I shut my eyes for a few seconds to take everything in and somehow commune with the lurking good energy that’s been a constant since our first day in Batanes. As my lids come to a full open, I realize that this sight is beginning to look like the last one I saw. Breathtaking still and easy on the eyes but not a whole lot different from the mishmash of hills, glimmering water and the seemingly unending horizon we’ve been seeing for days now. But somehow, I can pinpoint why this place continues to entrance me.

I’ve always been told that Batanes is beautiful. And I presently bang my head in exaggerated agreement with a mental amen. Yet I find it distressing to narrate how beautiful it is for fear of falling short in encapsulating the magic I see in the place.

Batanes is way beyond a postcard-worthy scene or an inspiration for a canvas. It isn’t merely the Switzerland of the Philippines or the place upon where Marlboro country stands. It’s definitely more than a far flung group of islands with a dormant volcano that erupted to procure a beach so uniquely striking due to the tons of boulders amassing its shoreline. It surpasses its charm of housing some of the most unique local artworks and masterpieces I’ve seen, be it in the form of towering lighthouses or a simple rice dealer’s storage space. And it’s more than a series of spots tourists amass for jump shots by an arresting sun down or daunting selfies while inside an elusive Japanese hideout.

I find Batanes rather beautiful for its honesty stores. And the people buying from honesty stores. Because these are the very people who made one wake up one day thinking that a shack of a livelihood will thrive in this kind of place.

Batanes is beautiful for its stone houses not only due to their story book-esque facade. What makes an Ivatan house beautiful is the numerous months spent building it. And the willingness of Ivatans to put hard labor into their neighbor’s house because they know that the cogon will serve as shelter that would house them both on stormy and blazing days for the next 30 years. And the evident protruding veins of aged Ivatans from stacking a limestone block on top of another to house their families and have something to call home. They help build other people’s houses without expecting anything at all. Perhaps a warm Ivatan beam and a gratified heart will always suffice for them.

The fact that there are not enough rooms to house a massive herd of tourists is peculiarly worthy of a firm salute. There’s nothing more enticing than a place shrouded with oxygen shared with more cattle than people. And the Vayang Rolling Hills will always be better off looking dapper in its green cloak with minimal trails from wandering feet.

What makes Batanes beautiful is the constant warmth I’ve been feeling from the time we were picked up from the airport. The place is so unpretending and it need not be because its true form is what makes it astonishing. Batanes feels like home. And by home, I literally mean our house – the one I live in with my mom and brother. Only this is a gargantuan playing field with way more people than my clan from both sides combined. I say this because home will always be my safety net. It’s a place where I can harmonize with people I trust and at the same time a shelter where I can choose to be alone and still be at peace.

What makes Batanes captivating is its people and their stories. I met Aling Matel and Tatay Francisco and I will always remember the conversations I shared with them. This is what I can truly take with me wherever I go: a small part of each person I cross paths with.

Life is not always about rainbows and butterflies and fluff. As much as I constantly work my way toward that which makes me happy, numerous moments of being stuck in a rut or feeling lonely and angry are inevitable. After all, I’ve never believed utopia to be attainable.

But somehow, Batanes makes me trust in the innate goodness of people. It’s an indication that a life of revelry is still out there somewhere; that our faith in humanity can be restored. That happiness will never be entirely achieved with a materialistic mind. Batanes has instilled in me that there will always be a ton of reasons to visit a place beyond its sights.

Batanes will always be beautiful and it’s not very difficult to see why.

*Some photos by Dijo Songco