by Rhoel Fernandez, Choose Philippines Editor-in-Chief



 



From Batan Island, Day Two of the 2012 Batanes Summer Media Tour saw our group headed to neighboring Sabtang Island for an overnight stay.



Morning
We left the Batanes Resort shortly after 6am via rented van and it took us around 15-minutes to reach the small port in San Vicente on Batan Island’s southwest coast.  While waiting  I decided to eat the pre-packed breakfast that the resort prepared for us (I couldn’t find any utensils so I went down to the dock where I washed my hands before digging in to some longsilog ( a combination of cured, sweet tasting sausage, garlic rice and fried egg) and washed down with lukewarm C2 apple-flavored iced tea .   I made sure to dispose of my trash in one of the nifty bins  made from green plastic netting one can find all over the towns.



There was a slight delay as we waited to board. A fisherman walked by me with a fresh catch of the day- a 3-feet long dorado (also known as the mahi-mahi) still on it’s line and hook.



Our ride to Sabtang was a falowa, the traditional boat Ivatans used for inter-island traffic. Our vessel was full of tourists who arrived in the same Seaair flight we took the previous day.  Unlike the bancas that are found all over the Philippines, the falowas have rounded bottom hulls which made it easier to roll with the really strong waves in this part of the Philippines that would easily sink a traditional outrigger. Despite the summer season, the waves were a bit strong in the middle of the channel during the trip- the horizon was doing yo-yos and many a prayer was prayed by the passengers.



Forty-five minutes later the ferry arrived in Centro. We proceeded to the Tourism Information Center where we registered our names and left our kit at their guesthouse where we would spend the night.  The place had a clean bathroom with running water and electric fans.



After everyone had freshened up, we boarded a jeep for the tour of Sabtang. Many travel guides note that this island offers a more “pure” example since Ivatan culture is relatively intact when compared to larger Batan.



Here is what I saw during our morning tour from Centro to the town of Chavayan:
• There are still good examples of traditional (earthquake-proof) Ivatan houses in the town of Savidug. They are made of volcanic stone and coral houses and topped with bushy cogon roofs that despite the summer weather are continually cool (as   evidenced by moss growing on the walls. We were told that a cogon roof can last up to 50 years). Sadly we noticed that there were a number of dilapidated houses and that new construction was gradually replacing the old houses which badly needed repairs.  Construction is expensive since wood, cement and other materials are imported from Manila and Ilocos and the once common coral fossils are no longer allowed due to environmental concerns.



• Lime Beach – Just outside Savidug is a beach that had pits where locals prepared lime that they used to bind stones together for construction and for painting buildings, usually churches.  Despite the heat, the lime found in the holes in the ground was cold to the touch and had a soapy feel to it.



• South of Savidug is an Idjang, a stone fortress on top of a grassy hill dating back to pre-Hispanic times. During tribal wars or pirate raids, early Ivatans would hide behind the umijang’s walls until the danger has passed.
• Chamantad Tinyan – You better make sure you bring your camera to one of the most beautiful places in Sabtang is the Vinan Viewpoint in this sitio. I felt like it was a visual combination of those Old West scenes, a golf course and Hawaii.  I was awestruck by the panorama before me. Careful since the farther you leave the road (the vista will definitely make you) the slopes get steeper leading to the beach and the winds are pretty strong.
• Four km from Savidug is Chavayan – a picturesque town that has been nominated to be a World Heritage site because of its well-preserved traditional Ivatan architecture.  Along the road we stopped for some fresh buko. We also tried the pleasant tasting tubho or medicinal tea and the palek- a REALLY strong sugarcane wine.  We also got to talk to Marcelo Hostallero, who at 105 is the oldest person in Batanes.  He shared how he met and befriended 6 Japanese soldiers after he was the only person left in his village after all the others fled to the mountains. He used to build houses and boats while still makes handicraft products and even delivers babies.  When asked about his secret to longevity he said he just eats fish, vegetables and root crops plus drinks coconut juice and tubho everyday.

Afternoon
• Following a one-lane road to a beachside lunch at the Pananayan Canteen. We had a sumptuous lunch of payi (lobster with squash and stringbeans in gata); ginisang upo (sautéed white squash); chicken adobo with pineapple; seaweed soup; steamed bass;  buko juice in the BIGGEST coconut shell I have ever seen! Dessert was toasted sweet bucayo; after the meal lunch you can laze by the quiet Morong Beach with its unmistakable natural arch. 
• Our tour of the island ended in the quaint  fishing village of Nakanmuan. For some reason, visiting Chinese have nicknamed it  “Little Hong Kong” – the reason of which eludes Kuya Nhards, our cheerful guide. There were lots of houses that had fish being dried on bamboo poles. lots of sloping streets above the water. A short walk past the town takes you to a peaceful cove where a massive rock formation lies across can be seen across the water.



After our tour of Sabtang we decided to call it a day and returned to Centro for dinner and for some rest. We found out electricity is turned off from midnight to 6AM. I was too tired to notice.  =)