Irreplaceable Batanes

List of outstanding qualities which make Batanes truly unique

Breathtaking landscape. The spectacular quality of the Ivatan landscape, which has outstanding scenic aesthetic natural qualities, whose dramatic patterns and features have been the setting adapted by Ivatan people through centuries.

Preserved values. The isolation and remoteness of the islands have helped preserved its natural and cultural values. This has reinforced the unspoiled character of the place.

Acclaimed resilience. The vivid story of the Ivatan endeavor is living evidence of centuries of sustainable survival, largely based on limited agricultural and marine food resources.

Cooperative systems. Ivatan's interaction with nature has always been guided by harmony. This has yielded outstanding sustainable land-use practices that are largely based on the Ivatan cooperative systems. They have helped to maintain a diverse species and ecosystems;

Traditional architecture. Authentic and intact Ivatan traditional villages with architecture of indisputable cultural significance demonstrating centuries of sustainable existence, but, which has recently experienced a declining state of conservation, primarily caused by limited natural resources and external influences;

Rich History. The wealth of archaeological sites that demonstrate the oldness of a culture that date as far back the Austronesian and Neotlithic migration and occupation.

The overall existing landscape and culture manifest the Ivatan's response to his challenging environment. It is a heritage that bears witness to both a vanished and living culture. The Ivatan's resilience to inhospitable surroundings, and the precarious traditional ways of life that it is presently experiencing in the light of inexorable social and economic development puts the place in its current vulnerable position.