Racuh a Payaman

From the Chawa View Deck, it was a 6-km. (15-min.) drive, passing by the Mahatao Boat Shelter Port, to Racuh-a-Payaman (meaning “big pasture”), one of the most visited tourist attractions in the island.  By the time we arrived, the rain had already stopped and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

Check out “Chawa View Deck” and “Mahatao Boat Shelter Port”

L-R: Grace, the author, Jandy, Lorraine, Junior, Lourdes and Gelyn

Located at Mahatao’s outskirts, it is also called Vayang (“rolling hills”) or Japarao but is more popularly called the “Marlboro Country of Batanes,” a referral derived from a 1968 Marlboro cigarette TV advertisement, mainly because of the rolling hills of limitless, velvety grazing grassland where cattle, carabao and horses are aplenty.

Grazing cattle

This huge track of communal pastureland, preserved by the villagers, have fields often typically hedged with tall rows of reeds, trees, cogon grass or piled stones.  These hedgerows serve as some sort of windbreaker, protecting the crops against the harsh winds and typhoons.  They also help prevent soil erosion.

The site is protected by the NIPAS Act (a law securing the proper use of protected lands in the country) and the Batanes Protection Act of 2000 (a law stipulating a Batanes as a cultural heritage and ecotourism zone). Therefore, the protection of the environment is strictly enforced in the area.

A cone-shaped islet

A large part of this area is occupied by the Cattle Raisers Association of Communal Pastureland No. 1, the oldest and most intact group in Batanes, with management ensuring that equitable access and distribution of the benefits derived from the grazing land.

Jandy doing a jump shot

From the top of the hills, the view here is nothing short of spectacular.  We had a clear, picture-perfect view of the rugged coastline below, with cliffs plummeting down to Diura Beach and a cone-shaped islet, the Pacific Ocean on the horizon, Tayid Lighthouse, crested on an opposite hill, to the north, Mt. Iraya on the far north, and the Dingo island close by.

Tayid Lighthouse amidst hedgerows 

It is also a nice venue for landscape photography and kite flying. For dining, there’s Maconines Canteen which serves local dishes such as uvud, mahi-mahi, vunes, lunis and Batanes lobsters.

Marconines Canteen

Racuh a Payaman was also featured in the 2015 film You’re My Boss, starring Toni Gonzaga (as Georgina) and Coco Martin (as Pong). Here, Georgina and Pong were taking lots of selfies as the day was coming to a close.

The author befriending a cow

Racuh-a-Payaman: Brgy. Uvoy, 3901 Mahatao.

How to Get There: Mahatao is located 13.4 kms. (a 30-min. drive) south of Basco. Located just between Mahatao and Imnajbu in the east-central Batan Island, this pastureland can be reached by tricycle from Basco Airport or Basco Town Proper. You can also hire a tricycle for a tour of South Batan, which includes a stop at Marlboro Country.

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.