will play games, access Friendster … They need to experiment because that is how they learn the computer,” the governor explained.

“It’s a liberating thing. It’s empowering. Imagine, those students from the mountains can now access the Internet,” he added.

Like Batanes, Misamis Oriental was another challenge for GILAS as schools in the province are located far from the good roads and are sometimes located in mountain villages.

Misamis Oriental is the first province in Mindanao to be fully connected, giving its 59 public high schools the opportunity to access the world through just one click of a mouse.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/noel/honestystorebatanes.jpg

MHEL, Glad and me at the Honesty Store in Batanes. JASMINE ROSE LIMBO





http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/noel/210.jpg

AT the top of radar station, Mt. Iraya as background. You can see Batanes in 360-degree perspective. JASMINE ROSE LIMBO





http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/noel/sabtang.jpg

"WHITE sand" beach at Sabtang Island in Batanes. JASMINE ROSE LIMBO





http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/noel/pacitaabadbatanes.jpg

OPENING the gate of Pacita Abad Foundation House in Batanes. JASMINE ROSE LIMBO



Courtesy of the ROAD TRIP - http://www.bigfishmanila.com
With thanks.

By Mandy Navasero
Inquirer
Last updated 07:16pm (Mla time) 08/10/2007


NEXT year, our Batanes photo safari will also celebrate weddings, honeymoons and anniversaries at the Tukon Chapel, a joint project of Fundacion Pacita and the Tukon community.

Guests can stay in one of five restored vernacular houses in Basco, Ivana (which was sponsored by Batch 2006 of our photo safari), Uyugan and Sabtang.

The restoration of 1,245 indigenous stone houses is spearheaded by local Dominican priest, Fr. Ermito de Sagun, president of the Batanes Heritage Foundation Inc. (BHFI).

Social affair
The restoration of an earthquake-damaged stone house requires P500,000. The repair of Ivatan houses is considered a social affair among locals, where friends and neighbors lend a helping hand--free of charge!--and a poignant demonstration of the Bayanihan spirit, or "kayvavanan" in the vernacular.

We appeal to Good Samaritans to help save the stone houses of Batanes. We are selling 2008 calendars of Batanes, puzzle boxes, and an 85-page Batanes picture book. Call 896-3208.

For inquiries about the restoration of stone houses, e-mail batanesheritagefoundation@yahoo.com or deposit to Batanes Heritage Foundation Inc. at PNB Batasan branch C/A No. 227 8300 88 1 or USD S/A 227 701 662 4.

Next month, during Batanes’ "little summer," our Photo Safari will be open to tourists, nature lovers and photography enthusiasts alike. You can also schedule your visit between January to June next year.

E-mail mandynavasero@yahoo.com, check our website at www.mandynavasero.com, or call 899-1767 or 0905 251-1623.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=81800

.

ganda rin ng batanes, mapuntahan nga next year

I don't get it, why did you separate Basco from Batanes?

Basco is a part of Batanes too.

I don't get it, why did you separate Basco from Batanes?

Basco is a part of Batanes too.

yup Basco is the capital town of Batanes,,maybe because that's the trend here, they give emphasis to a province' capital

^ Yeah, I was just about to say... Basco is in Batanes. Isn't that the capital town of Batanes?

yup Basco is the capital town of Batanes,,maybe because that's the trend here, they give emphasis to a province' capital

Oh yeah I see...

but I still don't get the point of separating their capital from the province... As if you only give importance to the town and not as a whole.

Well if I'm not mistaken, Batanes already filed their nomination to UNESCO but haven't included in the World Heritage List. They are still waiting for the committee to make the final decision on its inscription.

Actually, I have a photocopy of the files they sent to UNESCO (The Batanes Cultural Landscape). It covers all about Batanes, their developments, Their Heritage Managment Plan, Natural Heritage Zones etc. :)

Ashley,

I saw the recommendation of UNESCO. They want a further description of how culture is closely intertwined with the landscape. Looks like an in-depth research from various sectors of government and NGO is needed for the updated nomination file. UNESCO suggested evaluating the feasibility of including the whole province, either in the core zone or as buffer zone. Hard work ahead.

.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/izacalzado.jpg
Iza Calzado


By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer
Last updated 11:57pm (Mla time) 08/25/2007


MANILA, Philippines - Following her Hollywood debut in “The Echo,” Filipino actress Iza Calzado is set to co-star with Taiwan’s Ken Zhu, formerly of the boy band F4, in a movie to be shot in Batanes.

The news was confirmed by the film’s producer, Arleen Cuevas and co-directors Adolf Alix and Dave Hukom of Ignite Media.

Adolf says Iza is “perfect” for the role—a Manila sales girl who relocates to Batanes and falls in love with an Ivatan man and a stranded fisherman from Taiwan.

The Taiwanese fisherman is to be played by Ken, while the role of the Ivatan is yet to be cast.

Adolf recalls that Judy Ann Santos was originally tapped for the movie, tentatively titled “Sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan.”

“She loved the script,” Dave recounts. “But there were scheduling problems.”

“Judy Ann recommended Iza, a good friend and co-star in the hit movie ‘Ouija,’” Adolf says.

Iza immediately expressed interest in the script, written by Arah Jell Badayos, who wrote and co-directed “Mudraks” for last year’s Cinemalaya.

Iza, however, bagged a major role in “The Echo,” the Hollywood version of Yam Laranas’ “Sigaw.”

Thrilled

That was when they thought of Iza’s fellow GMA 7 talent Jennylyn Mercado for the part. But Iza’s schedule eased up a bit and “she eventually signed up for our project,” Dave says.

Lito Calzado, Iza’s father, confirms that his daughter will start working on the Batanes movie in October.

Adolf says that from the start Iza has been excited over the script and the prospect of going to Batanes.

“She wants to get a feel of the place before the shoot. From Toronto (where she is shooting “The Echo”), she will proceed to Batanes.”

Ken Zhu, one of the stars of the popular youth drama “Meteor Garden” (currently aired by GMA 7), was just as thrilled over the script, relates producer Arleen.

“I got in touch with him through a friend of a friend who’s a Hong Kong producer,” she says.

After sending the script’s first draft to Ken’s agent, Arleen was surprised to get an e-mail from Ken.

“He said that he had read the script himself,” she notes.

Ken also acted as consultant, giving tips on the cultural practices in Taiwan, to make the script’s flashback scenes more accurate.

“Sa Dulo” is Adolf’s second film to be shot in Batanes, after Cinemalaya’s “Kadin” this year.

“After I did an ocular for ‘Kadin,’ I told Dave that Ignite should do a love story set in Batanes,” Adolf says. “For ‘Kadin,’ we used an HD camera, but for this new movie, we will be using a 35mm film camera. Batanes should really be captured on film.”

yup Basco is the capital town of Batanes,,maybe because that's the trend here, they give emphasis to a province' capital

I guess the trend is only if a city in a provinces is a chartered city, example Angeles City and Pampanga..... but the capitol of the province is San Fernando. I reckoned Basco should not be separated from Batanes.

Kapian kamu pa nu Dios (May God Bless all of you)!

Thank you so much kaydian a ashley12! You have done an excellent job of marketing our Island Paradise. I haven’t been to Batanes for the longest time and it may be corny to some, but my blood just quickens when I feel rain or storm coming. Lalo na ngayon na sunud-sunod ang ulan at bagyo. Almost everyone I know dread the rains because of floods that rampage through most parts of the country. Unlike them however, rain, lightning, and thunder make me feel nostalgic of the home I’ve left behind.

I work at night and when people in the office go on coffee-breaks at 5:30, I sit back and think of the countless times that I was greeted by the sun after the early morning mass in Basco. The feeling? Bliss tinged with homesickness. Hayyy naku. Iba talaga ang laking probinsiya.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


Visit Batanes... Visit www.pensionivatan.com

^ I like how you described your nostalgic musings. :)

Thanks Lili! You are one of the few people who appreciate my SAPPINESS. Hahahaha.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Visit Batanes... Visit www.pensionivatan.com