When US troops converged on the Batanes islands, just 150 kilometres from Taiwan, locals were convinced it was the beginning of World War III.
As American troops converged on the Batanes islands in April, locals rushed to grocery stores.
“Our problem is this,” Villa said. “If China would invade Taiwan there would be great consequences in our place because we are so near to Taiwan.”The US Marines and Army soldiers were only in Batanes for training drills with their Filipino counterparts. It was part of an annualBut internet coverage is poor and miscommunication led residents to fear that war was breaking out over Taiwan and their homeland would become collateral damage.
With rolling green hills, volcanoes and an untouched coastline, Batan’s scenic landscape is one of its great appeals.The quiet, peaceful lifestyle is another attractive attribute for locals. One of the three islands in Batanes province that are inhabited – there are 10 islands in total – the narrow streets of its commercial centre Basco are mostly devoid of the hustle and bustle one might expect elsewhere in the Philippines.
“They can overcome any kind of adversity. They can rise up against any kind of misfortune. That’s something I have seen in them,” he said.“They are God-fearing, of course, deeply religious. They put God at the centre of their lives. Basically, they are simple people. They can survive without the usual comforts you experience on the mainland. They live a very simple life [and] they have a sense of community. They tend to support and help each other.
Back then, Batanes’ greatest external threat was illegal poaching by Taiwanese fishermen and Castillejos pushed successfully for the region to be declared a protected environmental area.He was unsuccessful, though, in his efforts to persuade Manila to back the construction of a deep-sea port that he believes would now be very useful in the current geopolitical climate.
Closed in 1971, these days it is a museum showcasing Ivatan culture. With the American outpost long gone, the only permanent security position now is north of Batan on Mavulis, an otherwise uninhabited, 2.2 square kilometre island less than 100 kilometres from Taiwan.There, at the farthest end of the Philippine archipelago, a small contingent of about two dozen marines and police serve on six-month rotations.
Caccam said the planning includes developing the capability to erect a “tent city” to accommodate thousands of refugees – there are 150,000 Filipino workers alone in Taiwan – and facilities for extra food and water provisions.Credit:“First, [there is] the repatriation of Filipinos in Taiwan going home. Of course, they will use Batanes as the transit point,” he said. “So if Batanes is a transit point we will have a lot of refugees. Our first concern is the food, water.
“It’s not the first time the Balikatan exercises have come here for different purposes, not only because of the Taiwan dispute. We have been helped by the United States.” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos jnr was on hand to witness US-Philippine military drills in Zambales in April.It is a message emphasised by the US. Its embassy in Manila said at the time the locations of the sites were announced that they were to support interoperability with the armed forces of the Philippines, and were not about a third country. US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson has also said “everything that we do in the Philippines is at the invitation of the Philippine government”.
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