MUSEUM FOUNDATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.
Sabado sa Museo Lecture Series
Batanes: Where Nature and Culture Coexist
A Talk by Augusto F. Villalon
16 February 2013 / Saturday / 2:00 pm
Museum Foundation of the Philippines Hall
nd
2 Floor National Art Gallery, National Museum
P. Burgos Avenue, Manila
Batanes is where the interaction of nature and man has shaped not only the environment, but the culture
as well. Closer to Taiwan than Luzon, the Batanes archipelago is at the northern tip of the Philippines.
Its landscape, language, traditions, and lifestyle reflect the rugged, typhoon-swept environment that the
Ivatans live in. Because of their challenging environment, Ivatans have traditionally been self-reliant,
community-oriented, and respectful of each other. Isolated Batanes is rich in archaeology. Found on the
islands are prehistoric boat-shaped burial markers similar to Viking graves, remains of mountaintops
terraced into settlements called ijangs, among other artifacts like ancient pottery and jewelery, proving a
rich pre-Hispanic existence on the islands. The individuality and uniqueness of the Batanes landscape,
seascape, and culture have made the archipelago a candidate for nomination to the UNESCO World
Heritage List.
Augusto F. Villalon is on the Advisory Committee of ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and
Sites) in Paris. As President of its Philippine Committee, he actively participates in World Heritage
missions around the world for UNESCO, and does heritage and cultural tourism projects internationally.
His firm, A. Villalon Architects, does architecture, heritage conservation, and cultural tourism projects in
the Philippines and other countries. Aside from having authored a number of books on heritage and
architecture, he is a columnist in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Lecture fee with museum entry: Php 150 for MFPI Members, Senior Citizens and Students; Php 200 for
the General Public
Kindly fill out the reply form below and fax to 404 2685 / 523 9692 or email to
inquiry@museumfoundationph.org. You may also text/call 697 9509, 0949 3338211 (Elvie) or 0927
8484680 (Mae) to reserve slots.
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