Imnajbu, Batanes
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The Birthplace of Christianity in Batanes
Imnajbu, Batanes is the birthplace of Christianity in BatanesBatanes
The Province of Batanes , also called the Batanes Islands, is a Philippine province comprising ten islands that are located in the Luzon Strait between the islands of Luzon and Taiwan...
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Imnajbu is the smallest of the four political subdivisions that comprise the municipality of Uyugan, Batanes. It's also one of the smallest barangays (municipal districts) in all of Batanes and the Philippines. Bounded by Mahatao to the north, Itbud to the southwest, and the Philippine Sea/Pacific Ocean to the east, it's located in the southeast corner of Batan Island (Mainland Batanes).
Much of Imnajbu is rugged country. A range of rocky hills stretches from Itbud to the south and Mahatao to the north. This mountain range cuts the territory or barangay/district in half. West of this range are the low-lying hills, and to the east are the foothills and rugged coastlines.
Nestled in the foothills is the village settlement or the "Borough of Imnajbu" as Imnajbians call it. In the language of the Imnajbian Ivatans, "Imnajbu" means the resettlement to the lowland or downhill, and it goes back to Spanish colonization.
The birthplace of Christianity in Batanes
The apostle of Batanes, Fr. Mateo Gonzales, OP, first landed in Imnajbu in 1682 A.D. when he came to survey the prospects of evangelization in the Batanes Archipelago. It was in the village where on Ivatan soil the first holy mass was celebrated and the first baptism administered, making: Imnajbu - The Birthplace of Christianity in Batanes. Today, Imnajbu is a barangay of the municipality of Uyugan, its patron saint is the first canonized Filipino saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila.
Imnajbu has a population of 100+ (not including the cows). It's seven kilometres from the town proper of Uyugan and twenty-five kilometres from Basco (the provincial capital) through the main coastal highway (Mahatao-Ivana-Uyugan) but fifteen kilometres away through the Interior Road (Mahatao-Imnajbu).
A USCG Loran Station was located in Payapay Commons near Imnajbu Point (Alapad) from the early 1950s to the early 1970s. The station was the equivalent of "middle class" America on Ivatan soil, and it was known as "Little America" to the locals.
A visit to the station was the experience of a lifetime to Imnajbians and Ivatans alike. The station was open to the public and after dinner time it meant joining the Coasties in watching the latest in Hollywood films, day in and day out.
It was "the good life" to country folks, believe it or not.