Mavulis Island
Mavulis Island is the northernmost of the Batanes Islands and the northernmost island in the Philippines. It is part of the province of Batanes. The island is uninhabited but it is guarded by the military. It is also frequently visited by local fishermen (mostly from Itbayat and Basco) for fishing adventures. The island has a newly constructed military and fishermen shelter, a water desalination plant, a helipad, lighthouse, and a flagpole on the top of the hill in the island. The island also hosts the northernmost flagpole in the country. This island is closer to the Republic of China than the capital Manila, at 733 km away from Manila, and 142 km to the southern-most tip of the R.O.C's domain. 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 that 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 southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan's main island and to the nearest Taiwanese island, the "Lesser Orchid Island". The distance to Luzon is . The island is long and up to wide. The highest point, Y'Ami Hill, is 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. Gallery See also Extreme points of the Philippines Desert island List of islands References University of Georgia - a webpage on the Yami of Taiwan Islands of Batanes Uninhabited islands of the Philippines