Honesty Stores are unique symbols of the trust-based Ivatan culture. These small roadside shops operate without cashiers - customers select their goods, note purchases in a notebook, drop money in a box, and take their change from a coin dish. Since the first store was established in 1995 by Jose and Elena Gabilo, these stores have never been robbed - a testament to the honesty of Batanes residents. In 30 years, the original store has never experienced theft, reflecting the islands' virtually non-existent crime rate.