Batanes marks 221st founding anniversary

BASCO, Batanes — This country’s northernmost and smallest province marked its 221st founding anniversary, highlighted by a nine-day, nine-stopover, 26-kilometer religious procession with novenary Masses along the way, which culminated yesterday.

The religious procession started from this capital town and stopped over in the southernmost community of Imnajbu last June 17.

From there, the image of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the province, together with the image of the patron saint of every community where the procession stopped over, was moved every 4 p.m. to the next town.

The procession traced the route taken by the early Spanish missionaries when they first arrived in 1686 to spread Christianity in this part of the Far East.

From Imnajbu, the next stopover was Barangay Itbud, three kilometers to the west of Imnajbu. Then it moved on to Sitio Songsong, Uyugan and Ivana towns, Barangay San Vicente, Mahatao town, Barangay Chanarian and finally this capital town.

Arriving in each town, a holy Mass was celebrated. This was followed by a cultural presentation of native dances and a food festival.

Batanes was established as a province on June 26, 1783, when Lt. Gov. Joaquin del Castillo arrived and formally inaugurated the Catholic mission in this town.

Batanes, which boasts of its almost untouched picturesque landscape and seascape, is home to 13,000 Ivatans and 2,000 "Ipula" — migrants from other parts of the country.

Situated 800 kilometers north of Manila and 145 kilometers south of Kaoshiung, Taiwan, it is reached by air transportation from Manila, Laoag City or Tuguegarao City.