Ivatan people-batanes-and-traditions

1. IVATAN

2. PEOPLE
• The indigenous people of Batanes, called the Ivatan, have led a
tranquil life in an isolated island for generations. Situated in the
Cagayan Valley region, Batanes is an idyllic, virtually untouched
province in the northernmost part of the Philippines where the
Ivatan culture is very much alive.

3. ORIGIN
• Little is known about the Ivatans' prehistoric origins apart from
being an Austronesian group related to the neighboring Ilocano
people. The third largest ethnolinguistic group in the country.
They have occupied the islands long before the arrival of the
Spaniards and lived in fortresses called "idjang". The Ivatans
speak an Austronesian language called Chirin nu Ibatan, also
called Ibatan, Babuyan, or simply Ivatan. It is one of the Batanic
languages and is characterized by the dominant use of the letter
"v."

4. PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
• One of the earliest accounts of the Ivatan is that of the British
buccaneer William Dampier in 1687. Dampier described Ivatans
as: Short, squat people; hazel eyes, small yet bigger than
Chinese, low foreheads, thick eyebrows, short low noses, white
teeth, black thick hair, and very dark, copper-colored skin.
Ivatans also have strong mixture of the short type of the
Mongols, and there are some individuals who seem to have
some physical characteristics peculiar to the Ainus of Japan.

5. BATANES

6. 13 FACTS ABOUT BATANES
1. It is the smallest province in
the Philippines The
northernmost province of
the Philippines has a total
land area of 230 km. It is
located between 121° 45′
to 122° 15′ east longitudes,
and at 20°15′ north
latitudes.

7. 2. Batanes is made up of 10
volcanic islands But only three
are inhabited. These are Batan
(where the provincial capital of
Vasay (Basco) is located),
Sabtang, and Itbayat. Ivuhos
island, lying about a kilometer
and a half cast of Sabtang, has a
handful of families tending
cattle. While the other
uninhabited islands are Yami,
North, Mavudis, Siayan, Di-nem
and Dequey.

8. 3. There’s almost zero crime rate
in the province That is why
Batanes is known to be one of
the most peaceful provinces in
the Philippines. Because of how
honest and kind Ivatans are,
they even have an “Honesty
Coffee Shop” where people buy
goods even without the staff to
attend to it. Our Batanes facts
list will not be complete without
this.

9. 4. Ivatans still perform the age-
old fishing tradition
Kapayvanuvanua One of the most
interesting facts about Batanes
that every traveler should know is
about the Kapayvanuvanua. They
perform the ritual before fishing
for arayu (dolphin fish), a food
staple in Batanes, by offering
animal sacrifices to spirits of the
sea to bless them with safe and
bountiful fishing season. Fishing
for this prized fish is only done
during summer, between April to
May.

10. 5. Closer to Taiwan than to the
northern tip of Luzon Distance
of Taiwan from the
northernmost islet of Batanes is
218 kilometers while Manila to
Batanes is 500 kilometers.
Usually, airfares going to
Batanes are more expensive
than traveling to foreign
countries.

11. 6. House of Dakay is one of the
only five structures that survived
1918 earthquake in Batanes
Built in 1887, the 133-year old
House of Dakay is considered to
be the oldest traditional Ivatan
stone house in Batanes. The
traditional Ivatan stone houses
made of stone and lime with
cogon roofs could withstand
the strongest typhoon.

12. 7. Basco lighthouse location
used to be the site of the
American period telegraph
facilities Among the interesting
facts about Basco Lighthouse is
this. It was the site of the
American period telegraph
facilities that connected Batanes
with the central government
until it was destroyed by the
Japanese during World War II.
Some buildings survived and
some have been converted to
Bunker’s Café.

13. 8. You can’t simply buy a land or
property in Batanes Unless
you’re an Ivatan or you marry
one. According to locals, only
Ivatans can own a property in
Batanes because the entire
province is declared by law as a
protected area and also covered
by the Indigenous People’s
Rights Act, which recognizes the
province as the ancestral
domain of the Ivatans. This is
one of the surprising facts
about Batanes.

14. 9. Vakul and Kanayi are not
made purposely for fashion
Made from shredded leaves of
voyavoy or Philippine date
palm, Vakul is a headgear worn
by women while Kanayi are
vests worn by men. Locals use
these to protect themselves
from the sun and rain especially
when they are farming. While
modernity is noticeable in the
province, some Ivatans still use
these gears to preserve the
culture and tradition.

15. 10. Blowing your horns in
Batanes is encouraged While
blowing horns in other places is
not allowed unless it’s an
emergency, in Batanes, it’s even
encouraged to avoid accidents
because there are many curved
roads. Hence, “Blow Ur Horn”
signs are normal sights in
Batanes.

16. 11. Bayanihan is still alive in Batanes
Bayanihan (uniting to help one
another) is one of the most important
values in the Philippines especially
during the olden times but since time
passed and technology is rising
affecting our culture, traditions, and
values, bayanihan is slowly fading
away. But in Batanes, it lives on up to
this day! When Ivatans find out that a
neighbor is fixing a house or
preparing for a special occasion, the
community will help that person
without questions asked nor any
expectations in return. No wonder
they are dubbed as the kindest
Filipinos!

17. 12. Ivatans have a traditional
way of serving food And it’s
called vunung. They wrap the
meal on Kabaya leaves. Usually,
these are served on special
occasions like weddings where
people help hand in hand in the
preparations without
compensation.

18. 13. The local government gives free
food to everyone on Batanes Day Like
any other festival in the Philippines,
Batanes holds a weeklong festival to
celebrate its foundation day but the
most awaited event is every June 26
where street dance performances and
other sports competitions are held.
But not only that, because on this day,
the local government gives free food
to everyone may it be locals or
tourists! Usually, there are around
four to five trucks loaded with
Vunungs and people would line up
for it after the main event and they
would all eat together at the plaza for
the “community lunch”.

19. TRADITIONS
• The Ivatan's culture have been largely influenced by the climate of
Batanes. Due to severe climatic disruptions to their agriculture,
Ivatans have developed numerous successful strategies to protect
their food supply and way of life.
• Traditionally, because of frequent typhoons and drought, they plant
root crops able to cope with the environment. These crops include
yam, sweet potato, taro, garlic, ginger and onion, as they ensure
higher chances of survival during awry climate conditions. The Ivatan
study the behavior of animals, sky color, wind and clouds to predict
the weather. Ivatans usually gather their animals and stay in their
houses when they see that the cows take shelter from
the payaman (communal pasture) and birds taking refuge in houses
or in the ground. A pink sky with an orange hue also heralds a storm.

20. • The culture of the Ivatans is partly
influenced by the environmental
condition of Batanes. Unlike the old-
type nipa huts common in
the Philippines, Ivatans have
adopted their now-famous stone
houses made of coral and limestone,
designed to protect against the
hostile climate.