BARMM – Tita S Travels

STUNNING SANDBARS IN THE PHILIPPINES-1: PANAMPANGAN ISLAND (Tawi-Tawi)

Published on September 12, 2021July 17, 2022 by titastravels172 Comments

Dear beach bum foreign readers, Tita S will feature the beautiful sandbars in the Philippines. This first one is considered the longest sandbar in the country!

Panampangan Island is a secluded, pristine, 12-hectare island in the municipality^¹ of Sapa-Sapa^², in the province^³ of Tawi-Tawi^⁴, in the Sulu Archipelago^⁵, in the Celebes Sea. It is located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^⁶of the Philippines. It has an area of 0.1 sq.km. (0.039 sq.mi.).

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/Progressive.Bangsamoro/photos/pcb.1701410416845884/1701410153512577

At the center of the island are coconut trees and lush greenery, that are surrounded by fine white sand beach and crystal clear water.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/Panampangan-Island-Sapa-Sapa-Tawi-Tawi-Philippines-254359578313396/photos/457717334644285

It is said to have the finest sand among all the beaches in the Philippines!

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/Panampangan-Island-Sapa-Sapa-Tawi-Tawi-Philippines-254359578313396/photos/257742444641776

It takes 2-3 hours by outrigger boat, or less than an hour by speedboat, one way, to reach this island. There are grilling areas where tourists can picnic, and cottages and huts where you can stay overnight, but level your expectations.

The water around the beach is shallow so those who do not know how to swim can just dip on the shallow waters, and will be treated to seeing starfish and a variety of fish.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/Panampangan-Island-Sapa-Sapa-Tawi-Tawi-Philippines-254359578313396/photos/457717024644316

Those who can snorkel could even see turtles.

It is located inside Basibuli Shoal, and once the tide drops, a crescent-shaped 3,128.37 m. (10,263.7 ft.) sandbar appears.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/Progressive.Bangsamoro/photos/pcb.1701410416845884/1701383573515235

Being a little over 3 km., it connects to the nearby Basibuli Island. It is considered the longest sandbar in the Philippines.

Watch this 2020 10-minute, 1-second video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkFWDXs_1-Y

How do you get to Panampangan Island? From Manila, fly directly to Tawi-Tawi^⁴. It is required that you contact and coordinate with the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Tourism Office (https://www.facebook.com/OfficialTawiTawiTourism/ or get their contact numbers), the Department of Tourism-ARMM Office, or the Municipality of Sapa-Sapa. They can also assist you in arranging for a boat and a tour guide for a one- day-island-hopping tour. There is no fixed price, and it could range from PHP6,000 – 10,000.

You can include Simunul Island and Sangay Siapo Island in the tour. Inform them if you want to dive.

The tour can start at 6:00 AM. Go to the port via tricycle, and locate the boat to take you to this island. Be aware that the boat ride could be rough from July to December.

These islands are not developed so you better bring food and water for the whole day, fully charged cameras, GoPros and power banks, swim wear and change of clothes, snorkeling/diving gear, personal medicine, etc.

The Badjaos who live in nearby islands go to Panampangan Island to sell fish, seaweeds, sea urchins and seashells. You can enjoy them for lunch or dinner, if you will stay overnight.

Now, Tita S knows what you are worried about. How safe is Tawi-Tawi^⁴? Do not be scared because she was able to research and found out that there is a naval base in Panglima Sigala and the Philippine Coast Guard regularly patrols Panampangan Island.

The information was obtained from https://primer.com.ph/travel/2018/03/19/panampangan-beach-in-tawi-tawi-paradise-at-the-southernmost-tip-of-the-philippines/, https://www.esquiremag.ph/the-good-life/pursuits/best-secret-beaches-in-the-philippines-a00208-20190211, https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/islands-and-beaches/best-sandbars-philippines, https://www.s1expeditions.com/2017/06/217-panampangan-islandtawi-tawi.html and the Wikipedia page “Panampangan Island”^⁷.

Tita S has not been to Tawi-Tawi^⁴ so she cannot personally comment about this island but will surely include it in her Tawi-Tawi travel bucket list.

This is not a sponsored post. I just want my readers to know more about the Philippines.

Did you find this post informative? I would like to hear from you regarding Panampangan Island.

See other interesting places through other posts in this category and other categories of SCapades, Pinoy Delights, and Smart Travelers – Foreign Travelers Ask, Now You Know, and Say, Say, Say. Happy reading, and I hope that you will appreciate what I shared and some of the featured destinations will be part of your future travel plans!

Do share this post with your Facebook friends, follow me by clicking on the bottom right corner of your device, and do not forget to like this post. Thank you.

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The following terms are defined for interested readers, especially those with “Senior-Moments”, those not familiar with the terms used in this post, and those too busy or lazy to Google such terms:

^¹A municipality is small, single urban administrative division, or local government unit (LGU)^⁸, in the Philippines which has corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by law. It is a unit under a province^³, subdivided into barangays^⁹, and is called town, or bayan.

In the Philippines, a municipality is headed by a mayor, a vice-mayor, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan (legislative branch). It can enact local policies and laws, enforce them, and govern its jurisdictions. It can enter into contracts and other transactions through its elected and appointed officials, and can tax as well. It enforces all local and national laws. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Municipalities of the Philippines.”^¹⁰

^²Sapa-Sapa is a 3^rd class^¹¹ municipality^¹ in the province^³ of Tawi-Tawi^⁴, in the Sulu Archipelago^⁵, in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^⁶ of the Philippines. It has a total area of 235.61 sq.km. (90.97 sq.mi.) and has 23 barangays^⁹. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Sapa-Sapa.”^¹²

^³A province is the primary administrative and political division in the Philippines. It is the second-level administrative sub-division of a region^¹³. There are 81 provinces (called lalawigan) in the Philippines. Each province is governed by an elected legislature called the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and by an elected governor. In the Philippines, a province is divided into cities and municipalities^¹ (or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays^⁹, formerly called barrios. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Provinces of the Philippines.”^¹⁴

^⁴Tawi-Tawi is an island province^³ in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^⁶ of the Philippines. It is part of the Sulu Archipelago^⁵, and consists of Tawitawi Island, its main island, and 106 surrounding islands and islets, with a combined land area of 1,087.4 sq.km. (419.8 sq.mi.).

It was founded on September 11, 1973. It has 11 municipalities^¹ and its capital is the municipality of Bongao.

It is the southernmost province of the country, sharing sea borders with the Malaysian state of Sabah and the Indonesian North Kalimantan province, both on the island of Borneo to the west. It is located between the Sulu Sea in the north and the Celebes Sea in the south. To the northeast lies the province of Sulu.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia pages “Tawi-Tawi”^¹⁵ and “Tawi-Tawi Island”^¹⁶.

^⁵The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, in southwestern Philippines, an important migration route for birds. It forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea and southern limit of the Sulu Sea. Its islands are within the Mindanao^¹⁷ island group, consisting of the provinces^³ of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi^⁴, so the archipelago is sometimes referred to as Basulta, derived from the first syllables of the 3 provinces.

The archipelago belongs to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^⁶, excluding the city of Isabela in province of Basilan which was placed under another region – Region 9, Zamboanga Peninsula.

It is not true that this archipelago is the remains of a land bridge between Borneo and the Philippines; it is actually the exposed edge of small submarine ridges produced by tectonic tilting of the sea bottom. Basilan, Jolo, Tawitawi and other islands in the group are extinct volcanic cones rising from the southernmost ridge.

This archipelago is the home of the indigenous Tausug people^¹⁸ who speak the Tausug language^¹⁹.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Sulu Archipelago.”^²⁰

^⁶Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), or Bangsamoro, is an autonomous region^¹³ located in southern Philippines. It replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) after the creation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 26, 2018. It is currently in transition until 2022.

Bangsamoro literally means “Moro nation” or “Moro country”. This region consists of 5 provinces^³ (Basilan except Isabela City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi^⁴), 116 municipalities^¹ and 3 component cities^²¹ (Cotabato City, Lamitan and Marawi).

The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Bangsamoro”.^²²

^⁷“Panampangan Island,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panampangan_Island

^⁸A local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines is divided into 3 levels: provinces^³ and independent cities^²³; component cities^²¹ and municipalities^¹; and, barangays^⁹, according to Wikipedia page “Local government in the Philippines”.^²⁴

^⁹A barangay in the Philippines is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines, headed by a barangay captain, aided by a Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council). It is the native Filipino term for a village. It was formerly called a barrio. In a metropolitan area, a barangay is an inner city neighborhood, a suburb, or a suburban neighborhood. The word barangay originated from the term balangay, a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian people who migrated to the Philippines. A number of barangays grouped together is called a district. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Barangay.”^²⁵

^¹⁰“Municipalities of the Philippines,” accessed October 13, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_the_Philippines

^¹¹A third class municipality^¹ in the Philippines has an average annual income for a 4-year period of 240 million, but less than 320 million pesos, according to the Wikipedia page “List of cities of the Philippines.”^²⁶.

^¹²“Sapa-Sapa,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapa-Sapa

^¹³A region is an administrative division based on geographical, cultural and ethnological characteristics. Each region is further subdivided in provinces^³, composed of cities and municipalities^¹(or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays^⁹, formerly called barrios, according to Wikipedia page “Regions of the Philippines”^²⁷.

^¹⁴“Provinces of the Philippines,” accessed July 17, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_the_Philippines

^¹⁵“Tawi-Tawi,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawi-Tawi

^¹⁶“Tawi-Tawi Island,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawi-Tawi_Island

^¹⁷Mindanao is one of the 3 major geographical divisions of the Philippines. It is the second largest island of the country and covers 6 administrative regions^¹³: Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^⁶. It is composed of 22 provinces^³ and 33 cities (27 provinces and 33 cities, if associated islands are included). The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Mindanao.”^²⁸ Mindanao is located in the southern part of the country; the 2 other geographical divisions of the Philippines are Luzon (in the northern part) and Visayas (the middle part).

^¹⁸The Tausug, or Suluk, are an ethnic group of the Philippines and Malaysia. A small population is also found in the northern part of North Kalimantan, a province of Indonesia.

The Tausugs originally had an independent state known as the Sultanate of Sulu, which once exercised sovereignty over the present day Philippine provinces^³ of Basilan, Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi^⁴, Zamboanga City, North Kalimantan (Indonesia), and the eastern part of Sabah (Malaysia).

They are part of the wider political identity of Muslims of Mindanao^¹⁷ and the provinces of Sulu and Palawan. Most of the Tausugs have converted into the religion of Islam whose members are now more known as the Moro group, who constitute the 3^rd largest ethnic group of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan.

The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Tausug people”.^²⁹

^¹⁹The Tausug language is an Austronesian language spoken in the province^³ of Sulu in the Philippines and in the eastern area of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, by the Tausug people^¹⁸, an ethnic group in Malaysia and Mindanao^¹⁷, Sulu, and southern Palawan in the Philippines. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Tausug language”.^³⁰

^²⁰“Sulu Archipelago,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulu_Archipelago

^²¹A component city (CC) is a type of city in the Philippines which does not meet the requirements of a highly urbanized city^³¹. It is under the jurisdiction of a province^². If such a city is located along the boundaries of 2 or more provinces, it shall be considered part of the province of which it used to be a municipality^¹. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Cities in the Philippines.”^²⁶

^²²“Bangasamoro,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangsamoro

^²³An independent city in the Philippines is no longer subject to review by any province’s Provincial Board (Sangguniang Panlalawigan), stops sharing its tax revenue with any province^³, and is directly supervised by the President of the Philippines. There are currently 38 independent cities in the Philippines.

There are 2 kinds of independent cities:

* Highly urbanized city (HUC) – This is a city with a minimum population of 200,000 inhabitants, as certified by the Philippine Statistics Authority, and with the latest annual income of at least PHP50 million or US$1 million, as certified by the City Treasurer. There are currently 33 such cities in the Philippines.

* Independent component city (ICC) – This is a city has a charter that explicitly prohibits its residents from voting for provincial officials. There are currently 5 such cities: Cotabato, Dagupan, Naga (Camarines Sur), Ormoc and Santiago.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Cities of the Philippines”.^²⁶

^²⁴“Local government in the Philippines,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_government_in_the_Philippines

^²⁵“Barangay,” accessed July 9, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barangay

^²⁶“List of cities in the Philippines,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_the_Philippines

^²⁷“Regions of the Philippines,” accessed July 17, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_the_Philippines

^²⁸“Mindanao,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindanao

^²⁹“Tausug people,”accessed March 18, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tausug_people

^³⁰“Tausug language,”accessed March 18, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tausug_language

SAVORING PASTIL

Published on July 15, 2021July 17, 2022 by titastravels171 Comment

Dear foreign seniors, do you know that, in the Maguindanao province of the Philippines, there is a breakfast meal wrapped in banana leaves? Allow Tita S to tell you about it.

1.Pastil, or pastel, is a popular Filipino packed-rice dish made with steamed rice wrapped in banana leaves, with dry shredded beef, chicken or fish, originally from the Maguindanao^¹ province^², in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^³, Philippines.

Photo source: Obsidian soul, own work, CC0, created 20 August 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastil#/media/File:Pastil_(Philippines)_01.jpg

2. The shredded meat or fish component of this dish is called kagikit. The (beef or chicken) meat is cooked like adobo^⁴. It is first boiled until tender, allowed to cool, shredded into thin strips, sauteed in garlic and onions with soy sauce (or oyster sauce), black pepper, siling labuyo^⁵, and salt to taste, and allowed to simmer until the liquid evaporates.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/a.119725359478756/138352220949403/

Walking catfish (katipa) or common snakehead (dalag) are the common fishes used. The fish is first grilled, then shredded.

3. The white rice is mixed with a small amount of glutinous rice, and steamed to maintain its shape.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/537422317709056

If you add pandan^⁶ leaves during steaming, the resulting rice will be so fragrant.

4. The banana leaves are first wilted over an open flame to make them pliable.

Oil is then brushed on the inside surface of the leaves.

5. The cooked steamed rice is placed on the prepared banana leaves, with the cooked and shredded meat or fish covering one side of the rice, or spread lengthwise along the portioned rice.

Source of photos: https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/

6. The leaf is then wrapped to be shaped like a thick cylinder, with the ends tucked and folded backwards to keep the contents intact.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/534229308028357

For me, the wilted banana leaves impart a fragrant and appetizing aroma to the wrapped contents.

7. Pastil is traditionally served with vegetables soaked in vinegar as a side dish, like cucumber (pipino) or mung bean sprouts (togue), to neutralize the saltiness of the kagikit. A hard-boiled egg may be included to complement this meal.

8. It is usually eaten with coffee or hot chocolate (sikulate) for breakfast or as a snack.

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/140688007382491

9. It is commonly sold by restaurants and street vendors in Muslim communities in Mindanao^⁷, and even other parts of the country.

It could also be served unwrapped, in rice bowls.

10. It is considered a cheap breakfast meal in Mindanao^⁷, especially among Muslim Filipinos.

11. It is called patel. patil, pater, or patir in Maranao^⁸, and paster in Iranun^⁹.

12. It is similar to the northern Filipino binalot, a packed-rice dish using regular meat or fish dishes; the viand is not shredded.

See my post on binalot: BINALOT, BURP!

assorted binalot – Photo source – https://www.facebook.com/104993971329499/photos/a.104998407995722/104998391329057

13. Just so you know, pastil is also the Tausug^¹⁰ name for a type of empanada, an unrelated pastry made with beansprout and glass noodle fillings.

The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Pastil”^¹¹

The photos featured in the cover picture-collage were obtained from https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/140688007382491 (top) and https://www.facebook.com/pastilking/photos/216430193141605 (bottom).

This is not a sponsored post. I just want my readers to know more about Philippine delicacies.

Did you find this post informative? Would you like to try making this treat at home? I would like to hear your comment/s regarding pastil.

See other interesting posts in this category (Pinoy Delights) and other categories – SCapades and Smart Travelers – Foreign Travelers Ask, Now You Know, and Say, Say, Say. Happy reading, and I hope that you will appreciate what I shared and some of the featured destinations will be part of your future travel plans!

Remember to share this post with your Facebook friends, follow me by clicking on the bottom right corner of your device, and do not forget to like this post. Thank you.

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The following terms are defined for interested readers, especially those with “Senior-Moments”, those not familiar with Filipino terms, and those too busy or lazy to Google such terms:

^¹Maguindanao is a province^² located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^³, in the Philippines. It is bordered by the provinces of Lanao del Sur on the north, Cotabato to the east, Sultan Kudarat to the south, and the Illana Bay to the west. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Maguindanao”.^¹²

Historically, the Maguindanao are known as metalworkers, producing (circular metallic percussion instrument), the wavy-bladed kris (dagger) and other weapons.^¹³

^²A province is the primary administrative and political division in the Philippines. It is the second-level administrative sub-division of a region^¹⁴. There are 81 provinces (called lalawigan) in the Philippines. Each province is governed by an elected legislature called the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and by an elected governor. Remember, a province in the Philippines is divided into cities and towns (called municipalities^¹⁵), which in turn, are divided into barangays^¹⁶, formerly called barrios. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Provinces of the Philippines.”^¹⁷

^³Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), or Bangsamoro, is an autonomous region^¹⁴ located in southern Philippines. It replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) after the creation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 26, 2018. It is currently in transition until 2022.

Bangsamoro literally means “Moro nation” or “Moro country”. This region consists of 5 provinces^² (Basilan except Isabela City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao^¹, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi), 116 towns (called municipalities) and 3 component cities (Cotabato City, Lamitan and Marawi).

The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Bangsamoro”.^¹⁸

^⁴Adobo is a Filipino version of the Spanish adobo/adobar, according to Wikipedia page “Adobo”.^¹⁹ It was originally made by stewing meat (chicken and/or pork) in vinegar and soy sauce, with garlic, salt and bay leaves, sometimes with sliced potatoes. The meat is sometimes fried after stewing.

^⁵Siling labuyo, or simply labuyo, is a small chili pepper that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange^²⁰. It belongs to the species Capsicum frutescens and is characterized by triangular, very pungent fruits which grow pointing upwards. Siling labuyo is a Tagalog term meaning “wild chili”.

It is a very small hot pepper, measuring 0.20 in (0.51 cm) in length and 0.10 in (0.25 cm) in width, clustered in groups of 2 to 3 at a node. Immature fruits are deep green in color but turns to a vivid red when ripe. At one time, the Guinness Book of World Records listed it as the hottest chili in the world but other hotter varieties have since been identified. It measures around 80,000-100,000 Scoville units, which is at the lower end of the range for the hotter habanero chili (rated 100,000-350,000 Scoville units and a popular ingredient in hot sauces).

Its fruits and leaves are used in traditional Philippine cuisine. The fruit is popularly used to flavor vinegar to be used as a spicy condiment or dip, while the leaves are consumed as a vegetable, like in the Philippine chicken soup dish called tinola.

See a related post: TEMPTING AND TASTY TINOLA

The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Siling labuyo”.^²¹

^⁶Pandanus amaryllifolius is a tropical plant in the Pandanus (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan. Its fragrant leaves are tied into a knot and boiled to extract the green juice used as coloring and flavoring to native South and Southeast Asian cuisine. It also gives a pleasant aroma to boiled rice and other dishes. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Pandanus amaryllifolius”.^²²

^⁷Mindanao is one of the 3 major geographical divisions of the Philippines. It is the second largest island of the country and covers 6 administrative regions^¹⁴: Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)^³. It is composed of 22 provinces^² and 33 cities (27 provinces and 33 cities, if associated islands are included). The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Mindanao.”^²³ Mindanao is located in the southern part of the country; the 2 other geographical divisions of the Philippines are Luzon (in the northern part) and Visayas (the middle part).

^⁸Maranao is an Austronesian language spoken by the Maranao^²⁴ people in the provinces^² of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, in northwestern Maguindanao^¹, northwestern Cotabato, and northwestern Bukidnon, all located in the Mindanao^⁷ group of islands in southern Philippines. It is also a language in the state of Sabah, Malaysia. It is spoken with a distinct downstep^²⁵ accent, aspired “hard consonants”, which also raise the quality of following vowels. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Maranao language.”^²⁶

^⁹The Iranun language is spoken by the Iranun people who are a Moro ethnic group native to Mindanao^⁷, Philippines. It is also a language spoken in the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia. The Iranun and Maranao^²⁴ still speak the language closest to the ancient Proto-Danaw among all of the Danao languages spoken by these groups.

The Iranun people are believed to be descendants of Maranao who left Lake Lanao, and settled elsewhere. These migrations were usually merchant clans of the Maranao who established trading routes near the coast.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Iranun people.”^²⁷

^¹⁰The Tausug people, or Suluk, are an ethnic group of the Philippines and Malaysia, and even a small population in the northern part of North Kalimantan, a province in Indonesia. You have to understand that the Tausugs originally had an independent state known as the Sultanate of Sulu, which once exercised sovereignty over the present day provinces of Basilan, Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga City, the eastern part of the Malaysian state of Sabah (formerly North Borneo), and North Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The Tausugs are part of the wider political identity of Muslims of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan. Most have converted into the religion of Islam and it members are now known as the Moro^²⁸ group, who constitute the 3^rd largest ethnic group of Mindanao^⁷, Sulu and Palawan.

The word Tausug is derived from two words: tau (“person”) and Sug (“Sulu”). so Tausug means “people of Sulu”. The local name of their language is bahasa Sug (Sulu language).

The Tausug language is the language spoken by the Tausug people. It is related to Bicolano, Tagalog and Visayan languages, being closely related to the Surigaonon language of the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur, as well as the Butuanon language of northeastern Mindanao, sharing common words with Tausug which were not influenced of the Arabic language.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Tausug people.”^²⁹

^¹¹“Pastil” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastil

^¹²“Maguindanao” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maguindanao

^¹³https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maguindanao-people

^¹⁴A region is an administrative division based on geographical, cultural and ethnological characteristics. Each region is further subdivided in provinces^², composed of cities and municipalities^¹⁵(or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays^¹⁵, formerly called barrios, according to Wikipedia page “Regions of the Philippines”^³⁰.

^¹⁵A municipality is a small, single urban administrative division, or local government unit (LGU)^³¹, in the Philippines which has corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by law. It is a unit under a province^², subdivided into barangays^¹⁶, and is called town, or bayan. In the Philippines, a municipality is headed by a mayor, a vice mayor and members of the Sangguniang Bayan (legislative branch). The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Municipalities of the Philippines.”^³²

^¹⁶A barangay in the Philippines is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines, headed by a barangay captain, aided by a Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council). It is the native Filipino term for a village. It was formerly called a barrio. In a metropolitan area, a barangay is an inner city neighborhood, a suburb, or a suburban neighborhood. The word barangay originated from the term balangay, a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian people who migrated to the Philippines. A number of barangays grouped together is called a district. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Barangay.”^³³

^¹⁷“Provinces of the Philippines,” accessed May 29, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_the-Philippines

^¹⁸“Bangasamoro,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangsamoro

^¹⁹“Adobo,” accessed December 12, 2018, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobo

^²⁰The Columbian Exchange, or the Columbian Interchange, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, (free and enslaved) human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. It is named after Christopher Columbus, and is related to European colonization and trade following his 1492 voyage. This term was first used in 1972 by the American historian Alfred W. Crosby in his environmental history book “The Columbian Exchange”. It was rapidly adopted by other historians and journalists. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Columbian Exchange”.^³⁴

^²¹“Siling labuyo” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siling_labuyo

^²²“Pandanus amaryllifolius,” accessed March 29, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandanus_amaryllifolius

^²³“Mindanao,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindanao

^²⁴The Maranao people are the southern indigenous people who are the “people of the lake”, predominantly-Muslim Lanao, in the Mindanao group of islands, Philippines. They are known for their artwork, weaving, wood, plastic and metal crafts, and Daragen, their epic literature which is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The name “Maranao” means “people of the lake”, in reference to Lake Lanao, the ancestral homeland of the Maranao people.

They are ethnically and culturally closely related to the Iranun^²⁷ and Maguindanao, with all 3 groups denoted as speaking Danao languages and giving name to the island of Mindanao.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Maranao people”.^³⁵

^²⁵Downstep is a phenomenon in languages where when 2 syllables have the same tone, the 2^nd syllable is lower in pitch than the first.^³⁶

^²⁶“Maranao language” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranao_language

^²⁷ “Iranun people” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranun_people

^²⁸The collective term Moro people, or Bangsamoro people, refers to the 13 Islamized ethnolinguistic groups of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan, native to the region known as the Bangsamoro^³ (lit. “Moro nation” or “Moro country”). As Muslim-majority ethnic groups, they form the largest non-Christian population in the Philippines, and comprise about 5% of the country’s population, or 5 million people.

Outside the Philippines, some Moros remain in areas once controlled by the Sulu Sultanate along the eastern coast of Sabah, Malaysia; others emigrated to Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei in the late 20^th century due to the Moro conflict in Mindanao. New communities can be found today in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Semporna in Sabah, Malaysia, North Kalimantan in Indonesia, and in Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei.

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Moro people”.^³⁷

^²⁹“Tausug people” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tausug_people

^³⁰“Regions of the Philippines,” accessed July 17, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_the_Philippines

^³¹A local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines is divided into 3 levels: provinces^² and independent cities^³⁸; component cities^³⁹ and municipalities^¹⁵; and, barangays^¹⁶, according to Wikipedia page “Local government in the Philippines”.^⁴⁰

^³²“Municipalities of the Philippines” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_the_Philippines

^³³“Barangay,” accessed December 30, 2018, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barangay

^³⁴“Columbian exchange” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_exchange

^³⁵“Manarao people” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maranao_people

^³⁶https://findwords.info/term/downstep

^³⁷“Moro people” accessed December 19, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moro_people

^³⁸An independent city in the Philippines is no longer subject to review by any province’s Provincial Board (Sangguniang Panlalawigan), stops sharing its tax revejue with any province, and is directly supervised by the President of the Philippines. There are currently 38 independent cities in the Philippines.

There are 2 kinds of independent cities:

The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Cities of the Philippines”.^⁴¹

^³⁹A component city (CC) is a type of city in the Philippines which does not meet the requirements of a highly urbanized city^³⁸. It is under the jurisdiction of a province^². If such a city is located along the boundaries of 2 or more provinces, it shall be considered part of the province of which it used to be a municipality^¹⁵. The information was obtained from the Wikipedia page “Cities in the Philippines.”^⁴¹

^⁴⁰“Local government in the Philippines,” accessed April 2, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_government_in_the_Philippines

^⁴¹“Cities in the Philippines,” accessed April 2, 2018,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_in_the_Philippines