There is, in fact, such a place in the Philippines: the remote village of Chavayan on the island of Sabtang in Batanes. Home to about 200 residents, Chavayan is where stone houses — most built o ...

The stone houses with thatched roof bear testimony to the human zeal for innovation. Back in Manila, the Batanes winds are still whistling past my ears. As we ring in another new year, I long for ...