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Batanes , the smallest province in the country, made up of ten small islands, is the land that time forgot. There are no cinemas, hotels, shops or newspapers and hardly any tourists. It's not easy to get to, but if you persevere you won't regret it. The islands lie off the northernmost tip of the Philippines, 162km north of the Luzon mainland. To say they are different from the rest of the country is an understatement. At times, with its stone houses and windswept hills, Batanes is more reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands than it is of the sunny Philippines. The winter (December-Feb) can indeed get quite cold with temperatures as low as 7°C. However, in summer (April-June) the weather is pleasantly hot. The most economically important islands in the Batanes group are Itbayat , Batan and Sabtang . The other islands are Dequey, Siayan, Mabudis, Ibuhos, Diago, North Island and Y'ami, which is closer to Taiwan than it is to the Philippines. The capital, BASCO , is on Batan. The Batanes landscape is spectacularly rugged and makes for some great trekking and exploring . The province's archetypal stone houses are picturesque in the extreme, as are some of its old colonial churches. Because of its strategic location, the Batanes islands was one of the first points occupied by the invading Japanese imperial forces at the outbreak of the Pacific War. The native inhabitants of Batanes, the Ivatan , trace their roots to prehistoric Formosan immigrants and latter-day Spanish conquistadors. Most still make a living from the cultivation of yam and garlic. Many still wear the suot, a kind of hat made from natural fibres reaching down over the wearer's back, giving protection against both sun and rain. Entertainment is non-existent. Even radio broadcasts from the mainland are garbled. Broadcasts from Taiwan are much clearer, but sadly they are in Chinese. The Ivatan's main dialect is also called Ivatan and includes some pidgin Spanish. It's the only tonal dialect in the Philippines. The best way to get to Batanes is to get on a Laoag International Airways flight to Basco at Laoag International Airport. But don't expect miracles. LIA has just one plane and it only seems to leave if it is full. You could also find yourself hanging around at the airport waiting for the weather to clear. The best time to strike out for Batanes is between December and May. At any other time of year your chances of getting there are slimmer. The only place to stay is Mama Lily's Inn ($5-10) in Basco, where rooms are spartan but clean and the price includes full board. If you take a tent, you can camp on the beach.
governor general bascosherie says "who is governor general basco
" answer...jam says "ans.to who is gov. gen.basco?
He is Jose Basco Y Vargas who implemented tabacco monopoly"
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