If you go to Batanes and see the Rakuh-a-Payaman, you will be totally blown away – both literally and figuratively. The green pastures and the rolling hills are like soft velvet cushions. On the other hand, the winds are harsh and hostile, so you might get a bit scared when climbing up the slopes. You also have a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean, bearing in mind that you are on the edge of the largest ocean in the world. Being on top of the Rakuh-a-Payaman, also called Marlboro Country because of their resemblance, is an experience you can’t miss when you travel to Batanes.
Rakuh-a-Payaman literally means “great pastureland.” It is used as a communal pasture where cattle and horses are free to roam and graze. The villagers have a community management scheme on the payaman because they don’t have big ranches there. This cooperative system reflects the Ivatan’s way of life – people are very close-knit and they even have specific terms for different community activities such as kapanidungan (house construction or roof maintenance) and mataw (cooperative fishing and ritual passage to the sea).
Just like the wind blowing wildly and freely, the animals being herded there are also untamed. If you’re trekking up the hills, you should stay on the path made for tourists and not get close to undomesticated cattle. The animals are usually on just one side of the area, so you can do anything you want on the vast open space around you.
Yes, you can just enjoy the peace and stare in amazement into the wonderful sight before you. But you can also run along the hills and shout on top of your lungs and no one will notice. You can do cartwheels or just roll down the hills, if you want. Again, you can do anything short of trashing the place. In Rakuh-a-Payaman, you will experience total freedom.
There is also one amazing feature that you can see from the hills – the hedgerows that make a quilt-like pattern on the landscape. These hedgerows are short trees and shrubberies that are part of the agricultural system in Batanes. Since the place is frequently visited by strong winds and heavy rains, the hedgerows serve as the main protection of the crops growing there. They also help prevent erosions and become habitats of birds and small animals.
Rakuh-a-Payaman is very postcard-worthy. The view of the vivid green hills that slope down to meet the astonishing blue ocean is the quintessential snapshot of all of Batanes. Actually, these hills have already witnessed a lot of movie and advertisement shoots. It is just fair to say that no camera can capture the true beauty of this place, so you have to see it for yourself.
Batanes have a lot of undiscovered and underrated places in its vicinity, and Rakuh-a-Payaman is just one of them. I recommend that you visit the place at Batan Island before a hoard of tourists crowd in there, or before Mother Nature takes its toll.
How to Get There
From Manila, you can take a flight going directly to Batanes by Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR). You can also take a flight from Manila to Laoag by Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Zest Airways, and Air Philippines. From Laoag, take the SkyPasada or Batanes Airlines flight going to Batanes. Another way to go to Batanes is a 12-hour land trip from Manila to Laoag, and then take the Skypasada or Batanes Airlines.