Basco, officially the Municipality of Basco (Ilocano: Ili ti Basco; ), is a 5th class municipality and capital of the province of Batanes, Philippines. In the 2020 census, it had a population of 9,517 people. Basco is the most populous town in Batanes and it is located on Batan Island, the second largest among the Batanes Islands, the northernmost islands of the Philippines. The town has a domestic airport, Basco Airport, serving flights from Manila, Tuguegarao, and Itbayat. The Basco Lighthouse is one of the landmarks.

Etymology

The town is named after Capitán General José Basco, who led the pacification and conquest of the islands during his term as governor-general.

Geography

The municipality has a land area of 49.46 km2 constituting 22.58% of the 219.01 km2 total area of Batanes.

Barangays

Basco is politically subdivided into 6 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. The sitio of Diptan was converted into a barrio, known as San Antonio, in 1955. Also in the same year, the sitios of Coral, Hago, Tuva, Diojango, Canalaan, Honaan and Dimnalamay were converted into the barrio of San Joaquin.

Climate

Basco has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). Compared to cities down south such as Laoag or Manila, it has a slightly cooler temperatures especially during the winter months due to its northerly location. Unlike these two cities whose hottest months are April and May, Basco has its warmest temperature during the months of June and July, similar to Taiwan.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, Basco had a population of 9,517. The population density was undefined PD/km2.

Economy

Government

Local government

Basco, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Batanes, 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 which is being held every three years.

Elected officials

Transportation

Basco is accessible by air from Manila via Basco Airport. It is served by PAL Express at present. The other airlines previously operating at Basco Airport have stopped their operations after the COVID 19 pandemic, except for SkyPasada via Tuguegarao Airport in Cagayan. These airlines are the only two airlines available for air travel as of 2024. Planes from Basco Airport are bound to only three places: (1) to Manila, served by PAL Express; (2) to Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, served by SkyPasada; and (3) to Itbayat Island, an island municipality of Batanes Province.

Telecommunication

Mobile and internet services are primarily provided by telecom companies such as Smart Communications and Globe Telecom.

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 office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.

Media

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TV