Amidst the crashing of waves and the raging seas against the cliffs and the sonorous voices of the winds, lies a serene and majestic place in the northernmost part of the country. The magnificence of Batanes captivated the amazing tandem of filmmakers Adolfo Alix, Jr. and his Co-Director Dave Hukom. They both agreed that this wondrous place is the best location for a powerful and heart-warming love story and it led them to do the film Batanes which was inspired by the place itself.

It was revealed that while Alix was shooting his previous film, Kadin, in Batanes, he got inspired to do a love story set in the place. He learned about Vietnamese and Taiwanese fishermen who sometimes get stranded in the islands during typhoons. He thought that it was the perfect material to explore thus he brought with him the writer, Arah Jell Badayos, who did interviews with the Ivatans and came across a Vietnamese who got lost in the sea and found his way to Batanes and eventually married a local.

The movie Batanes was somehow inspired by that idea. The love story revolves in the character of Pam (Iza Calzado), a woman who decided to give up her urban life in Manila to marry a fisherman, Rico (Joem Bascon), in Batanes. They had an ideal marriage but their happiness was cut short when Rico was lost in the sea leaving Pam in anguish. She wanted to leave Batanes to forget the pains of losing her husband but she decided to stay and face her sorrows.

A storm came and a Taiwanese fisherman, Kao (Ken Chu, a member of F4 and who was known as Xi Men on the popular series Meteor Garden), was cast ashore, almost dead. Pam restored him to health and Kao lived with her. Despite their language barriers and cultural differences, they fell in love.

This film which was co-produced by Ignite Media and GMA Films premiered last December 5. It does not only tell us how powerful love is but it also showcases the splendid views and attractions of Batanes thereby making it known to Filipinos how topographically blessed we are.