History of Batanes Province!
Centuries before the Spanish colonization, the ancestors of today's Ivatans lived in protected settlements called Idjangs, which were usually defensive positions on top of steep hills. The word "Idjang" was derived from the Ivatan word "Idi" or "Idian" which means home or hometown. The Ivatan tribes are farmers, fishermen, and boat-makers. In 1687, William Dampier, an English buccaneer came to Batanes with a pursuit to claim the islands for the British crown.
In 1685 Dominican missionaries arrived and attempted to Christianize the Ivatans but the efforts were abandoned with the death of two resident missionaries. In 1718, missionaries made another attempt to bring the people of Batanes under the Cross. Missions directed from the island of Calayan in the Babuyan Group were sent to Batanes to urge the residents to resettle in the Babuyanes.
In 1782, Philippine Governor General Jose Basco Vargas explored the area in search of tobacco-growing regions and later sent an expedition to undertake the formalities of getting the consent of the Ivatans to become subjects of the King of Spain. On June 26, 1783, Joseph Huelva Melgarjo became the first Governor of Batanes. The new province was named Provincia dela Concepcion. Governor Basco was named "Conde dela Conquista de Batanes" and the capital town was named after him.
Batanes was made a part of Cagayan towards the end of the Spanish era . But during the American regime it again became a separate political unit. During the Pacific war Batanes, because of its geographical location, was among the first areas of the Philippines to be occupied by Japan.