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Batanes | |
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      (from top: left to right)Lighthouse in Sabtang Island,Chawa View Deck in Sabtang,Port Tachimos,Vayang Rolling Hills,Tayid Lighthouse andRakuh A Payaman | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Anthem: Beautiful Batanes Isles | |
.svg) Location in the Philippines | |
| Coordinates:20°35′N121°54′E / 20.58°N 121.9°E /20.58; 121.9 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cagayan Valley |
| Founded | June 26, 1783 |
| Capital and largest municipality | Basco |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Ronald P. Aguto Jr. (PFP) |
| • Vice Governor | Jonathan Enrique V. Nanud Jr. (PFP) |
| • Legislature | Batanes Provincial Board |
| Area | |
• Total | 203.22 km2 (78.46 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 81st out of 81 |
| Highest elevation | 1,009 m (3,310 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 18,937 |
• Estimate (2020) | 17,875[2] |
| • Rank | 81st out of 81 |
| • Density | 93.185/km2 (241.35/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 73rd out of 81 |
| Demonym | Batanense |
| Divisions | |
| • Independent cities | 0 |
| • Component cities | 0 |
| • Municipalities | |
| • Barangays | 29 |
| • Districts | Legislative district of Batanes |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PHT) |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)78 |
| ISO 3166 code | PH-BTN |
| Spoken languages | |
Batanes, officially theProvince of Batanes,[a] is an archipelagic province in thePhilippines, administratively part of theCagayan Valleyregion. It is the northernmostprovince in the Philippines, and the smallest, both in population and land area. Thecapital isBasco, located on the island ofBatan, and is also the most populous municipality in the province.
The island group is located approximately 162 kilometers (101 mi) north of theLuzon mainland and about 190 kilometers (120 mi) south ofTaiwan (Pingtung County). Batanes is separated from theBabuyan Islands ofCagayan Province by theBalintang Channel, and from Taiwan by theBashi Channel.
The nameBatanes is a Hispanicized plural form derived from theIvatanendonymBatan.[citation needed]
Older European sources may refer to the "Bashi" or "Bashee" Islands.[4]
The ancestors of today's Ivatans descended fromAustronesians who migrated to the islands 4,000 years ago during theNeolithic period. They lived in fortified mountain areas calledidjangs and drank sugar-cane wine, orpalek. They used gold as currency and were farmers, seafarers and boatbuilders. Batanes was a major site for theMaritime Jade Road, one of the most extensive sea-based trade networks of a single geological material in the prehistoric world, operating for 3,000 years from 2000 BCE to 1000 CE.[5][6][7][8]
In 1687, the British explorer, privateer, and naturalistWilliam Dampier visited the islands and named them in honour of prominent Dutch and British figures. Itbayat was named "Orange Isle" afterWilliam of Orange. Batan was named "Grafton Isle" afterHenry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton. Sabtang Isle was named "Monmouth Isle" afterJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. During his stay in August and September 1687, Dampier made valuable observations about settlement types and subsistence of the inhabitants of the Batanes. He mentioned the existence of terraced and defended settlements on elevated terrain (now known asijang) and listed various types of types of tubers and vegetables, and pigs and goats as common food sources, but notably no wet rice or cattle.[9]
In 1783, the Spanish claimed Batanes as part of the Philippines under the rule ofGovernor-GeneralJosé Basco y Vargas. Batanes was ruled as part of theProvincia de Cagayan. The Bashi Channel was increasingly used by English East India Company ships and the Spanish authorities brought the islands under their direct administration to keep them from falling under British control.[10] TheIvatan remained on theiridjang castle-fortresses for some time. In 1790, Governor Guerrero[clarification needed] decreed that Ivatans were to live in the lowlands and leave their remoteidjang. In response, the mangpus, or indigenous Ivatan leaders, headed by the IvatanheroAman Dangat, revolted against the Spanish invaders.[11][verification needed]
Using guns, the Spanish ended the revolution, killing Aman Dangat and several other Ivatan leaders.[11] Basco and Ivana were the first towns established under full Spanish control. Mahatao was then administered by Basco, while Uyugan and Sabtang, by Ivana. Itbayat was not organized until the 1850s, its coast being a ridge. Soon,Ilocanos came to the islands and integrated with the local population.
Roads, ports, bridges, churches and government buildings were built in this time. Limestone technology used by the Spanish spread to the islands, making bridges strong and fortified. Some of these bridges still remain at Ivana and Mahatao. By 1890, many Ivatans were in Manila, and becameilustrados, who then brought home with them the revolutionary ideas of theKatipunan. These Ivatans, who were then discontented with Spanish rule, killed the ruling General Fortea and declared the end of Spanish rule.[citation needed]
Toward the end of the Spanish administration, Batanes was made a part of Cagayan. Due to historical reasons from that time, some segments ofTaiwan society argue that the islands should not belong to the Philippines.[12][13][14] Batanes was created as a sub-province of Cagayan on August 20, 1907, with the approval of Act No. 1693. In 1909, the new American authorities organized it into an independent province, with the approval of Act No. 1952.[15] During this time, additional public schools were constructed and more Ivatan became aware of their place in the Philippines.
In 1920, the first wireless telegraph was installed, followed by an airfield in 1930. New roads were constructed and the Batanes High School was instituted around this time as well.[citation needed]
Because of their strategic location, the islands were one of the first points occupied by the invading Japanese imperial forces at the outbreak of thePacific War. On the morning of December 8, 1941, the Batan Task Force fromTaiwan landed on the Batan Islands, which became the first American territory occupied by the Japanese. The objective of the invasion - to secure the small airfield outside Basco - was accomplished without resistance. Japanese fighters from Basco took part in the raid onClark Air Base the following day. Over the next several days, the success of the Japanese bombing of Clark Field rendered a base at Basco unnecessary, and on December 10, 1941, the naval combat force was withdrawn to participate in theinvasion of Camiguin.[16]
As part of an administrative reorganization, the province of Batanes was downgraded to a municipality ofCagayan from 1942 to 1944.[17][18] Upon its restoration,Victor de Padua, an Ilocano who was one of the first School Superintendents on Batan, was made Provincial Governor. Early in 1945, the island was liberated by the Philippine Commonwealth forces of the 1st and 12th Infantry Divisions of thePhilippine Commonwealth Army.
Batanes was briefly marred by political violence during the1969 presidential elections, when thePhilippine Constabulary's Special Forces allowed motorcycle-riding goons dubbed the "Suzuki boys" to secure the victory of Rufino Antonio Jr., an ally of PresidentFerdinand Marcos, as representative of theLone District of Batanes in theHouse of Representatives of the Philippines through a campaign of terror and intimidation. The resulting outcry led to theSupreme Court decrying the "rape of democracy" in the province, and annulled Antonio's victory in 1970 in favor of his rival, Jorge Abad.[19]
In 1984,Pacita Abad, the foremost Ivatan visual artist, became the first woman to be awarded the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award, breaking 25 years of male dominance. In her acceptance speech, she said, "it was long overdue that Filipina women were recognized, as the Philippines was full of outstanding women" and referred proudly to her mother.[20]
In 1993, the Batanes Protected Landscape and Seascape, which encompassed the entire province, was listed in the Tentative List of the Philippines forUNESCOWorld Heritage Site inscription in the future.[21]
In 1997, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) was passed in Philippine Congress. The law paved the way for the indigenous territorial rights of the Ivatans. The province has since promoted its Ivatan roots. Part of the Ilocano population has returned to mainland Luzon. On December 7, 2004,Pacita Abad died after finishing her last international artwork while suffering from cancer.[22]
A minor dispute between the Philippines and Taiwan erupted in 2007, afterTaiwan Times published an editorial written byTamkang University professor Chen Hurng-yu, claiming that Taiwan has territorial claims over Batanes and encouraging the Taiwanese government to take over the province.[23] This, despite the islands being first claimed by Spanish Philippines in 1783 and later incorporated and administered by the Philippines without any contesting nation since the 18th century.[24]
In 2025, theMahatao Forward Operating Base, a military facility operated by theArmed Forces of the Philippines, was established inMahatao.[25]
The province has a total area of 219.01 square kilometers (84.56 sq mi)[26] comprising ten islands situated within theLuzon Strait between the Balintang Channel andTaiwan. The islands are sparsely populated and subject to frequent typhoons. The three largest islands,Batan,Itbayat, andSabtang, are the only inhabited islands.
The northernmost island in the province, also the northernmost land in the entire Philippines, isMavulis (or Y'ami) Island. Other islands in the chain are Misanga (or North), Ditarem,Siayan,Diogo (or Dinem),Ivuhos, andDequey. The islands are part of theLuzon Volcanic Arc.
Almost one-half of Batanes ishills andmountains.Batan Island is generally mountainous on the north and southeast. It has a basin in the interior.Itbayat Island slopes gradually to the west, being mountainous and hilly along its northern, eastern coast. On Sabtang, mountains cover the central part, making the island slope outward to the coast.
The islands are situated between the vast expanse of the waters ofBashi Channel andBalintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean merges with the South China Sea. The area is a sea lane between thePhilippines andJapan,China,Hong Kong andTaiwan. It is rich with marine resources, including the rarest seacorals in the world.[which?]
The province is hilly and mountainous, with only 1,631.5 hectares (4,032 acres) or 7.1% of its area level to undulating terrain. 78.2% or 17,994.4 hectares vary from rolling hills to steep and very steep. Forty-two percent (42%) or 9,734.40 hectares (24,054.2 acres) are steep to very steep land. Because of the terrain of the province, drainage is good and prolonged flooding is non-existent.
The main island of Batan has the largest share of level and nearly level lands, followed by Itbayat and Sabtang, respectively. Itbayat has gently rolling hills and nearly level areas on semi-plateaus surrounded by continuous massive cliffs rising from 20 to 70 meters (66 to 230 feet)above sea level, with no shorelines. Sabtang has its small flat areas spread sporadically on its coasts, while its interior is dominated by steep mountains and deep canyons. Batan Island and Sabtang have intermittent stretches of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines.[citation needed]
The terrain of the province, while picturesque at almost every turn, has limited the potential for expansion of agriculture in an already very small province.
Batanes has atropical climate (Köppen climate classificationAm). The average yearly temperature is 26.0 °C (78.8 °F). The average monthly temperature ranges from 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in January to 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) in July, similar to that of Southern Taiwan. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year. The rainiest month is August. The driest month is April. November to February are the coldest months.
There is a misconception that Batanes is constantly battered by typhoons.[citation needed] Batanes is mentioned frequently in connection with typhoons, because it holds the northernmost weather station in the Philippines, thus, it is a reference point for all typhoons that enter the Philippine area. In September 2016,Typhoon Meranti impacted the entire province, including a landfall on Itbayat.[27]
Batanes is subdivided into 6municipalities, all encompassed by alone congressional district.
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The 6 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 29barangays.Ihuvok II inBasco was the most populous in 2024, andNakanmuan inSabtang was the least.[29]
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| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[30][31][31][28][3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The population of Batanes in the2024 census was 18,937 people.[3] The population density was 86 inhabitants per square kilometer or 220 inhabitants per square mile.
The natives are calledIvatans. They share prehistoric cultural and linguistic commonalities with theBabuyan onBabuyan Island and theTao people ofOrchid Island.
This divided homeland is a result of theDutch invasion ofTaiwan in 1624 (Dutch Formosa) and Spanish invasion in 1626 (Spanish Formosa). The northern half of the Ivatan homeland,Formosa and Orchid Island were part of theViceroyalty of New Spain. This area came under Dutch governance. The Dutch were expelled in 1662 by forces of the ChineseSouthern Ming dynasty, led by the Chinese pirateKoxinga who then set himself up as theKing of Taiwan.
The southern half of the Ivatan homeland, the islands of Batanes, was reinforced and fortified by Spanish refugees from Formosa, before being formally joined in the 18th century with the Spanish government in Manila.
AnIlocano minority population lives in Batanes. Some have left and returned to mainland Luzon.
The main languages spoken in Batanes areIvatan, which is spoken on the islands of Batan and Sabtang.Itbayaten is spoken primarily on the island of Itbayat. The Ivatan which is dominant in the province is considered to be one of theAustronesian languages. From college level down to elementary level, the language is widely spoken.[32]Ilocano, thelingua franca of northern Luzon, is also widely spoken and understood by the Ivatans. The Ivatans also speak and understandTagalog andEnglish.
Ivatan-speaking communities can be found in other parts of the country, mainly in mainland Luzon, as well as overseas.
An extensive survey of theecology of Batanes[33] provided the scientific basis for confirming the need for a national park in Batanes protecting the Batanes protected landscapes and seascapes, proposed as aUNESCO World Heritage Site, submitted in August 1993. An effort is underway to declare the whole province, along with the sugar central sites in Negros, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[34]
The province is the home of the uniqueconifer speciesPodocarpus costalis. Although it is reportedly growing in some other places such as coasts ofLuzon,Catanduanes and evenTaiwan, full blossoming and fruiting are observed only in Batanes. Its fruiting capacity on the island remains a mystery but is likely due to several factors such as climate, soil and type of substratum of the island.
Several species of birds, bats, reptiles and amphibians inhabit the island. Many of those areendemic to the Philippines. The island is a sanctuary for differentmigratory birds during winter in theNorthern Hemisphere. The Batanes archipelago, along with the nearby Babuyan Islands, have been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because they support significant populations of residentTaiwan green pigeons,Ryukyu scops-owls andshort-crested monarchs,Chinese egrets on passage, and winteringyellow buntings.[35]
About 75% of theIvatans are farmers and fishermen. The rest are employed in the government and services sector. Garlic and cattle are major cash crops. Ivatans plantcamote (sweet potato), cassava,gabi or tuber and a unique variety of white uvi. Sugarcane is raised to producepalek, a kind of native wine, and vinegar.[44]
In recent years, fish catch has declined due to the absence of technical know-how. Employment opportunities are scarce. Most of the educated Ivatans have migrated to urban centers or have gone abroad.[citation needed]
Awind diesel generating plant was commissioned in 2004.[citation needed]
Distance and bad weather work against its economic growth. Certain commodities like rice, soft drinks, and gasoline carry a 75% to 100% mark-up over Manila retail prices.[citation needed]
The island province of Batanes is accessible by air, viaBasco Airport andItbayat Airport. There are daily flights from Manila by Philippine Airlines bound to Basco Airport at Batan Island. There are also flights from Tuguegarao City (Cagayan) bySky Pasada as of 2024. These two airlines make Batan Island accessible from the mainland via air travel. The other local airlines previously serving Basco Airport have stopped their transport services after the COVID-19 Pandemic. As of 2024,PAL Express has flown to Batanes since May 2013. Meanwhile, Itbayat, an island Municipality of the province of Batanes, is accessible via Basco Airport. There are no direct flights from the mainland to Itbayat. Itbayat may also be accessed via ferry boats from Basco. Meanwhile, Sabtang, also an island municipality like Itbayat, is accessible via ferry boats from Batan Island, particularly from Ivana Port, a Municipality in the main Island of Batan.
The Ivatan people of Batanes are one of the mostegalitarian societies in the Philippines. The prime motivator of the cultural values of the Ivatans are imbibed in their pre-colonial belief systems of respectingnature and all people. The Ivatans, both the older and younger generations, have one of the highest incidences of social acceptance to minority groups in the country.
The Ivatans have a high respect for the elderly and the prowess of natural phenomena such as waves, sea breeze, lightning, thunders, earthquakes, and wildlife congregations. Discriminating someone based on skin color, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and traditions on nature is unacceptable in Ivatan values.Land grabbing is a grave crime in Ivatan societies, making ancestral domain certification an important part of Ivatan jurisprudence since the enactment of the IPRA Law.[citation needed]
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The entire province is listed in theUNESCO tentative list for inscription in theWorld Heritage List. The government has been finalizing the site's inscription, establishing museums and conservation programs since 2001. Seven intangible heritage elements of the Ivatan have been set by the Philippine government in its initial inventory in 2012. The elements are undergoing a process to be included in theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
A branch of theNational Museum of the Philippines is located in Uyugan.[45]
In 2012, theNational Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the ICHCAP ofUNESCO publishedPinagmulan: Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first edition of theUNESCO-backed book included (1)Laji, (2)Kapayvanuvanuwa Fishing Ritual, (3)Kapangdeng Ritual, (4)Traditional Boats in Batanes, (5)Sinadumparan Ivatan House Types, (6)Ivatan Basketry, and (7)Ivatan (Salakot) Hat Weaving, signifying their great importance to Philippine intangible cultural heritage. The local government of Batanes, in cooperation with the NCCA, is given the right to nominate the 7 distinct elements into theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[46]
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Data from Wikidata
Geographic data related toBatanes atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Batanes | |
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 Province ofBatanes | |
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Basco (capital and largest municipality) | |
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