In Mahatao, the town next to Basco, there lies San Carlos Borromeo, a 19th century built church painted in opalescent white which houses a secret in its seemingly storage room — a library filled with rows of hardbound books with blank pages.
As initiated by the Asian Public Intellectuals Fellowship of The Nippon Foundation, the library aims to encourage visitors to write and contribute something that will trigger not just a think habit but also a do attitude.
The room is almost empty but it is filled with details in every corner: blank shelves on the other side, a blackboard, a chair, a table, an old drum set, and some religious artifacts. There is also a blue painted door under one of the shelves plus a note saying it is a restroom, but it is locked at the time of our visit. Then there is also stairway leading to a sofa set and probably some rooms tucked deep within the second floor.
Open for visitors everyday, some of the books here are filled with prayers, appreciation, rants, and one’s deepest desires, all written in different languages.
How’s that as a chance to leave something in the beautiful and peaceful island of Batanes? Surely, it is a little haven that’s just waiting to be filled.
What an interesting concept. It must be fascinating to read what others have written before you. Do they group the writing into categories, rants, poems etc or is each book a mismatch? Your photographs are beautiful too.
very interesting! and you get to leave a piece of you there! So nice!
that is crazy cool! Don’t know whether to describe it as a speakeasy of diaries or the hidden bunker of Farenheit 451 to protect books!
Maybe someday I will visit and I will definitely leave my thoughts and prayers in one of those blank books. I’d love to visit the Philippines someday! Thanks for sharing!
Now that is a novel concept. To invite visitors to write and leave their memories behind. Did you get to read what the others before you have written?
Really a unique idea… not something I would have ever imagined. I also like how the old world charm of this building. A lovely intiative.
What a unique concept to share your thoughts and ideas in public. I am actually impressed on the thought of utilising an old church building for something so cool. Beautiful captures of the place, hope I can visit this place someday.