Mavulis Island

Mavulis Island is the northernmost of the Batanes Islands and the northernmost island in the Philippines. It is part of the archipelagic province of Batanes. The island is uninhabited, but it is garrisoned by the Armed Forces of the Philippines which constructed a shelter for local fishermen, a water desalination plant, a helipad, lighthouse, and a flagpole on the top of the hill on the island considered as the northernmost flagpole in the country. Mavulis Island is much closer to the Taiwanese mainland than the Philippine mainland of Luzon itself. The southernmost point of Taiwan Cape Eluanbi is about 142 km away, while the northernmost tip of Luzon mainland (Maira-ira Point, Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte) is about 200 km away. The nearest Taiwanese territory is the Orchid Island group, with the uninhabited Lesser Orchid island just barely 98 km away. Alternative names Older Batan natives also called the island Dimavulis or Dihami, meaning "north" in Ivatan. By some members of the Spanish colonial government it was called Diami, and it is known as Yami or Y'Ami on most American colonial-era maps of the Philippines. The latter should not be confused with the aboriginal Yami of Taiwan who live on islands farther north beyond Philippine territorial limits, but are geographically, culturally and linguistically related to the Ivatan people. The island is also called Amianan, meaning "north" in Ilocano. Geography The island is part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc, and is located 141 km (88 mi) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan's main island and 98 km (61 mi) to the nearest Taiwanese island, the "Lesser Orchid Island". The distance to Luzon is 288 km (179 mi). The island is 2.2 km (1.4 mi) long and up to one kilometre (0.62 mi) wide. The highest point, Y'Ami Hill, is 219 metres (719 ft) high. The island is rocky on the coasts but covered in lush vegetation, including mangrove, vuyavuy palms and other native shrubs. Coconut crabs are found on the island in large numbers. Development In 2016, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command pushed for the establishment of a Marine detachment on Mavulis Island to affirm Philippines' sovereignty over the northernmost point of the archipelago. The Marine detachment was opened in 2018, with a fisherman's shelter completed in 2019 and turned over to the local municipality for maintenance and operation. In May 2021, the Department of Defense of the Philippines announced the electrification of the island through a solar power station, with a back-up diesel generator. This was done through the help of the One Meralco Foundation. The DND also announced the commissioning of a desalination plant to provide potable water to personnel assigned to the island. In October 2023, the Armed Forces of the Philippines inaugurated a new naval detachment as headquarters for military troops on the Island. "This island underscores the strategic importance of this detachment. It serves as our watchful sentinel in the northernmost beaches of our maritime borders, ensuring the security and sovereignty of our homeland," Fernyl G. Buca, AFP Northern Luzon Command said. In 2024, there had been plans of upgrading several civilian ports in the Batanes Island chain, including Mavulis Island, to accommodate the unloading of more cargo from Manila and as preparation for possible contingencies that may arise should Filipino workers in Taiwan would repatriate in the event of a China-Taiwan conflict. Mavulis Island itself has been one of many frequent locations for the joint US-Philippines military training exercises called Balikatan held annually. Gallery See also Extreme points of the Philippines Desert island List of islands References External links Media related to Mavulis Island at Wikimedia Commons