Good Practices and Lessons Learned from Experiences in the Asia-Pacific Region
The Ivatans of the Batanes Islands, Philippines
Shaped by Wind and Typhoon: The Indigenous Knowledge of the Ivatans in the Batanes Islands, Philippines Noralene Uy and Rajib Shaw
Extracted and adapted from Hornedo, Florentino H. 2000. Taming the Wind: Ethno-Cultural History on the Ivatan of the Batanes Isles
Abstract The Ivatans of the Batanes Islands have a long history of struggle and adaptation to typhoons, rough seas and meager resources. Regardless of these hardships, the indigenous knowledge embedded in their traditional housing and watercraft construction techniques, as well as their social dynamics, prove successful in the face of these disasters. Their exceptional culture demonstrates the harmonious relationship of the Ivatan people with their environment as a means of surviving and coping with these various ecological stresses.
Background
Then comes the storm that breaks it Then comes the thunder rumbling, Then comes the lightning flaring, And then down pours the heavy rain, But the lightning is my torch, The thunder beats the cadence of my steps, And for my walking cane the rain. - Ivatan Folk Lyric
The Batanes Islands are part of the northernmost cluster of islands in the Philippines. Located between 121° 45’ to 122° 15’ east longitudes and at 20°15’ north latitude, it is closer to Taiwan (only 218 km away) than to the mainland of Luzon. Batanes is the smallest province in the country in terms of population (15,656 in 2000) and land area (230 sq. km.). It is composed of ten small islands of which only three are inhabited, namely Batan, Sabtang and Itbayat. It is bounded by the Bashi Channel on the north, by the Pacific Ocean on the east, by the South China Sea on the west and the Balintang Channel on the south. The climate and topography in Batanes is different from any other province in the country. The weather is rather cool and windy. It has an almost temperate temperature which can dip as low as 7°C. The province is constantly battered by wind, rain and typhoons. It has no pronounced wet or dry season, while it is almost always raining, from a minimum of 8 days a month to 59