Intro

One of the earliest eyewitness accounts on the Ivatan is that of the British buccaneer William Dampier in 1687. Geographic The Batanes group of islands is the northernmost province of the Philippines. It is located between 121 45' to 122 15' east longitudes, and at 2015' north latitudes. The Ivatans are found chiefly in the Batanes group of small islands. Most of them are on the islands of batan, Sabtang and the Itbayat. Batanes is closer to Taiwan than to the northern tip of Luzon. Of the 10 volcanic islands composing the province, only three are inhabited. The province has a total land area of 230 km, the country's smallest .The province is hilly and mountainous, with
only 1,631.50 hectares or 7.10% of its area level to undulating and 78.20% or 17,994.40 hectares varying in terms from rolling to steep and very steep. Forty two percent (42%) or 9,734.40 hectares 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 20-70 meters above sea level, with no shorelines. Sabtang on the other hand, 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. 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. Travel Time

The distance from Manila to Batanes is 659 km or 410 miles. A typical flight between Manila to Batanes would have a flying time of about 50 mins. This assumes an average flight speed for a commercial airliner of 500 mph, which is equivalent to 805 km/hr or 434 knots. Your exact time may vary depending on wind speeds Climate Batanes is classified as having Type A climate, a pleasant semi-temperate climate. The Ivatan (people of Batanes) recognize two seasons: rayun (summer), which lasts from March to May, amian (winter) from November to February. Kachachimuyen are the rainy months for the rest of the year, except for a brief spell of warm weather (dekey a rayun) in the two weeks between September and October. History The Batanes group of islands came in late into the folds of Spanish colonial power. That ended on June 26, 1783, Not that the Ivatans were conquered on the day but June 26 marked the beginning of the process of eventual conquest. Ironically, June 26 is being celebrated by the entire province as Batanes Day (Foundation Day).

The people William Dampier described the people as "short, squat people: generally round visaged, hazel eyes, small yet bigger than Chinese (hazel eyes are light reddish brown, usually flecked with green or gray); low foreheads; thick eyebrows; short low noses; white teeth; black thick hair, lank that is worn short, just covering the ears, cut round, very even; and very dark, copper-colored skin." Population The 1990 census of the National Statistics Office reported a total population of 15,026, an increase of 24% over the 1980 population of 12, 091. These were distributed on the six municipalities with 38% residing in Basco, 23% in Itbayat, 12% in Sabtang, 11% in Mahatao, and 8% both for Uyugan and Ivana.
The population of Batanes, as of May 1, 2000, stood at 16,467 persons. This was higher by 1,441 persons or 9.6 percent compared to the 1990 figure or almost twice the population of the province in 1903. The population of Batanes declined at the rate of 1.1 percent annually during the first half of the nineties but grew at the rate of 3.25 percent per year from 1995 to 2000.

Language The people call their language Chirin nu Ibatan, but it is better known as "Ivatan". Its dialects are the northern (Basco), Itbayat (Itbayat Island), the southern (Sabtang Island),

Education Batanes have a literacy rate of 95% higher than the national average of 93%. Culture and Traditions No other cultures in the Philippines have mastered the rages of the seasonal typhoons as the Ivatan. Their culture is a product of long history of struggle and adaptation to typhoons, the rough seas, and meager resources. It exemplifies the harmonious relationship of people with their environment. Food and Production. Small islands usually have limited carrying capacities. The seas are hospitable only for a few months (March, April, May) every year. Flying fish (dibang) and dolphinfish (arayu) fishing are the highlights of the fishing season. The meager resources taught the Ivatan to scrimp on every resource that they have. They do not waste food or anything. Food security of the household is a continous concern of every household. The scarcity of resources produced food patterns unique to this culture. They have uvud (banana stalk pith), vunes (dried taro stalk), kudit (dried cow, carabao, or pig skin), lunyis (pork cooked in its own fat) as insurance against unexpected food shortages. They are also masters of recycling; few things go to the garbage dump. They are also excellent farmers producing most of the food that they need, especially rootcrops like yam (uvi, dukay), sweet potato (wakay), and taro (sudi). Each household is oftentimes self-sufficient

enjoying a considerable degree of independence. Chickens, goats, and pigs are occassional protein sources. Cattle are raised mainly for cash but also slaughtered during festivities. Garlic is the other cash crop. Most recently, the Ivatan started to depend on rice, supplied by the National Food Authority from Luzon, as their staple instead of the usual rootcrops. Religion. Today, the Ivatan are basically Catholic. Their religious devoutness can be attributed to the persistent and dedicated works of the early Dominican priests. However, there are a growing number of other Christian denominations especially in the capital town. Regardless of this, the Ivatan still believe in the influenceof the world of the anyitus (ghosts or soul of dead ancestors. Although they do not worship them, they conduct rituals and offerings to appease or placate an anyitu. Kinship. The family is still the strongest social unit among the Ivatan. Extended families are still widely accepted among many Ivatan households. Because of the constant threat from the elements, the Ivatan has to rely on its close family ties or kinsmen (kalipusan) and friends for support. "The family concept developed a networking system based on blood relations, kinship, so that marriages across subtribes and those from other territories expanded this network. These relations, by tradition, were constantly cultivated through visits , sharing whatever produce, catch, animals were available; attendance and participation in family celebrations and gatherings. It was bad manners not to pay a call to a kin, if one were in the neighborhood. Strengthening these ties was so important." Other cultural markers of the Ivatan. Payuhwan and yaru are work groups that until now are the mainstays of community and farm work. The vakul is also distinctly Ivatan. It is a woman's headgear that covers the head and back keeping the wearer cool during the long hours of work in the field. The Ivatan's tataya is another cultural marker. Unlike any other boats all over southeast Asia and Oceania, the tataya is closer to the European boat-making tradition. Tataya (an Ivatan dory, a
smaller boat usually with twin oars), the faluwa, (Ivatan boat, usually motorized as is pretty common with most boats in Batanes now and can accommodate 20-40 people and in some instances cattle and livestock.The uvud and vunes (mentioned earlier) are the greatest food extenders that challenge any

discriminating palate. The ritual and festivities associated with uvu planting cannot be found anywhere else in the Philippines. The mayvanuvanua ritual to open the fishing season of dibang (flying fish) and arayu (dolphin fish) is only found among the Yami of Orchid Island in Taiwan. They have the palu-palu (traditional dance),ururan (grinding stone), chayi and natu (fruits), kalusan (work songs), laji (ancient lyrical songs) and their passion for alcohol is proverbial. The list will be endless the longer we learn and understand the Ivatan culture.

House Type: IVATAN Environmental Situation: Slope of cliffs and villages built along the sides and tops of rocky hills of Batanes Island Architectural Analysis: 1. Plan- Ivatan houses stand directly on the ground to withstand strong winds or typhoons. The dwelling is made up of two houses the rakuh (big house) consists of the living room and sleeping quarters and the kusina (kitchen) 2. Structural Elements the walls made of lime and stone, is sometimes embedded with wooden reinforcements in order to resist the effect of a strong earthquake. The reinforcements run from the base up to the roof frame. 3. Protective elements- the gable roof is covered with thick thatch roof of cogon. The cogon thatch is heavily fastened to the rafters by means of several layers of clipped reeds and rattan. As additional protection to the roof, a net made of strong rope is placed over the whole roof area. The net is fastened to strong pegs or large stones which are half buried in the ground all around the house. 4. Circulatory Elements- doors and windows are provided in the rakuh but the wall facing the direction of the strongest winds are left solidly closed.

Ivatan houses were built small and low, their sides made of small posts not more than 1.4 meters high. These houses had ridgepoles, which were about 2.1 to 2.4 meters long. A fireplace was built at one end of the house. They had simple wooden boards place on the ground to lie on. The houses were built close together in small villages. Cogon Grass (Imperata cylindrica) was the main roofing material. To close the sides of the hut, cogon and sticks were used. Occasionally, the walls were made of stones held together by fango, a kind of mortar formed by mixing mud with bits and pieces of cogon. Cal y Canto, Ivatan traditional house of stone and mortar. (Late 18th 19th century) lime was used as a building material when the Spanish authorities brought in stonecutters and masons from Luzon. With the knowledge of processing lime for building, the Ivatan was able to construct a main house. The fourth windowless wall confronts the direction of the strongest typhoon winds as the house is oriented north-south Wooden post-and-lintel frameworks are implanted in the walls. The 1-1.2 meter thick cogon thatch, vuchid, precipitously slopes down and is heavily fastened onto a ceiling with many layers of small, polished reeds and rattan to support to support the rafters and beam. Galvanized Iron for the roof was introduced during 1890s followed by concrete and cement, in the following decades steel reinforcements were used. However because of the high cost and unavailability of concrete and G.I Sheets, production of native lime in kilns continued and the Ivatan preferred cogon roofs.

The ivatan house is designed and built not only to withstand the battering of the most severe of storms, sea sprays, gusts, and rains but also to withstand high intensity earthquakes. Despites its being a an austere, box-like and stone-and-lime structure with a four sided cogon roof that slopes to the ridge, is cool during hot weather and quite warm in the season of heavy rains.