Itbayat, officially the Municipality of Itbayat, is a municipality in the province of Batanes, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
The municipality is the country's northernmost municipality, located from the southernmost tip of Taiwan.
By land area, the main island of Itbayat is the largest in Batanes. The municipality includes the rest of the province's northern islands, all small and mostly uninhabited. These islands are, from south to north: Di'nem Island, Siayan, Misanga, Ah'li, and Mavulis Island, the northernmost island of the Philippine archipelago.
History
Between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago, a wave of animist-polytheist Austronesians arrived on Itbayat and became the ancestors of the island's people. Torongan Cliff is home to the Torongan Cave, which the island's ancestors used as their abode. The early people of the island also established the sacred Axurud, the oldest stone tomb in Batanes.
A church and civil government were established in Batan Island in 1783. In 1855, civil authority was established and the mission canonically founded in Itbayat. A settlement during the Spanish colonial period, it became a municipal district when the Americans organized the province in 1909. Finally, in 1935, it became a municipality.
On September 14, 2016, Typhoon Meranti (Ferdie) made landfall on Itbayat while at peak intensity, as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon, with the eye passing directly over the island. During landfall, the storm's powerful winds caused extensive damage and knocked out the island's communications systems.
On July 27, 2019, a series of destructive earthquakes, the largest of them being recorded to be magnitude 6.0, caused severe damage around the town. Nine people died as a result, and sixty were injured.
In 2024, Barangay San Rafael hosted the April 14 to June 6 Balikatan exercise involving the construction of humanitarian, logistics and disaster relief warehouse at Sitio Kagonongan, a supply depot area at the San Rafael National Food Authority warehouse and an American physician’s assistant station and lodging facilities for American soldiers at Itbayat District Hospital.
In May 2024, the Philippine Coast Guard opened its first monitoring station in northern Luzon, located in Itbayat island, as part of efforts to monitor the entry of foreign vessels particularly from China.
The following month, in June 2024, the 51st Engineer Brigade' 513th Engineer Construction Battalion and United States Army, with Batanes LGU, Governor Marilou Cayco and Mayor Sabas C. De Sagon, led the dedication ceremony for a 10x8-meter concrete logistical structure, Humanitarian assistance and Disaster response relief goods warehouse, part of 'Exercise Salaknib'.
Geography
thumb|280px|Physical map of Itbayat
Itbayat is located at .
The municipality has a land area of . It constitutes of the total area of Batanes.
Islands, islets, atolls and outcrops
The entire municipality of Itbayat consists of several islands, islets, atolls, and outcrops.
- Itbayat Island, the largest of the group is where the administrative center is located.
- Di'nem Island is located southeast of Itbayat island. It has the largest land area out of all the uninhabited satellite islands under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Itbayat. It is an extinct volcano that peaks at 550 meters above sea level with steep terrain, a dense jungle cover, and boulder beaches.
- Siayan Island is the first uninhabited island north of Itbayat. Its name is derived from the Itbayaten word for separate, referencing its separation from the main island of Itbayat.
- A'li Islet lies next and south of Ditarem island and north of Siayan island. It consists of rock formations, a shoreline, and a small hill covered with grass in the center.
- Ditarem Island located after A'li islet. Notably, it is the only satellite island with a documented live stream, making it a favorable grazing location for the locals of Itbayat. Its name is derived from the Itbayaten word for sharp, referencing the island's sharp and jagged borders.
- Misanga Island Second to the last island north of Itbayat and located near Mavulis. Similar to Di'nem Island, it is a protruding rock and is mostly covered by trees and some grassland. Its name is derived from the Itbayaten word for branched, referencing the island's branched peaks.
- Mavulis Isand, the northernmost of the Itbayat group under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Itbayat. It is the northernmost point of the Philippines and is the last territorial island bordering Taiwan.
Barangays
Itbayat is politically subdivided into five barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Climate
Itbayat has cooler temperatures from December to February due to its northerly location and the effects of the northeast monsoon.
Demographics
In the 2024 census, Itbayat had a population of 2,937 people. The population density was .
Economy
Fishing
In 2024, Batanes's first municipal tilapia hatchery was inaugurated in Barangay Raele.
Government
Local government
Itbayat belongs to the lone congressional district of the province of Batanes. It is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive, and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election held every three years.
Elected officials
{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.20em; font-size:100%;"
|+ Members of the Municipal Council<br>(2025–2028)
|-
! Position
! Name
|-
| Congressman
| style="text-align:center;" | Ciriaco Gato Jr.
|-
| Mayor
| style="text-align:center;" | Joseph Cultura
|-
|Vice-Mayor
| style="text-align:center;" | Jesie Estoy
|-
|rowspan=8| Councilors
| style="text-align:center;" | Gershom Gato
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Ernesto A. Castillo
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Jonel Villa
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Joel Velayo
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Dyan Gutierrez
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Edgar Garcia
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Carlo Ponce
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | Dindin De Guzman
|-
|}
Education
The Schools Division of Batanes governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. The Itbayat Schools District Office governs the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality.
Primary and elementary schools
- Itbayat Central School
- Mayan Elementary School
- Yawran Barrio School
Secondary schools
- Itbayat National Agricultural High School
- Raele Integrated School
Tourism
- Siayan Island: the nearest island to the north of Itbayat. It has beaches accessible by a one-hour ride by motorboat from Itbayat (depending on sea condition).
- Di'nem Island: this volcanic island is located east of Itbayat. It features boulder beaches with towering cliffs used for mountain climbing.
- Rapang Cliff: A natural park with a ringing mushroom-like rock. It is believed to have been used by the ancient settlers to call a meeting.
- Mount Riposed: One of the two major elevations (aside from Karaboboan) that have been the foundation of Itbayat Island. Situated in the south-eastern part of Itbayat has an elevation of that offers views of the island.
- Mount Karoboboan (Mount Santa Rosa): The other extinct volcano of Itbayat Island is in the island's northern half.