Batanes In My Mind
Armida Siguin-Reyna
Producer, Reyna Films
(From the 217th Batanes Day Anniversary Souvenir Programme)

A view from Paderes, far background is Mt. Iraya (photo: BatanesOnline.com)

Batanes is so many things in my mind.

It is music, for we had done several episodes of Aawitan Kita there.

It is family, for it was one of its old churches that I prayed for my son Dodie to pass the bar examinations.

It is film, for it was there that we shot a great part of Reyna films' initial offering Hihintayin Kita sa Langit.

It is a love story, for it was there that Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta first fell in love.

There is an Aawitan Kita episode entitled Batanes Alaalang Sulit Balikan, and indeed there is no phrase more worthy of the beautiful place, a dot on the map just above the island of Luzon where God must have put his finger to rest while planning out the rest of the Philippines.