"a caterpillar doesn't just grow into a butterfly. a caterpillar must undergo metamorphosis, and a cocoon is where a caterpillar risks it all: enters total chaos, undergoes total rebuilding, and is born to a new way of living. only in taking the risk of entering that inert cocoon can the caterpillar go from dormancy to potency, from ugliness to beauty."

Showing posts with label bongao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bongao. Show all posts

Monday, September 16, 2013

breathtaking tawi-tawi, truly breathtaking tawi-tawi


"It is a nature sanctuary with extensive rain and mangrove forests, rich culture, majestic mountains, primeval caves, coral reefs with some of the world’s rarest marine life, outstanding dive sites,
and pristine white sand beaches."
-- from Tawi-tawi, Close Encounters of a Natural Kind


tawi-tawi: what more can i say?
this is part 8 and the conclusion of a series entitled breathtaking tawi-tawi: our journey to the philippines' southernmost frontier.
picture perfect panglima sugala, tawi-tawi

tawi-tawi is THE destination you should not miss. the tawi-tawi travel experience is a priceless gift for the senses and this is not an overstatement.

it is true that tawi-tawi is "the backdoor gateway of the philippines to the rest of southeast asia," but this is only a simplified description of the country's southernmost melting pot that has so much in terms of culture, history, natural resources, and paradise spots.
bongao, tawi-tawi
as seen from the sea
on april 22, 2011
a kite eagle flying over brgy. pasiagan | tawi-tawi
on april 23, 2011

i dare share here a few pictures out of the hundreds that i took during our 3-day adventure but know that none of these can ever come close to making you experience the real deal.

bring yourself there, traveler. your tawi-tawi story is waiting to be told. allow your own tawi-tawi journey to unfold.


tawi-tawi: glimpses and tidbits in random order

 tawi-tawi is an archipelago composed of 107 islands and islets located at the southwestern tip of the philippines. it is an island province with rich marine borders. a significant part of the tawi-tawi population rely on what they can have from the sea and it is logical that they stay close to it, if not on it -- either in houses built on stilts or on board boats.

when in tawi-tawi, expect to see lots of houses and outbuildings on stilts!

a lovely sight of stilthouses 
seen from sanga-sanga bridge
on april 24, 2011
stilts and a tropical hut in sangasiapu island | tawi-tawi
on april 23, 2011
a house on stilts in simunul island | tawi-tawi
on april 22, 2011
stilthouses and footbridges in brgy. tubig indangan, simunul, tawi-tawi
on april 22, 2011


the tawi-tawi provincial capitol, with its prominent dome and white walls, looks like a magnificent mosque.  it sits on a hill in bongao and provides an overlooking view of the town and the sea.


the tawi-tawi provincial capitol
as seen from the roofdeck of hotel juana
on the night of april 22, 2011

kat and i with the official seal of tawi-tawi
at the site of the provincial capitol
on april 23, 2011
(kat owns this picture)

black saturday sunset colors
as seen from the site of the tawi-tawi provincial capitol
on april 23, 2011

the venice of the south and the southernmost municipality of the philippines is sitangkai, a real deal waterworld where the known highway is a marine waterway. sitangkai is also the seaweed capital of the philippines.

 a smiling boatman taking the highway in sitangkai
on april 22, 2011

the island of sibutu is the nearest neighbor of sitangkai within philippine territory. sibutu is the island home of skilled seafarers, expert boat-builders, and master woodcarvers. aside from having white sand coastline with direct access to the celebes sea, sibutu also has the makhdum memorial and the kaban-kaban, a deep natural swimming hole with clear freshwater.

glimpses of sibutu island
on april 22, 2011

a known local mecca and pilgrimage site of filipino muslims is simunul, the recognized cradle of islam in the philippines. in simunul's brgy. tubig indangan, where the first mosque in the philippines was built, there is a commemorative arch to mark the 630th anniversary of the introduction of islam in the philippines.

the commemorative arch in simunul | tawi-tawi
on april 22, 2011

the pier in tubig indangan is not just a picture of open invitation. it is a good spot for watching inspiring sunsets, too.

once upon an awesome sunset
seen from tubig indangan, simunul, tawi-tawi
on april 22, 2011

among the many rewarding joys of island hopping in tawi-tawi is seeing the horizon disappear from view. because the sea can be so calm, the surface appears glassy, making it an efficient mirror of the sky.

the case of the disappearing horizon :)
while island hopping in tawi-tawi
on april 23, 2011

clear seawater, glassy water surface, and the vanishing horizon
just off sangasiapu island
on april 23, 2011

the seawater remains very clear, too, allowing you to see natural underwater gardens even though you're looking at them from a good distance.

view of the coastline, the sea, and underwater wonders
from sanga-sanga bridge
on april 24, 2011

the seawater in tawi-tawi is so clean and clear. there is no need for scuba nor snorkel-and-mask to see healthy corals. believe it or not, the colorful coral colonies are visible from the water surface!

a natural coral garden
just off tawi-tawi's tango island
on april 23, 2011

there are underwater areas that are all-sand, too, and very ideal for swimming.

part of sangasiapu island, tawi-tawi
on april 23, 2011

laa island, tawi-tawi
on april 23, 2011

this is a glimpse of how clean and clear tawi-tawi seawater is
photogenic sangasiapu island
on april 23, 2011

there is no exaggeration at all in saying this: breathtaking tawi-tawi, truly breathtaking tawi-tawi! :)



breathtaking tawi-tawi: our journey to the philippines' southernmost frontier | the series
posted by the caterpillar at 10:19 PM comments (3)
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

from many angles: tawi-tawi's bud bongao


“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends,
but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers.
The mind can never break off from the journey.”
-- Pat Conroy

destination: bud bongao, the natural watchtower of the southern seas
this is part 6 of a series entitled breathtaking tawi-tawi: our journey to the philippines' southernmost frontier.


bud bongao location
and the starts & stops of our island hopping adventure in tawi-tawi
image source: google maps
(i provided the red and blue labels)


day 3. april 23, 2011. black saturday.
adventure 1: island hopping -- bongao, tango, panglima sugala, sangasiapu, laa, pababag, pasiagan
adventure 2: destination: bud bongao
adventure 3: destination: balobok rock shelter in brgy. lakit-lakit
adventure 4: destination: provincial capitol


a closer look at the google map: bud bongao and pasiagan


bud bongao (or bongao peak) is a prominent natural landmark in the southernmost province of the philippines. at 314 meters above sea level, it dominates the municipality of bongao and nearby areas with its flat top (read: table-like) appearance. people at sea or from neighboring islands can tell where the island of bongao is just by locating bud bongao in the horizon.


charming flat top | the table-like mountain of the south
bud bongao as seen from the pier in tubig indangan, simunul island
during sunset

because of its height relative to the rest of the landscape, bud bongao is also considered as a natural watchtower of the southern seas. at the top, the islands of sanga-sanga, sibutu, and simunul can be seen. more than that, sitangkai and even malaysian borneo are visible on clear occasions.


bud bongao, the natural watchtower

for the locals, bud bongao is more than just a landmark and a natural watchtower where foreign land (borneo) can be seen. for them, bud bongao is a sacred place where they go for pilgrimage and offer prayers.

during our 3-day tour in tawi-tawi, i had the privilege of seeing bud bongao from many angles -- from the national road as we crossed the bridge connecting the islands of sanga-sanga and bongao, from the governor's residence, from the middle of the sea as we were heading to sitangkai, from tubig indangan in simunul, from sangasiapu island, from the shores of pasiagan, and up close during our trek. from those different vantages, i took snapshots and clearly understood why it is unthinkable for bud bongao to be not part of one's tawi-tawi itinerary.

bud bongao and the landscape it defines
on bongao island and nearby sanga-sanga island:
photographed from mid-sea

bud bongao is difficult to miss -- this natural landmark is "everywhere" so much so that to be already there in bongao and not take the chance to experience it simply makes the journey incomplete.


seeing bud bongao "everywhere"
from top-left clockwise: bud bongao from beyond sangasiapu island,
bud bongao as part of the land transportation franchise sticker,
bud bongao as a t-shirt print design, and bud bongao from pababag island-side

on the day we arrived in tawi-tawi, bud bongao's towering presence and vegetated rocky slopes already made an impression on us. even when we went to the governor's place for a courtesy call, the mountain remained visible in the distance like a dedicated guard standing proud.


bud bongao watches over the governor's compound like a sentinel

bud bongao defines a very photogenic landscape in tawi-tawi's bongao island. whether from near or far, it is such a charming sight to gaze at.


bud bongao as seen from simunul's sangasiapu island

bud bongao, a closer look

on the shores of brgy. pasiagan, the mountain can be seen as an enchanting backdrop to a shrine simply adorned with white cloth.


bud bongao as seen from pasiagan

we were told by kuya jan and alvin that the shrine is actually a tomb of a revered virgin 'princess' -- a daughter of a royal family -- who lived and died centuries ago. the tomb of a revered male elder, also a member of a royal family, is one of the two graves near the summit of bud bongao. my impression is that, and if i understood correctly what kuya jan shared, this is how it is for the local pilgrims: "first, visit the daughter at the foot of the mountain, then go to the top to pay respects to the elder."


appreciating the mountain from afar and, eventually, up close
our bud bongao trek started where our island hopping adventure ended -- in pasiagan. after a day and a half of looking at the mountain from afar, we were finally at the foot and eager to conquer the peak.


kuya jan, alvin, and kat
my bud bongao climbing buddies

it was early afternoon when we started our trek and pasiagan was sun-drenched. the heat was draining our physical energies but, once we began our ascent, the vegetation of bud bongao gave us enough cover. the forested nature of the mountain allowed us sufficient respite from the sun as we followed the trail.


a coastal view of pasiagan
as seen from a few meters up the slopes of bud bongao

along the way, my attention was won over by some of the exposed rock layers that make up bud bongao. the patterns are interesting clues to how bud bongao was formed by the gentle might of the forces of nature.


bud bongao's rocky layers
  
the other things that got my attention were some abandoned pairless slippers, detached soles, and broken footwear -- it was easy to see that quite a lot already used the trail and not everyone had an easy time going to the top and back.

we had only gone up about one-fourth of the way to the summit when kat and i decided to retreat. awwww. the climb was not technically demanding and we already conquered higher peaks in other places but, on the slopes of bud bongao and after having been exposed to the sun too much during our island hopping adventure, we found ourselves already too exhausted to complete the climb.

we did not push any further and gave up thoughts of rewarding ourselves with views of tawi-tawi from the peak. we agreed to shift our excitement to seeing the balobok rock shelter, which was the next destination we listed on our tawi-tawi itinerary.


the long-tailed macaques of bud bongao

although kat and i failed to reach the summit, the long-tailed macaques of bud bongao still rewarded the time and effort we spent in visiting their protected mountain sanctuary. they showed up long enough for us to have a good look at them and to take their pictures. hooray, they did not drive us away! :)


up next: destination: balobok rock shelter and thereabouts

breathtaking tawi-tawi: our journey to the philippines' southernmost frontier | the series
posted by the caterpillar at 2:00 PM comments (0)
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Sunday, July 08, 2012

destination: sitangkai, the southernmost municipality of the philippines

"having reached and personally experienced batanes and tawi-tawi,
the northernmost and southernmost provinces of the philippines, respectively, i personally think that eat bulaga's "mula aparri hanggang jolo" is quite unfair for these two provinces.
but, in a way, maybe patas lang...
in batanes, they're hearing more taiwanese;
in tawi-tawi, they're hearing more malay."
-- thoughts i shared with my friends on june 6, 2011 via my facebook account

finally, tawi-tawi!
this is part 2 of a series entitled breathtaking tawi-tawi: our journey to the philippines' southernmost frontier.
this time, tawi-tawi!
image source: google maps
(i provided the labels and rectangular markers in blue and red)

day 2. april 22, 2011. holy friday.
route: zamboanga city to tawi-tawi, then bongao to sitangkai

an early morning special flight arranged by air philippines took kat and me (and our fellow passengers from the previous day’s cancelled flight) from zamboanga city to tawi-tawi.


from zamboanga to tawi-tawi, the southwestern tip of the country
image source: google maps
(i provided the elliptical markers in red)

it was a good sunny day and my window seat allowed me to see a great deal of the coastline and the tropical wonder beneath us as the pilot ably steered the plane towards sanga-sanga (pronounced as “sang-ga sang-ga”) airport for landing.
anticipating touchdown | flying over sanga-sanga

 sanga-sanga airport, a minor domestic airport located in bongao’s sanga-sanga island, was our gateway to the province of tawi-tawi. bongao (pronounced as “bong-gao”), by the way, is the economic capital of tawi-tawi.

the terminal building of sanga-sanga airport

just outside the airport, we met the rest of our travel mates for that day – members of the AMCI mountaineering club, inc. and the local guides. we were ushered to a waiting van where maida, a good friend from TOSP and member of AMCI, quickly introduced us to the team. tessa and clint, also of AMCI and whom we already made friends with in zamboanga city the previous day, assisted her in doing the brief introductions. no time was wasted. as soon as we boarded the van, we hied off to the tawi-tawi governor’s place for a courtesy call.

first stop from the airport: house of the governor of tawi-tawi
our group and governor sadikul sahali (in blue)

we were let into the governor’s house and we had a meet-and-greet with gov. sadikul sahali himself. he allowed our group to use his family’s big speedboat for our trip to the distant islands of sitangkai, sibutu, and simunul. it was up to our group to shoulder the fuel cost, three full barrels all in all.   

destination: sitangkai
the venice of the south and the southernmost settlement of the philippines
sitangkai on the map
image source: google maps

to get to sitangkai from bongao, we traveled at an estimated speed of 150kph with the dual-engined speedboat defining an aqua blue highway in the calm southern seas and covering the great distance between sitangkai and bongao in just one hour. the trip usually takes 4 hours -- waiting time excluded -- via regular boats, which travel the route from bongao’s old chinese pier to sitangkai.

 the skies were clear and the sun was high up when we arrived in sitangkai. the first thing that impressed me was not the array of stilt houses but the very clear seawater!

hello, sitangkai | that building over there is the sitangkai public market
i couldn't stop myself from taking this picture as our boat floated over underwater seaweeds

among the places in the country that i have been to, the municipality of sitangkai stands out as it is a settlement on significantly more water than land – a real deal waterworld. yup, sitangkai is a municipality and, as part of the province of tawi-tawi, it is one of the 113 municipalities under the political jurisdiction of the  autonomous region in muslim mindanao (ARMM).

presenting... the venice of the south, the waterworld of sitangkai
look at the map and check where the south of the philippines and the north of borneo meet :D
that place is this -- sitangkai!
(photo by kat)

 the highway in sitangkai is a marine waterway and, except for some causeways and footbridges, all the other roads are also marine waterways which is why, instead of cars, boats are the primary transportation there. it is for this reason that sitangkai is famously referred to as the philippines’ own venice -- the venice of the south.

kat in venice | sitangkai, the venice of the philippines

a glimpse of sitangkai's main highway -- a marine waterway

the boats of sitangkai

sitangkai. it's a waterworld!

the highway also serves as the floating market area. along both of its sides are business establishments on stilt houses connected by footbridges and causeways.

since we arrived in sitangkai during low tide and close to a prayer hour, there were not a lot of boats found in the floating market. nevertheless, on the causeways and footbridges, there were still ongoing business and trading involving “boats to agar-agar (seaweed), and everything in between,” as kat put it.


business as usual on the causeway | sitangkai, tawi-tawi

in sitangkai and in the south: kurikung, tempel, and tiririt are types of boats
just some of the many goods being traded in sitangkai

 it is interesting to note that a lot of the packaged products and dry goods we found in the establishments were from malaysia and indonesia. in fact, the bottled water that kat bought was from malaysia. this is something quite understandable – sitangkai, after all, is closer to the island of borneo (northern borneo being a malaysian territory while southern borneo is an indonesian territory) than to the philippine mainland.


in the background: the main highway of sitangkai

aside from being the venice of the south, sitangkai is also the seaweed capital of the philippines. the waterworld houses very vast seaweed farms and accounts for the country's biggest seaweed production in one contained area.

our tour of the place was rewarding. until now, i get overwhelmed every time i look back and get reminded that i set foot there in sitangkai -- the southwesternmost island border of the philippines -- where fishing and seaweed farming are the main livelihood and where boats are the stars of the highway!
the people who were with me in sitangkai: AMCI team + kat + local guides

our stay in sitangkai wasn’t very long as it was just a quick day tour. it got extended a wee bit though and we were allowed a bonus adventure -- well, sort of. 

remember, i mentioned low tide earlier? here’s what happened: on our way out of sitangkai, the water level had already gone too low and the bottom of the loaded speedboat was at risk of hitting the seabed. there were 20 of us including the guides and that meant some of us had to go down and help with pushing the speedboat to better depths… which we did.

actually, they did. kat was one of the few who opted to stay put inside the boat. i went down and took pictures of them pushing the speedboat to deeper waters. :D


glimpses of our extra adventure just before we left sitangkai

then, when everything was already deemed good, those of us who were in the water climbed back to the speedboat. the two engines roared to life. in no time, we were almost flying over water again and off we went to our next destination -- the island of sibutu.
breathtaking tawi-tawi: our journey to the philippines' southernmost frontier | the series
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