Most of us are just aching to take a breather amidst all the stress brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic.
But in Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines, the locals’ way of life is a breather in itself and it’s going on peacefully as usual as captured by photographer Opal Bala in his aerial shots.
Image credit: Opal E. Bala
The aerial view of Sabtang, for example, shows a town lying quietly across the sea and surrounded by green hills.
Image credit: Opal E. Bala
A lone fisherman with a basket on his back seems to go about his usual routine on the shores, probably catching shellfish he can later sell in the local market.
Image credit: Opal E. Bala
Waves are captured in sharp detail in the photograph, so we’re now dreaming of a future when we can safely surf and swim again.
Image credit: Provincial Government of Batanes
Meanwhile, the Multi-Commodity Organic Farm run by the Provincial Government of Batanes located in the famous Naidi hills of Basco is also shown in Opal’s aerial shots.
Various agricultural technologies can be seen scattered across the hills and on the left, the words “Batanes, Go Organic” are spelled out by what look to be live plants.
Image credit: Provincial Government of Batanes
Started in 2018, this farm aims to keep a constant supply of quality food for the province’s people using organic methods. It also follows the Ivatan community’s traditional farming system, which relies on organic methods of pest control rather than on artificial fertilizers.
For outsiders curious to learn more about this organic farm, we’ve heard that it will be open as an agro-tourism site open to visitors soon.
Batanes has always been untouched by the hustle and bustle of urban living. And as the aerial photographs show, the province’s traditional ways of living show the world the beauty that can be found in simple ways of living with nature.
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Cover image credit: Opal E. Bala, Provincial Government of Batanes
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