This photo of Batanes is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Beyond the northern tip of Luzon is the mountainous Batanes, Home of the Winds, and the Philippine’s smallest province, both in land area and population. Flanked by the Pacific Ocean on the east and the South China Sea on the west, the islands are lashed by gale-force winds six months of the year. Between July and September, the islands are hit by typhoons quite frequently. The Batanes are bleak and inhospitable from July through December. Rains and cold winds often continue through February, but from March through June, the islands transform into a veritable paradise when the winds are calm and the sea smooth. Buildings have been structured accordingly – the residents live in low dwellings with massively thick walls. A roof net is used to hold down the roof in typhoons.

The islands’ original inhabitants were probably a mixture of Malay…