The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

7. WH inscription and challenges to the survival of community life in Philippine cultural landscapes
Augusto
Villalon
The Batanes archipelago of islands, located in the
northern Philippines, has been nominated as a
World Heritage Cultural Landscape. One of 11
Category V Protected Landscapes and Seascapes
in the country’s protected area system, it is rich in
natural values, including many endemic species,
as well as cultural values, such as its architecture,
which is unique to the region. Augusto Villalón
evo lutionary story of the Batanes archipelago. When viewed in their entirety, the series of
properties tells the Ivatan story.
The pre-history of Batanes begins with volcanic activity 8 million years ago that raised the
islands from the sea, eventually permitting the development of endemic flora. Migratory birds,
fishes and turtles followed, and finally humans, all funnelling through Batanes as the first step
in their migratory journey from the Asian mainland to Southeast Asia, continuing onwards to
the South Pacific. Archaeological evidence from the end of the Pleistocene documents the
passing of humans through Batanes who originated from points north of the islands in their
spread throughout Southeast Asia. Archaeological evidence proves that early Ivatans lived in
citadel-villages carved into the highest mountain-tops for protection. Spanish colonists arrived
in the 17 th century, converted the Ivatans to Christianity and replaced mountain villages with
coastal towns. They changed traditional grass architecture to mud and stone construction,
finally introducing lime as a building material in the late 18 th century. They also introduced
western town planning to Batanes, the most remote location in the Philippines and the farthest
flung outpost of the vast Spanish empire.
The existing landscape and culture manifest the Ivatan response to this demanding environ -
ment, as seen in outstanding natural formations, endemic species and man-made interventions
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