The Province of Batanes is the northernmost and the smallest province of the Philippine Republic, both in terms of population and land area. The provincial capital is Basco.
The province is composed of ten islands, called the Batanes Islands, located about 162 km north of the Luzon mainland in the Luzon Strait and is part of the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Of this island group, the largest and only inhabited islands are Itbayat, Batan and Sabtang.
Political Subdivisions
Batanes has six municipalities, 29 barangays and a lone congressional district. The six municipalities are Ivana, Uyugan, Mahatao, Basco, the capital and the island municipalities of Sabtang and Itbayat.
Language / Dialect
The mother tongue of Batanes is Ivatan, spoken by 93.94 percent of the total households. Ilocano dialect is also spoken. Filipino and English are also generally spoken and understood.
Economy
About 75% of the Ivatans are farmers and fishermen. The rest are employed in the government and services sector. Garlic and cattle are major cash crops. Ivatans also plant camote (sweet potato), cassava, gabi or tuber and a unique variety of white uvi. Sugarcane is raised to produce palek, a kind of native wine, and vinegar. In recent years, fish catch has declined due to the absence of technical know-how. Employment opportunities are scarce. Most of the educated Ivatans have migrated to urban centers or have gone abroad.
Location Map
