History

The folklore of the Tawi-Tawi Samals holds that the seafaring people came from the Malay Peninsula. The links with the rest of Southeast Asia are very strong and these contacts have helped shape the culture and the history of the islands. Tawi-Tawi claims the distinction of being the earliest home of Islam in the country. In 1380, Sheik Karim ul-Makhdum established the first mosque on Philippine territory, in Simunul. Makhdum’s tomb in Sibutu continues to be revered by Philippine Muslims. From the time of the Sulu Sultanate’s inception in the 14^th century, Tawi-Tawi had traditionally been part of its realm. During most of the Spanish period in the Philippines, Tawi-Tawi remained free of western intervention. In 1882, the Spaniards made their first attempt to control the island group by establishing a garrison on the island. They withdrew from the islands at the close of the century as a result of the Philippine Revolution.

The Americans established control over the islands and incorporated Tawi-tawi into the province of Sulu in 1914. Parts of the Tawi-Tawi islands were repurchased from Spain as a consequence of omissions in the Treaty of Paris. Sibutu and Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi were bought for an additional $100,000. In 1948, when the Turtle Islands were returned to the Philippines by Great Britain, they were constituted as part of the island group. The islands remained part of Sulu until 1973 when the province of Tawi-Tawi was created through Presidential Decree No. 302.

Tawi-Tawi was incorporated into an autonomous regional government for Western Mindanao in 1979 following agreements with the Moro secessionist movement. In 1989, the province voted overwhelmingly to become part of an Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

People, Culture and the Arts

This remote province of Tawi-tawi is called the southernmost pearl of the Philippines. This undiscovered beauty is a cluster of 300 islands scattered southwards off the Zamboanga Peninsula and derived it’s name from the Malay word jaui. It is the home of the Samals and Badjaos (commonly known as "Sea Gypsies" among the Western peoples ). They are part of the Sama ethnic group whose culture is closely linked to the sea.

Samals typically live in compact communities. Their houses are usually on stilts over shallow seas, linked by catwalks. The interiors of their houses are not partitioned and often displays a hanayan-- an ornate shelving. Their culture traits are very similar to the mainstream of Southeast Asia especially with similar groups with marine orientations. Their sustenance is largely associated with marine resources with cassava as the staple. The Samals are also known for their beautifully carved grave markers that are left on their burial plots on small, sandy islands. Traditionally a very peaceful Muslim group, they claim to have no weaponry. When confronted with aggression, the reaction of the Samal is generally to take flight.

The Badjaos are born and live on their houseboats-- the lepa. The lepa is one of the most beautiful of traditional boats, possessing an ancient type of boat architecture with a uniquely designed sail with a "mouth" which enables the boat to go almost directly into the eye of the wind. They are a non-aggressive people, and for centuries have lived on the perimeters of stronger societies, trying to avoid discord.

Tauti is Tawi-Tawi’s occupational dance, which vividly portrays the labors of catching tauti, or catfish. The first version is performed solo and depicts the trials of a lone fisherman attempting to catch the tauti. The second version has a principal dancer with two accompanying performers who assist in paddling the canoe and baiting. In both cases, the fishermen wrestle with the tauti en masse and ultimately get pricked by their poisonous spines. They ultimately catch a few fish, but not without suffering major pain.

Although Tawi-Tawi is not a popular destination, it has been a known trading center of Southern and Muslim Traders for centuries. It’s potential for eco-tourism remains untapped. Bongao, with its horseshoe shaped port is said to be the busiest in the Sulu archipelago. At the Turtle Islands, one can explore the sea and watch how turtles mate underwater and lay eggs in the sand. Sitangkai is said to be the "Venice of the Far East", with no roads and boats as the standard means of transportation.

The pride of Sibutu Island is the gayang—a long ,slender, single-edged blade with a wooden cylinder handle wrapped with cord, but at the butt end is a small jut carved with images of fish, frog, dog, or goat. The hardwood scabbard is carved in okir.

The marshland vegetation of Tawi-tawi produce pandan leaves and rattan needed for mat making. The mat makers of Ungus Matata, Tandubas although weaving only for home-use, produce mats that are considered to be superior in quality. The Tandubas weavers make their work tighter and softer with more intricate and varied designs.

Trade and Investments

The Tawi-Tawi group of islands is located at the southwestern tip of the Philippine archipelago. It lies along the earth’s equatorial zone and is composed of 307 islands and islets, 88 of which are characterized by extensive reefs. The total land area is 114.9 square kilometers with terrain ranging from level to steep. The province has a population of 250,718 distributed in 10 municipalities. The general climate is cool and breezy along the coastal areas and hot and humid within the island. The rainy season begins in August and ends in November. Much of Tawi-Tawi’s resources come from the sea; from the rich fishing grounds to spectacular sceneries of white sand beaches and vibrant coral reefs.

Tawi-Tawi has an airport, a commercial seaport and a road network of 334 kilometers long. Electricity comes from the National Power Corporation through a local electric cooperative. The water supply comes from communal faucets, from deep wells and spring waterworks system. Taw-Tawi has 2 radio stations, a television station, 2 telegraph stations, 2 telex stations, a post office and a telephone system.

The trade and investment opportunities in Tawi-Tawi are in tourism and aquaculture. Tawi-Tawi can boast of unique tourist attractions peculiar to its location. Its white sand beaches are certified to have pristine waters while the coral reefs are guaranteed to be world class. Nature lovers and environmentalists would have a grand time in the bird sanctuary in Sibutu as well as in the protected areas of Turtle Islands. Tourist accommodation facilities would complement the splendid sites in the islands. Production and processing of marine products are also potential business ventures in Tawi-Tawi.

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