Monthly Archives: December 2024

Church of St. Charles Borromeo (Mahatao, Batanes)

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Church of St. Charles Borromeo

From Maydangeb White Beach, we traveled the remaining 2.4 kms. (a 5-min. drive), to Mahatao town proper, making a stopover at the town’s Spanish-era Church of St. Charles Borromeo.

Check out “Maydangeb White Beach”

The church complex

The first church, made with light material and completed by Dominican friars in 1789, was destroyed by a strong typhoon in 1872 and the present structure was rebuilt, with stone and lime, in 1873 by Father Crescencio Polo, OP (who also remodeled the stone and mortar convent attached to the church).

Plaque installed by National Historical Institute in 2008

On September 19, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, the flag of the Katipunan was raised in the campanille and the church was ransacked (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 Santo Niño were stolen).

Plaque installed by National Commission for Culture and the Arts in June 2005

In the 20th century, the cogon roof was replaced with galvanized iron and, sometime in 1990, the choir was removed.  On July 31, 2001, the church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.

The church’s interior

It has an espadaña-style façade similar to Basco Cathedral and the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in Sabtang, with two round arches at roof levels for the bells (one of which is dated 1874).  The outer walls have uneven wall thicknesses due to the addition of massive step buttresses that serve as stairways for servicing its then cogon-covered roof.

Check out “Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception” and “Church of St. Vincent Ferrer”

The main altar

The church’s Baroque style interiors showcases floral designs with sunburst ornaments painted in polychrome and gilt, lending a golden glow among the statuary. On the center of the main retablo is the statue of St. Charles Borromeo (the patron saint) surrounded by statues of St. Joseph, St. Dominic de Guzman and St. Rose of Lima.

Right side altar housing statue of Our Lady of the Rosary

Two side altars house the statue of the Our Lady of the Rosary, on the right, and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the left.

Left side altar housing statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The second floor of the church convent, on the right side of the façade, is not the typical volada (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.

The church’s convent

Within the church’s courtyard is a stone structure that once housed the beatario.  Elsewhere in the courtyard and the elementary school are Spanish-era stone lampposts said to have been used as guiding lights to guide fishermen and early mariners safely to the anchorage just beyond the town’s seaport.

One of two Spanish-era stone lampposts

Church of St. Charles Borromeo: National Road, Brgy. Uvoy (Poblacion), Mahatao, 3901 Batanes. Mobile number: (0921) 766-2282. Feast of St. Charles Borromeo:  November 4.

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) south of Basco.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Maydangeb White Beach and Blue Lagoon (Mahatao, Batanes)

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Maydangeb White Beach

On our way to Mahatao town proper, we made a short stopover at the scenic and secluded, beautiful white sand Maydangeb White Beach and, later, passed by the small but equally beautiful Blue Lagoon, both located just beside the national road. Both are also among the few places in Batanes where one can go for a relaxed and safe swim.

The rocky promontory on the right

The quite cozy Maydangeb White Beach, a popular spot for swimming and picture taking, is flanked by rocky promontories and fringed by coconut trees, providing natural shade for those who wish to relax under them, plus it is often not crowded, providing a quiet and relaxing environment for visitors.

The rocky promontory on the left

The 150 to 200-m. long beach is accessible during both high and low (though swimming may require walking a bit far from the shore) tides. For beachgoers, it a budget-friendly option as the beach is free to enter.

The latter, just around the corner, concealed by rocky cliffs, is more commonly known as Huhmurun by the locals.  During the Spanish era, it was called the Spanish Lagoon or Spaniard’s Lagoon because only Spaniards were allowed to swim in this natural pool.

L-R: the author, Grace and Jandy

Now open to both locals and tourists alike, it has crystal-clear waters that turn blue during the summer season.  Though accessible from the highway, you have to walk a few meters down a inconspicuous, steep and rocky trail.  Around the area are deep ravines and rock formations.

Blue Lagoon (Huhmurun)

Maydangeb White Beach: National Rd, Homoron, 5901 Mahatao, Batanes.

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) south of Basco.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Honesty Coffee Shop (Ivana, Batanes)

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Honesty Coffee Shop

From Mutchong View Point, it was to be a long 20.1-km. (40-min.) drive to the small, quaint and unmanned Honesty Coffee Shop in Ivana where we did some souvenir shopping.

Check out “Mutchong View Point” and “Church of St. Joseph the Worker”

Located near the Church of St. Joseph the Worker, this icon of the province’s ingrained values is the most popular coffee shop in Batanes.  Perhaps the only one of its kind in the country (and probably the world), it tests the honesty of its customers as they purchase their products.

Opened in 1995, nobody tends to this store owned by Mr. Jose and Elena C. Gabilo, a retired school teacher, but a plaque inside is inscribed with the words “The Lord is my Security Guard.”  You can post your own thoughts or notes on one of its walls.

Souvenir T-shirts

In this self-service store, we simply picked the items we wanted from a shelf or rack (coffee, instant noodles, bread, Ivatan souvenirs such as printed T-shirts and vakul, homemade bukayo, garlic chips, etc.).

Souvenir hats and caps

We then checked for the list of prices at a logbook, then listed our purchase (printed T-shirts and some snacks) and the denomination of money paid in a notebook.

Souvenir handicrafts

Exact change is then dropped in the designated money or “payment” box or drawer.  In the event that change is needed, you can just it get from the box.

In case you need to collect your change, you can press the buzzer for an attendant to assist you.  However, it will spoil the experience.  It also has a few tables where you can sip your coffee and eat your snacks.  A 6.5 min. segment in the 2015 film You’re My Boss, starring Toni Gonzaga (as Georgina) and Coco Martin (as Pong), was shot at this store.

Scene of Coco Martin and Toni GGonzaga shot at the Honesty Coffee Shop

Honesty Coffee Shop: National Rd., Brgy. Radiwan, 3902 Ivana.  Mobile number: (0908) 771-1565.

How to Get There: Ivana is located 13.85 kms.(a 15-min.drive) south Basco. The coffee shop is located near the town’s church and port.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com. 

Ivana Tourist Information Center: 3902 Ivana.  Mobile number: (0947) 541-4100.

Church of St. Antonius of Florence (Uyugan, Batanes)

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Church of St. Antonius of Florence

From Mutchong View Point, it was to be a long 20.1-km. (40-min.) drive to the Honesty Coffee Shop in Ivana. Five minutes into our trip, we made a short stopover at the Church of St. Antonius of Florence near the municipal hall at the town center of Uyugan.

Check out “Mutchong View Point” and “Honesty Coffee Shop”

View of church from the left. Note the pair of step buttresses on the side

The smallest of all the Spanish-era churches in Batanes, this simple church was built in 1871 by Dominican Fr. Fabian Martin (term: 1844 to 1878) and is one of the churches frequented by Fr. Jerry Orbos during his Pilgrimage Tour.

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

This single nave church, also built in the espadaña style, has one segmental arch for a bell (now gone) on the upper portion of its Baroque and Gothic-style façade which is buttressed by massive flat pilasters from the foundation to the top.  

Gothic influences are seen from the gables over the narrow, semicircular arched main entrance, the flanking statue niches and the window (above which is the Dominican Order’s seal with its motto “Veritas”) over main entrance. On the sides are step buttresses that serve as stairways for servicing its then cogon-covered roof.   

The church’s single nave interior

Church of Antoninus of Florence: Brgy. Kayuganan, 3903 Uyugan.  Feast of Antoninus of Florence: May 10.

How to Get There: Uyugan is located 22.2 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from Basco and 11.9 kms. (a 25-min. drive) from Ivana. 

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port (Mahatao, Batanes)

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On our way to Racuh a Payaman, from Chawa View Deck, we passed by the Mahatao Boat Shelter Port just before entering the town proper of Mahatao.  This shelter area, within a man-made cove, is for falowas, tatayas and other small inter-island vessels plying the Basco-Itbayat route as well as those ferrying passengers or construction materials from Basco or Ivana to Sabtang Island, when typhoons hit Batanes.

Check out “Racuh a Payaman” and “Chawa View Deck”

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port

Costing Php130 million (out of the originally estimated Php250 million), it was, at that time, the biggest provincial infrastructure project.  This brainchild of Governor Vicente S. Gato (1998 to 2007), officially called the Diosdado Macapagal-Jorge Abad Sr. Boat Shelter Port, was completed in October 2005 with the special assistance of the Naval Special Operations Group of the Philippine Navy (Gato is a retired Navy captain) and inaugurated on June 25, 2007. The shelter port has since become a popular stop on the South Batan tour.

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port

Mahatao Boat Shelter Port: National Rd., 3901 Mahatao.  Admission: Php50 per pax. Tel: (02) 782-8002.

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kilometers (a 30-minute drive) south of Basco.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Chawa View Deck (Mahatao, Batanes)

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Chawa View Deck

On our third day in Batanes, after breakfast at the hotel, it began to rain when we boarded our van for the 1.8-km. (a 5-min.) drive, along winding roads, to the first stop of our Southern Batan Island Tour – the breathtaking Chawa View Deck (also called Mahatao View Deck or Chanarian View Deck).  The word chawa came from the Ivatan word meaning “cliff.”

Grotto of the Virgin Mary

Upon arrival, we first encountered a grotto of the Blessed Virgin Mary then some concrete benches where one can sit (if it weren’t wet) and have a panoramic view of the West Philippine Sea beyond, the pounding waves below, the rolling green hills and the rugged western cliffs that hug the road to the southern towns.

View from the deck

The cliff also has a steep concrete stairway, with 100 or so steps, that lead down to the sea where you can dip your feet in the cool waters, take additional photos, go fishing or just watch the waves hitting the rocks. During low tide, there is a mini pool.

L-R: Grace, the author and Jandy

We didn’t go down the stairway as climbing back up would be quite a workout and the steps were very slippery and dangerous to step on after the rain. Instead, we simply relaxed, took photos and enjoyed the breeze and the view.

Concrete steps leading down to the shore

Some distance from the view deck, I espied a pair of extraordinary mountain goats defying gravity as they clung precariously off the steep mountain side.

Two mountain goats clinging precariously to the mountain sides.

Chawa View Deck: Basco National Rd., Brgy. Hanib, 3901 Mahatao. 

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) south of Basco.  The viewing deck is located at the top of the Chawa winding road within Mahatao.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

Church of St. Vincent Ferrer (Sabtang, Batanes)

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Church of St. Vincent Ferrer

After our tour of Chavayan Village, we again boarded our van for 8.5-km. (20-min.) drive back to the población to visit the Spanish-era Church of St. Vincent Ferrer.  This church started as a small chapel in 1785.  In 1844, it was rebuilt in lime and stone by Dominican Fr. Antonio Vicente, OP.

Check out “Chavayan Village”

The church’s Baroque façade

In October 1956, after damage by a typhoon, Fr. Gumersindo Hernandez, OP, repaired the campanille and, from 1983 to 1984, Fr. Rafael Carpintero, OP, repaired the interior and replaced the cogon roofing with galvanized iron.

Historical plaque

In 2008, the church, convent and beaterio complex were declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

The massive buttresses at the sides

Like the Basco Cathedral and the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Mahatao, this church has an espadaña-style facade, with two round arches for its two bells on the upper portion of the Baroque façade.

Check out “Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception” and “Church of St. Charles Borromeo”

The church convent

Four massive and broad pilasters, topped by heavy set, urn-like finials, flank the semicircular arched main entrance, at the first level, and the semicircular arched window at the second level.

The church’s interior

The thick walls enclosing the nave, made with stone and lime, are supported by buttresses while, at the back, four round pillars support the choir loft (below which is the baptistery).  A pedestal, with a stone statue of St. Vincent Ferrer, stands a short distance to the right of the church.

The main altar

Inside the church is the original Baroque retablo, with niches for statues of saints, above the high altar.  Made with polychrome and gilded woodwork, it was restored by Fr. Carpintero during the 1983 to 1984 renovation.

Stone statue, of St. Vincent Ferrer, on a pedestal

Church of St. Vincent Ferrer: Brgy. Malakdang (Poblacion) Sabtang, 3904 Batanes.  Mobile number: (0929) 110-2401. Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer: April 27.

How to Get There: There are scheduled 30 to 45-minute early morning boat trips by falowa (round-bottomed boat) from Ivana’s Radiwan Port to Sabtang. The church is located close to the port.

Sabtang Tourist Information Center: Brgy. Sinakan, 3904 Sabtang.  Mobile number: (0929) 226-8055.  E-mail: tourismsabtang@gmail.com.

Provincial Heritage and Tourism Office (PHTO): Mobile number: (0929) 230-5934. Website: www.breathtakingbatanes.com.

The Lighthouses of Batanes

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Naidi Lighthouse in Basco

From Vayang Rolling Hills, it was a longer, 2.7-km. (10-min.) drive to Naidi Hills, another good leisurely warm-up for a Batanes trek with a unique panoramic view of Baluarte Bay, Basco town, Mt. Iraya, the sunset and the rolling hills.

Check out “Vayang Rolling Hills”

L-R: the author, Gelyn, Des, Jandy, Grace, Lorraine and Jun

It also has a magnificent, 6-storey (66 ft. high), conical lighthouse, built in March 2003,  that stands on the same site of Basco’s first lighthouse and the American period telegraph facilities that connected Batanes with the central government until it was destroyed by the Japanese Imperial Army bombings at the start of World War II.

Historical Plaque

An Ivatan stone house, for the caretaker, constructed with stone or rubble masonry and essentially of vernacular architecture, ushers in visitors (a bed and breakfast service is an added amenity).  The round tower is painted white.

Grace climbing the stairs up to the view deck

As the lighthouse door was unlocked, Grace, Jandy and I climbed the 54 steps up to the fifth floor which has a gallery or view deck.

The author, Jandy and Grace at the lighthouse view deck

The navigational lantern of the Naidi Lighthouse

Here, we had a  view of the whole of Batan Island from end to end, with Basco to the south, Mount Iraya to the north, and the West Philippine Sea to the west. On a clear day, one can also have a clear view of Sabtang Island in the south of Basco, Itbayat Island to the north, plus the islets beyond Itbayat.

View of Basco and Mt. Iraya

View of Basco Port

American-era bunkers

This is just one of the three lighthouses (the other two are the Sabtang Lighhouse in Sabtang and the Tayid Lighthouse in Mahatao) proposed by former Congressman Florencio “Butch” B. Abad of Batanes.  It was built, not only as a working lighthouses to guide seafarers across the perilous waters of the West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean, but also possibly as tourist attractions. All three are capped with a red-painted, concrete lantern rooms with narrow storm panes.

Tayid Lighthouse seen from Racuh a Payaman

The much less accessible Tayid Lighthouse, built in 2000, can be seen from Racuh a Payaman and Diura Fishing Village.  It is hexagonal and faces the mischievous Pacific Ocean.  The Sabtang Lighthouse, perched on a cliff, is also round like the Naidi Lighthouse but its main tower is all made with rubble masonry all the way to the gallery deck.

Check out “Racuh a Payaman”

Sabtang Lighthouse

A fourth lighthouse, within Radiwan Port in Ivana, was activated on December 9, 2022.  It has a luminous range of 28 kms. (15 nautical miles) to sea.

Ivana Lighthouse

A fifth lighthouse (Busbusan Lighthouse), started in 2016, can be found right next to the Mahatao Boat Shelter Port.  A sixth lighthouse, at the Port of Valanga in Itbayat Island, is relatively new and rarely visited.  All six lighthouses are maintained by the Philippine Coast Guard, in partnership with the municipalities of Ivana, Sabtang, Mahatao and the Port of Valanga.

Check out “Mahatao Boat Shelter Port”

Busbusan Lighthouse

These were not the first lighthouses in Batanes as two Spanish-era lampposts or farolas, at the church courtyard and the elementary school grounds in Mahatao, were built in 1879 during the term of Dominican Fr. Crecencio Polo (1867 to 1887).

One of two Spanish-era farolas or range lights in Mahatao

These were used as guiding lights to guide fishermen and early mariners, using lighted oil lamps, safely to the anchorage just beyond the town’s seaport.

Farola historical plaque

Naidi Lighthouse: Naidi Hills, Sitio Diajang, Brgy. San Antonio, 3900 Basco.

Busbusan Lighthouse: National Rd., 3901 Mahatao.

Ivana Lighthouse: Radiwan Port, 3902 Ivana.

Sabtang Lighthouse: San Vicente Port, 3904 Sabtang.

How to Get There: Naidi Lighthouse is located northwest of Basco town proper, a few meters away from Radyo ng Bayan station, it can be easily reached by a 1.2-km. (3/4 mile) hike from the Port of Basco. The Sabtang Lighhouse is a short 10-min. walk from San Vicente Port.

Vayang Rolling Hills (Basco, Batanes)

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Vayang Rolling Hills

From Basco town proper, it was just a short 2.1-km. (5-min.) drive to our next destination – the famous Vayang Rolling Hills.  One of the most picturesque sights in the province, it is covered in verdant grass and patches of green trees.  These seemingly endless wave of hills, shaped by water and wind that gave them the undulating look they now have (as if they’re really “rolling”), are a perfect spot to relax and take in the province’s serene and laidback atmosphere.

The author, Grace and Jandy

Aside from the majestic sea of green grass, we also enjoy an unobstructed, beautiful and breathtaking view of the east and west side of Batan Island, with hedgerows (liveng) and Naidi Hills, on the one side, and of the Chadpidan boulder beach below, with waves crashing to the shore.

Mt. Iraya

Beyond is the majestic Mt. Iraya, Sabtang Island, Itbayat Island, and the deep blue West Philippine Sea. We also saw a number of healthy cows freely grazing on the grass in the hills and gentle slopes as many parts of Vayang are farmland (it is also called Vayang Ranch). Truly like Scotland in a tropical setting.

Cows grazing at the slopes

It is suggested that you visit this scenic viewpoint at around 5 PM, when the sun begins to set, as you could see the sky turn a warm shade of orange over the hills and islands.  The concrete road that crosses the site leads to Valugan Boulder Beach, another famous tourist spot on Batan Island.

Check out “Valugan Boulder Beach”

Hedgerows (liveng)

It was so windy that day that we were literally, as well as figuratively, blown away, making it hard to take decent pictures with hair flying all over the place.  Aside from being a favorite tourist destination, Vayang Rolling Hills is also a great place for pre-nuptial photo shoots. 

The West Philippine Sea seen beyond the hills

Vayang Rolling Hills: Songsong-Iraya Rd., Brgy. San Antonio, 3900 Batanes.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Basco, Batanes)

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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Just 110 m. from the Casa Real is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  Also called the Basco Cathedral or the Church of St. Dominic Guzman, this church is the oldest in the province.

Check out “Casa Real“

Established in 1783, it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of Batanes Prelature, and was first built, with cogon and wood, in 1783, by Father Baltazar Calderon and Father Bartolome Artiguez.  It was later destroyed by a typhoon. In 1795, the church was rebuilt in stone by Father Francisco de Paula Esteban.

National Historical Institute (NHI) plaque

The present church was built in 1812 by the Father Nicolas Castaño who shortened the nave.  It 1860, the church was burned and, in 1863, it was reconstructed by Father Antonio Vicente.  In 1891, its roof was replaced with galvanized iron by Father Mariano Gomez.

The cathedral interior

In 1950, the church was refurbished by Bishop Peregrin de la Fuente.  In 2002, it was elevated into a cathedral.  During the July 16, 2000 magnitude 7 earthquake, its façade fell to the ground but, under Bishop Jose Salazar, OP, the cathedral was rebuilt, in its original form, by Father Henry Romero, and completed in 2011.

Altar retablo

The church was built in the espadaña style, with two round arches for its two bells on the upper portion of the façade.  Massive pilasters buttress the church walls from foundation to top.

It incorporates the original front and north walls while the rear and south walls are inside the original ruins.  The church is one of the first limestone buildings to be built under the Spanish regime.  The 2-storey convent, beside the church, was built in 1814 by Father Nicolas Castaño.

The 2-storey convent

Mounted in a monument, on the cathedral’s left, is the 1783 Mission Bell, a gift of King Charles III of Spain which was brought by pioneering Dominican friars Baltazar Calderon and Bartolome Artiguez, on board the packet boat Nuestra Senoña de Carmen, which arrived in Batanes on June 4, 1783 and was first rung, during the first Holy Mass celebrated on the plains of Basco, on June 8 and, later, on June 26, during the formal establishment of the Basco Mission.

Mission Bell of Basco – 1783

On March 2018, it was removed, from the belfry, and replaced by new bells from Holland. The 1783 bell was installed, in a monument funded by the Hermanidad de Sto. Domingo de Basco, and blessed on August 15, 2020.

Church of St. Dominic de Guzman: National Road, Basco, 3900 Batanes.  Mobile number: (0947) 209-6510. Feast of St. Dominic de Guzman: August 8.

How to Get There: Philippine Airlines has one hour and 45 minute flights from Manila to Basco.