DAY03: Exploring Southern
Batan Island
I woke up early on the third day with whistling
wind and a downpour. It was very cold. My smartphone recorded at least
seventeen degrees of coldness.
We were set to explore the southern part of the
island of Batan for the whole day. We had seen its northern side on day one.
From Basco proper we travelled south on a winding
road overlooking the shoreline. The sky was dark and the wind blows constantly.
Our first destination was the Chawa Viewing Deck.
We passed through the Paderes Point and Cliff Road on route to the Chawa
Viewing Deck.
Chawa
viewing deck offers an unobstructed view of the Southern Edges of Batan Island
and the wild Pacific Ocean.
There is a winding stairs going down the shoreline
with more than a hundred steps. From the view deck, I enjoyed looking at the
rock formation and the big waves that constantly wash the shoreline.
It
started to rain few minutes after we started exploring the area and so we had
to get back inside the van and moved to the next spot.
§ Mahatao
Boat Shelter Port
From
the Chawa Viewing Deck we had a rendezvous at the Mahatao Boat Shelter.
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| Photo source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU83QhNQBIZfMflu3peNT1PvftiMjvPg4ZByni-NSLlF8HttBQKHaKG73RjRl_9MOtv9xLJX-0SApvwVA7deSTymtb0BokjxdXSaoBMaeoMwCvIr4YO5MStvG5Ne00lMcxJqeHfaxqS4I/s1600/Mahatao+Boat+Shelter+Port.jpg |
Our
guide explained that the area was once a coral reef and to create the basin to
allow ships to get inside the shelter, they had to blast off the area to remove
the corals. It was raining at that time and so we didn’t have the chance again to
further explore the boat shelter.
§ San
Carlos Borromeo Church and Blank Book Archive
Since it was raining our guide
decided to bring us to the San Carlos Borromeo Church in Mahatao.
San Carlos
Borromeo church is an old church built during the Spanish period. It was
painted white at that time. Just like other old churches in the Philippines,
the old convent is annexed at the right side of the main church.
According to Wikipedia,
The earliest church in
Mahatao was constructed in 1787. It was initially made of light materials but
underwent modifications that by the time Mahatao evolved from being a visita to
a vicariate under Fr. Tomas Sanchez albeit unofficially. In 1789, the first
stone church in Mahatao was already finished.
The first church was said to be ugly so when it was
partially damaged during a very strong typhoon in 1872, then Vicar Fr.
Crescencio Polo saw to the reconstruction of a stronger and more artistic
structure in 1873, covering the roof with cogon. Fr. Polo also remodeled the
convent made of stone and mortar, which is attached to the church.
On September 19, 1898, the Katipunan
revolutionaries ransacked the church. There were records that during this time,
the original gold Episcopal crosier of the image of San Carlos as well as the
gold jewelry pieces of the Lady of the Rosary and the Sto. Niño were stolen.
The church is made of stone and lime, common
building materials in Batanes. An espadaña belfry is located on top of the
facade's pediment with one of its bells dated 1874. The church has uneven wall
thickness due to addition of step buttresses and even buttress walls. Its
interiors, decorated in Baroque style, showcase floral designs sunburst
ornaments painted in polychrome and gilt which lends a golden glow among the
statuary. The main retablo houses images of Saint Charles Borromeo, patron, on
the center and surrounded by Saint Joseph, Saint Dominic de Guzman and Saint
Rose of Lima. Two minor altar housing the image of the Our Lady of the Rosary
on the right and of the Holy Child on the left of the central altar can also be
found.
On the right side of the facade is the church
convent. The second floor of the convent is not the typical volada or
cantilevered gallery for convents in the Philippines but an open extended deck.
At the back of the convent are remains of an old circular well. Located on the
left side of the facade is a beacon used for navigation.
Inside the old convent is a
library of blank books. Anyone can write down messages on the blank book pages.
I would say that the church
constitutes a Baroque style with thick walls. The only thing I noticed was the
absence of a massive belltower which is either adjoined to the main church or
built few meters away from the main church.
§ Mahatao
Spanish Lighthouse
Just
infront of the San Carlos Borromeo church is an old stone structure.
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| Photo Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5V714EbLeeezLyOOn6fRkTZVCrFtDYL02II8x8_Tv9rvK5M5YW6Auo8IBgid3vlB7vxf4fO-sbdAOCQT_JGVKhfp-CE-gBg4pDquCNH_-FxqaSba0HA51DSQWpgtO0MjMZ6k6-D8mULK/s640/Mahatao+Church+Lighthouse.jpg |
According
to our guide, the structure was once used as a lighthouse during the Spanish
period. During the Spanish era, this structure functions like a torch using
dried woods as fuel.
§ Mahatao
Tayid Lighthouse
Just before lunch, we visited
another lighthouse. It is located within Mahatao so it is called Mahatao Tayid
Lighthouse.
Just like the other lighthouses
in Batanes, this lighthouse is no longer working though the structure looked
well maintained.
We were lucky to have few minutes
without rain and made photos at the lighthouse but we left the area sooner as
it started to rain again.
We had a quick lunch at a nearby
restaurant. We were supposed to have lunch at the Marlboro Hills but it was not
possible at that time because of the weather.
§ Alapad
Hills and Rock Formation
After having sumptuous lunch we
travelled to the Alapad Hills and Rock Formation. The rain stopped and the sky
cleared.
Something special about Alapad
Hills is the winding road and the superb landscape view. Not to mention, we had
to anchor ourselves standing at the view deck overlooking the ocean because of
the blowing wind towards inland.
The blowing wind was so strong that
we could hardly stand on our feet. I handed over my camera to our
guide who made nice photos at all angles.
I simply could not imagine how
strong the wind could be at this point when there is a storm.
From the Alapad View Point, the
old Lo-Ran Naval Base is located near the shoreline down below.
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| Photo Source: http://www.philippinebeaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LORAN-Station-Ruins-Batanes.jpg |
Art said that
there are plans of converting the old naval base into a commercial center.
§ Ruins
of Song-song (Batanes Movie, House Scene)
From
Alapad Hills, we travelled further south. We passed by the Song-song Ruins.
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| Photo Source: http://www.govisitphilippines.com/media/province_thumbnail/Batanes/85d73887c948c52e895864fdd0400026_01-22-14_09-39-17.jpg |
According to Art, the old stone houses were destroyed by a Tsunami in the late
1950s and there were no casualties as the Ivatans were able to get to the
mountains when they noticed that water retreating from the shoreline.
Those
who were left homeless were offered by the government to settle somewhere in
Mindanao and when they agreed, they abandoned the place. The place was once
called “Ghost Town” according to Art.
Slowly,
the grandchildren of those who once inhabited the area started to reclaim
Song-song back and there are now few staying in the place at present.
This
place was the setting of the movie – House Scene.
One of the few things that I
wanted to see in Batanes was the Honesty Store. This was featured several times
on TV and I was one of the many guests who were so excited to see the store.
The store is located in front of
the Ivana Church near the shoreline. There were many merchandise inside
including souvenirs and natïve Ivatan delicacies.
2 § Please
pay whatever you get
3 § If you have
change, knock at the door. If no one answers sorry,
so you give more than the
prize. MAY YOUR TRIBE INCREASE!
4 § Remember
– HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!
At the back of the store I found
dozens of Ivatan jars containing fermented sugarcane wine.
§ San Jose
de Ivana Church and Ruins
Up the
hill is the Ivana Church and Ruins. The church can be seen easily because of
its imposing façade facing the Pacific Ocean.
This is a Baroque church built
during the Spanish colonial period.
According to Wikipedia,
the
San Jose de Ivana Church also known as Ivana Church is a Roman catholic church
located in Ivana, Batanes, Philippines dedicated to Saint Joseph under the
jurisdiction of the Prelature of Batanes. The church was declared a National
Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in
2008.
The church of Ivana was
first established by the Dominicans as a chapel in 1787. Originally, there were
three mission chapels in Said, Kadpidan and Radiwan in Ivana. The present stone
church and convent was built in Radiwan under the direction of Father Francisco
de Paula Esteban, OP in 1795 while the bell tower during the term of Father
Fausto de Cuevas, OP from 1814 to 1817. The original church's area which was
intended to accommodate the people of Ivana, Sabtang and Uyugan was decreased
in 1844, in particular the nave was shortened, when the people of Sabtang
returned to their original place. The facade was renovated during the term
Father Fabian Martin, OP from 1866 to 1869. The church was partially destroyed
2000 due to an earthquake in 2000 and was later renovated during the term of Father
Gumersindo Hernandez, OP in 2001.
Filipino revolutionaries
waved the Katipunan flag in the church's bell tower on September 18, 1898.
The church's facade was
built alongside the shortening of its nave in 1854. When the population
decreased in the 1840s due to the return of the Isabtang to Sabtang, the rear
portion of the church was closed. Today, ruins of the abandoned portion of the
church can still be seen. It also has a crenellated bell tower supported by
unusual buttresses. Its convent, which is part of the church complex, has an
unusual circular masonry work near the stairway.
§ House
of Dakay and Old Spanish Bridge
Travelling further south, we
passed by the old Spanish bridge made of adobe stones.
We stopped at the House
of Dakay – the oldest standing stone house in Batanes.
I had a chance to wear Ivatan
head gears. The stone house is well maintained. The interior is plain and
simple.
According to WikiPilipinas,
the House of Dakay is
the oldest surviving house in the town of San Jose de Ivana in Batan Island,
the largest of the 3 inhabited islands of the Batanes island group that lies
off the coast of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. It is a traditional
structure with thick walls made of stone and lime and with a roof thatched with
cogon grass. Named after the family that owned it, it is known as Vahay ni
Dakay in Ivatan. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Building.
The house is located in San Jose de Ivana, more
commonly known as Ivana. One of the smallest towns in Batanes, it is 14
kilometers from Basco. Along its coastline are found the ports that serve as a
gateway to the neighboring Sabtang Island.
A small house, the House of Dakay has been designed
and constructed in the traditional style that is distinctive to the houses of
Batanes, called vahay in Ivatan. The house is typical of the architectural style
of Batanes that emerged with the coming of the Spanish missionaries around
1795, replacing the indigenous wooden huts of the natives. It features 2
stories, lime and stone walls that are as much as a meter thick, and cogon
roofs that are about 1/3 of a meter thick. Stone cutters and masons and
carpenters were imported from Cagayan to help in the construction of these
houses. It is designed to be durable and to provide shelter from the strong
winds of the island, which lies along a typhoon belt.
The House of Dakay was built by Luisa Estrella in
1887. On September 13, 1918, a strong earthquake hit the island. Most of the
town of Ivana was leveled to the ground. The House of Dakay was one of the few
houses that remained standing and one of the 5 that have survived to this day.
Estrella eventually bequeathed the house to her favorite nephew, Jose Dakay
Estrella, from whom the name of the house is taken. The house is now the
residence of Florestida Estrella, known as Lola Ida, who is the only living
descendant of the family. She grew up in the Visayas island and is now over 82
years old. She welcomes visitors to her house and is perhaps the most
photographed personality in Batanes, having been featured in magazines such as
Reader’s Digest. Although her relatives live in concrete houses beside hers,
she refuses to move or change as she finds that the design of the house is
effective in protecting her from the elements.
Most of the original parts of the house have been
retained and kept in good condition, including the shutters and the floors. The
thatched cogon roof of the house, however, has been replaced completely every
30 years since 1917.
§ Racuh a
Payaman (a.k.a Marlboro Hills)
We ended our journey at Racuh a
Payaman (a.k.a Marlboro Hills). This place made me feel as if I was somewhere
in middle earth (referring to the movie The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit).
For me the landscape and the view were perfect. Here I had an amazing view of
the lighthouse at the middle of a lush green land and the feeding cattle on lose
along the slopes and the wind was cold.
As I looked further to the edge of the Island, I
was reminded again that nothing beats the beauty of nature. It brings a
challenge to the Ivatans to maintain its beauty, preserve and safeguard it from
the destruction that maybe brought by industrialization and too much
commercialization.
Staying in this paradise for three days, I must say
that I felt in love not only with the astounding beauty of Batanes but also
with the honesty, kindness and hospitality of the Ivatans!!
Batanes will always be on my bucket list of places
that I wanted to visit over and over again… because it is simply AMAZING!
I say, DIOS MAMAJES!
I had been preparing to see the wonders of Yangon and the Old Bagan in Myanmar several months ago. The date had been set. Itinerary validated and plane tickets and accommodations finalized.
Upon my arrival, I was greeted by few popular photos of Batanes – The Arc of Nature, The lush green sloppy hills and lighthouses and finally, by the Stone Houses!
