Banton
(Jones) Town, Romblon Province, Region IV, Philippines
Banton island is a
teardrop located almost in the center of the Philippines. It is
one of the 20 islands and islets of Romblon Province popularly
known as "marble country." Banton island however is
"stone country." its name derived from
"batoon" which means stony. A local poet opined that
Banton island has three principal products: stone, coconuts, and
children.
Banton island was one
of the earliest barangays mentioned by Miguel Loarca in his
Relacion de las Islas Filipinas in 1582. Banton pueblo was
created in 1622. In 1635 a decree by Bishop Pedro Arce of Cebu
committed the island and the province to the Recollect Missionary
Friars for "further evangelization." Fr. Virgil
Fabriquel in 1985 wrote: "Expert artisans planned the
engineering foundation and architecture of Banton church ."
Its altar, which is constructed of pure molave hardwood, might
still be one of the last remaining representations of Filipino
baroque in the Philippines.
Fray Agustin de San
Pedro "el padre capitan" in 1644 started the
construction of Banton's church, convent and fort. to protect the
inhabitants from Muslim piracy. "Muralla" or thick
walls surrounded it. A bulwark was constructed in Onti hill
manned by sentinels twenty four hours a day. Legend has it that
when Muslim pirates raided the town, the pueblo's patron saint
St. Nicholas De Tolentino led the defenders in repulsing the
attacks.
The name Banton was
changed to Jones in 1918 in honor of Rep. William Atkinson Jones
from Virginia, the author of the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916.
However in 1959, Bantoanons lobbied in congress to have the name
of its town reverted to Banton. It appeared that so many towns in
the Philippines were named after Rep. Jones that it created a
problem in the post office. For example, mails intended to Jones
(Banton) would find its way in Jones, Isabela, in Luzon island.
It is believed that the
earliest inhabitants of Banton were the Ayta (Negrito) and
Mangyan tribes in the hills of Guyangan, Mainit, Tinaya, Bakoko
and Kagata. A boatload of Bicolanos abandoned by Muslim pirates
in Guyangan intermarried with the natives followed by the Ilongos
and Tagalogs. From the Bicolanos, the Bantoanon tribe learned how
to say "namomoot ako sa imo" which means "I love
you."
The 1990 census shows a
little over seven thousand souls in Banton and has been on a
decline since 1980. Without any industry to nourish a population
increase, some families would seek greener pastures in Manila,
Palawan, Mindoro, Mindanao and abroad. The Faigao clan which has
over 125 members in North America and Canada is a classic example
of the pioneering spirit of the Bantoanon tribe.
Where is Banton island?
You' ll probably need a magnifying glass to find it in a map.
However, it's located in the center of a Philippine map -south of
Marinduque island and north of Simara island.. Or, find Mindoro
island first then move your fingers to your right and there it is
- Banton island.
How do you get there?
Either car or bus from Manila to Batangas; catch a ferry boat to
Calapan, Mindoro; car or jeep to Pinamalayan then outrigger
motorboat to Banton island. By plane, from Manila to
Gasan,Marinduque; jeep or car to Buenavista; outrigger motorboat
to Banton. Or, to Tugdan airport in Tablas island; car or jeep to
Calatrava; outrigger mnotorboat to Banton. These trips take
almost a day from point of origin to destination. Or. from Manila
by the big outrigger boats that occasionally go to Banton. But
the trip might cost you from 18 to 24 hours!
Or, go bigtime.. Hire a
helicopter and it takes only an hour and fifteen minutes from the
Manila domestic airport!
You should skip Banton
if you're not the "roughing up" kind of person. Banton
island has no running water, no movie theaters, no public
library, no museums, no restaurants, no cars nor jeepney - ad
infinitum. The island has electricity, over two dozen motorbikes,
has beautiful secluded coves with a few meters of sandy beaches,
has stones big and small, coconuts, betel nuts, buyo leaves,
coconut crab, and click here: Seashells and Fish in Toctoc's
Coral Reefs.. But the island has its people - a people rich in
stories.
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