Sabtang

The Spanish missionary, Father Artiquez, first visited the island of Sabtang in 1786^[7] after receiving an affirmative response from the islanders to learn about the Christian faith. The success of the first visit led to two more evangelical trips resulting in the baptism of 181 children and the study of catechism among the adult natives. The evangelization of Sabtang was cut short due to the failing health of the Spanish missionaries. For this, the inhabitants of Sabtang remained faithful to old traditions, especially in the administration of justice by vendetta and murder.^[7]

In 1791, the then most powerful chief in Sabtang named Aman Dangat showed defiance of the government of Governor Joaquin del Castillo by killing the Spanish soldiers who went to Sabtang to procure supplies. Lieutenant Tomas Nuñez led the troops to capture the rebels. Aman Dangat was put on trial and allegedly admitted to the crime. While a religious Spanish recorder later claimed that Aman Dangat asked to be baptized, there is no evidence to substantiate this assertion. The inhabitants of Sabtang were then forced to resettle in San Vicente and San Felix in Ivana to be better controlled by the Spanish colonizers.^[7]

Some forty years after the resettlement, the Sabteños were allowed to visit their native island. Gradually, these visits allowed them to build homes in their erstwhile land. The government allowed this to happen on the condition that houses should be constructed in the lowlands.^[7] To sustain the spiritual care for the Sabteños, a new mission was opened in Sabtang in 1845 under the patronage of Saint Vincent Ferrer, with Father Antonio Vicente as its first vicar. Father Vicente is credited to have built the Sabtang Church, together with a convent, a school, and a courthouse.^[7]

Sabtang is located at 20°20′06″N 121°52′19″E.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 40.70 square kilometres (15.71 sq mi) ^[8] constituting 18.58% of the 219.01-square-kilometre- (84.56 sq mi) total area of Batanes.

In the 2024 census, Sabtang had a population of 1,774.^[17] The population density was 44 inhabitants per square kilometre (110/sq mi).

Poverty incidence of Sabtang

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]}

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.^[27] The Sabtang Schools District Office governs the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality.^[28]

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  Chavayan in Sabtang Island
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  San Vicente Ferrer Church
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  An Ivatan woman wearing a vakul inside a stone house
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  Nakabuang Arch in Morong Beach