NM Batanes Area Museum

The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) restored and retrofitted the former Long Range Navigation (LORAN) Station of the United States Coast Guard for adaptive reuse in 2012, adding a building to accommodate the security personnel.

The former LORAN Station was built in 1953 as a navigational facility that provided an accurate system for defense operations of the US Coast Guard during World War II. The Philippine Coast Guard ran it until December 31, 1971. The Uyugan local government took over the abandoned property and donated it to the NMP in 2012.

The complex is composed of six (6) buildings that used to house the different equipment of the former LORAN:

The building facing the beach, the longest and largest, used to be the mess deck and crew quarters area. It is now the administration office and storage room for the museum collections; and an area will be the exhibition hall where the Ivatan Cultural Heritage will be showcased.

The last structure facing all other buildings was the Captain’s quarters that will later serve as the museum café.