| Jurisdiction: | Territorial Prelature |
| Batanes | |
| Border: | Catholic |
| Latin: | Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis |
| Local: | Prelatura Teritoryal ng Batanes Prelatura Territorial de Batanes |
| Coat: | Prelature of batanes coat of arms.svg |
| Coat Size: | 150px |
| Country: |  Philippines |
| Coordinates: | 20.4509°N 121.9695°W |
| Metropolitan: | Tuguegarao[1] |
| Territory: | Batanes |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
| Rite: | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral: | Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception |
| Area Km2: | 784 |
| Population: | 18,867 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Catholics: | 17,795[2] |
| Catholics Percent: | 94.3 |
| Bishop: | Danilo B. Ulep |
| Bishop Title: | Prelate |
| Metro Archbishop: | Ricardo L. Baccay |
The Territorial Prelature of Batanes (in Latin: Praelatura Territorialis Batanensis) is a Latin Church pre-diocesan, non-missionary jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao[3] on Luzon island in the Philippines. The Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral is the episcopal seat of the territorial prelate, in Basco, Batanes. The current bishop-prelate is Danilo B. Ulep.
The prelature was erected on 30 November 1950 as Territorial Prelature of Batanes Islands and Babuyan / Batanen(sis) et Babuyanen(sis) (Latin), on territory split off from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila. On 29 June 1951 it became part of the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia. It became suffragan of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, its mother see on 21 September 1974. On 6 February 2002 renamed Territorial Prelature of Batanes / Batanen(sis) (Latin adjective).
The silver crescent symbolizes the Immaculate Conception, the titular of the principal church in the prelature. The North Star together with the constellation of the Ursa major denotes that the prelature covers the northern-most part of the Philippines. Cattle is the most important export product of Batanes and Babuyan Islands hence the bull on pasture. The agitated sea symbolizes the dangerous waters between these islands.[4]
| Ordinary | Period in Office | Coat of Arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Peregrin de la Fuente Nestar | 2 July 1951 Appointed- 14 May 1966 Death | ||
| 2. | Mario de Leon Baltazar | 18 Nov 1966 Appointed - 1995 Resigned | ||
| Bishop-Prelates | Period in Office | Coat of Arms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jose Paala Salazar | 25 Apr 1996 Appointed - 23 Nov 2002 | ||
| 2. | 13 Sept 2003 Appointed - 20 May 2017 Retired | |||
| 3. | 20 May 2017 Appointed– Present | |||