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| Barangay (Municipal District) of Imnajbu |
| Imnajbu Country |
| Imnajbu is the smallest of the four political subdivisions that comprise the municipality of Uyugan. It's also one of the smallest barangays 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, Imnajbu is no more than 10 nautical kilometres from Basco, the provincial capital, across the aquatic-rich Bays of Madi in Mahatao and Valugan in Basco. 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 |
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| prospects of evangelization in the Batanes Archipelago. It was in the village where the first holy mass was celebrated on Ivatan soil 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 through the coastal highway. It's fifteen kilometres away from Basco through the interior highway. A USCG Loran Station was located in Imnajbu near the Itbud border 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. - vbc |