Mavulis Island is the northernmost of the Batanes Islands and the northernmost island in the Philippines. It is part of the province of Batanes. The island is uninhabited but it is guarded by the military. It is also frequently visited by local fishermen (mostly from Itbayat and Basco) for fishing adventures.
The island has a newly constructed military and fishermen shelter, a water desalination plant, a helipad, lighthouse, and a flagpole on the top of the hill in the island.[1][2][3]
The island also hosts the northernmost flagpole in the country.[3]
This island is closer to Taiwan than the capital Manila, at 733 km away from Manila, and 98 km to the nearest Taiwanese territory (uninhabited Hsiao-lan-yu island (Lesser Orchid)), and 142 km from Cape Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan mainland.[not verified in body] The distance to Taipei is 272 miles (473 km).
Alternative names
Older Batan natives also called the island Dimavulis or Dihami, meaning "north" in Ivatan. By some members of the Spanish colonial government it was called Diami, and it is known as Yami or Y'Ami on most American Colonial Era maps of the Philippines. The latter should not be confused with the aboriginal Yami of Taiwan that live on islands farther north beyond Philippine territorial limits, but are geographically, culturally and linguistically related to the Ivatan people. The island is also called Amianan, meaning "north" in Ilocano.
Geography
Map including Mavulis Island (labeled Y'ami Island) (AMS, 1950)
The island is part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc, and is located 141 km (88 mi) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan's main island and 98 km (61 mi) to the nearest Taiwanese island, the "Lesser Orchid Island". The distance to Luzon is 288 km (179 mi). The island is 2.2 km (1.4 mi) long and up to one kilometre (0.62 mi) wide. The highest point, Y'Ami Hill, is 219 metres (719 ft) high. The island is rocky on the coasts but covered in lush vegetation, including mangrove, vuyavuy palms and other native shrubs. Coconut crabs are found on the island in large numbers.
Development
In 2016, the Armed Forces of the PhilippinesNorthern Luzon Command pushed for the establishment of a Marine detachment on Mavulis Island to affirm Philippines' sovereignty over the northernmost point of the archipelago. The Marine detachment was opened in 2018, with a fisherman's shelter completed in 2019 and turned over to the local municipality for maintenance and operation.[4][5]
In May 2021, the Department of Defense of the Philippines announced the electrification of the island through a solar power station, with a back-up diesel generator. This was done through the help of the One Meralco Foundation. The DND also announced the commissioning of a desalination plant to provide potable water to personnel assigned to the island.[6]
In October 2023, the Armed Forces of the Philippines inaugurated a new naval detachment as headquarters for military troops on the Island. "This island underscores the strategic importance of this detachment. It serves as our watchful sentinel in the northernmost beaches of our maritime borders, ensuring the security and sovereignty of our homeland,” Fernyl G. Buca, AFP Northern Luzon Command said.[7]
In March 2024, "The plan to construct a US-funded civilian port in Mavulis Island, developed in coordination with the Philippine military, aims to accommodate fleeing Filipino workers in Taiwan in the event of a crisis" Governor Marilou Cayco said. Toribio Adaci Jr. added that "the country needs to further improve its capabilities and boost its protection against possible threats of conquest or invasion." The United States Army will arrive in April to discuss the possibility that new facility could be an alternative to island’s western side.[8]
Gallery
Aerial view of the island, 1935
Sec. Delfin Lorenzana leads a toast of the water produced by the desalination plant at Mavulis Island.
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