MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato (MindaNews / 06 June) — With our travel fund expiring in days, choosing our destination after two years of the pandemic wasn’t a difficult decision to make. From the beginning, with beaches as our first consideration and kids being left at home, we had always wanted to visit Tawi-tawi.
Notwithstanding how it has been painted in the media or what has been instilled in our minds about the risk of going to that part of the country, we booked and flew to the place which we later realized was truly a paradise farthest south in the Philippines.
Other than its location in the map, Tawi-tawi may never be one of the best choices because of its reputation in terms of peace and order. But with our thirst to see and learn new things as part of our version of revenge tourism, our trip was truly on for the books.
We reached the southernmost province of the country. We visited the first mosque in the Philippines built 642 years ago in Simunul by Sheik Makhdum. Our feet stepped and walked through the finest sand of the longest sandbar in Panampangan and Basibuli islands. We came face to face with Papa Bulls, the largest crocodile in captivity, saw the biggest molave tree in the Philippines and at the peak of the highest mountain of Bud Bongao, considered sacred among the locals, had a glimpse of Malaysia-Borneo from afar.
Truly Tawi-tawi
Not minding the burnt sense of the sun on our skin, the vast Celebes sea and the loud sound of the speedboat with islets around as if sprinkled in the wide blue ocean, the place we viewed as home to terrorism, kidnapping, and violence offered the exact opposite – an experience of a truly spellbinding beauty and bounty.
It was a different world in the almost uninhabited islands of Panampangan and Sangay Siapu. Comparable to the turquoise waters of the Maldives, Tawi-tawi’s beaches and islands nestled in the waters of the Sulu and the Celebes seas are truly haven for beach bums like us. Grilling fresh catch of fish for lunch under the tall coconut trees as the winds blow, kissing our faces on the islands we almost owned that day, reminds us that the best feeling can happen in places you would never imagine going to.
With crisscrossing culture of the Samas and the Malays, the sights and sounds of Tawi-tawi teem with heartwarming experience for travelers like us. From the best Tausug delicacies, hottest and the best coffee served with the Dulang, tiyula itum the beef stew with burnt coconut sauce, beef kulma, and the best satti breakfast, Tawi-tawi is also a destination for the best gastronomic adventures. Plus of course the overwhelmingly affordable price of fish in the market sold by bundle (bugkos) or tapok and never by kilo.
Best part
On top of what made our eyes and minds full, were the things that made our hearts fall in love with Tawi-tawi. The best asset of the islands are the loving, friendly, and peaceful people we had the chance to meet. While we think of armed men going around and harassing communities, we saw sweet smiles, warm welcomes and heard beautiful tales and aspirations from all the people we encountered.
Just like many of us, the Samas and the Tausugs desire for peace of mind and simple life. With their deep connection to their culture and their lives rooted in the richness of their natural resources, Tawi-tawi is a place of harmony and peaceful coexistence among peoples.
Never was there a time I felt fear while in Tawi-tawi. As a matter of fact, we felt we were connected with the people by the way they treated us. Jhoanna was biking on the streets of Simunul even at nightfall. People greet us every time we speak to them and appreciate us for visiting their place. Taking photos of their mosques, scenic views, and with them was also fun and memorable.
Deeper connections
As Tawi-tawi opens its doors with the promise of peace and development by the nascent Bangsamoro Autonomous Region government, the problem of access to these farthest islands of the Philippines will soon become a thing of the past. With more airlines and travel options connecting these travel destinations, the deeper challenge among us is the connection we make to our inner self. And how we commune with God’s timeless beautiful creations.
As we have made this trip possible (leaving our kids behind for the longest time in a while), we have been reconnected as husband and wife. As we invested for ourselves through travelling, we also learned from the experiences of people whom we have met like Wadz and Mobin and their friends.
As we look at the photos we took, about 2,400 of it, sharing the stories to our kids inspired us to make them see for themselves what we saw. That while people are separated by beliefs and distance, hearts can beat the same as human beings. And while there are people you have just met, they forge deeper connections and friendships wherever they may be.
With this trip, I have already visited the southern island provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Basilan in 2006 during the peace summit in Lamitan town, Jolo and Patikul in Sulu in 2017 during the leadership training of AYLC (Ayala Young Leaders Congress) at the Notre Dame of Jolo College and now here.
Babalik kami
Sunburns will heal, sore muscles, too, but the memories made in the longest stretch of white sand beaches, colorful bursts of culture, crystal clear waters and far greater horizons, hopping from one island to another, shall remain in our hearts.
With all that we saw and experienced, I thought maybe the silver lining in Tawi-tawi’s reputation and our preconceived notion and bias is that it is kept hidden from the world.
And the chance to see and live with its wonders is an experience deserved only by those who have the enthusiasm to brave the judgement, the framing, the notion– to see, feel, and experience a paradise that will not only capture the eyes but the heart and the spirit of every hungry traveler.
We drove nine hours from Midsayap to Zamboanga then took a 45-minute flight to Sanga -Sanga Airport in Bongao. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines offer daily service from Zamboanga to Tawi-tawi. By June 9, Philippine Airlines will service Cotabato City to Tawi-tawi twice weekly, on Thursdays and Mondays.
As to safety, the fact that we came back unscathed manifests its current security situation. But it is best to contact the local tourism office and arrange a trip with a local travel guide.
Life takes you to many beautiful detours. But Tawi-tawi is a destination you must choose to see for yourself, to crack the enigma and live the extraordinary experience.
Magsukul Tawi-tawi. See you soon!
(Karl Ballentes, 32, is currently the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer of the Municipality of Midsayap in North Cotabato)
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