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

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 municipality¹ of Sapa-Sapa², in the province³ of Tawi-Tawi⁴, in the Sulu Archipelago⁵, in the Celebes Sea. It is located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)⁶ of 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-Tawi⁴. 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-Tawi⁴? 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-Tawi⁴ 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 province³, subdivided into barangays⁹, 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 class¹¹ municipality¹ in the province³ of Tawi-Tawi⁴, in the Sulu Archipelago⁵, 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 barangays⁹. 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 region¹³. 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 municipalities¹ (or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays⁹, formerly called barrios. The information was obtained from Wikipedia page “Provinces of the Philippines.”¹⁴ 

See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: WHAT ARE PROVINCES IN THE PHILIPPINES?

⁴Tawi-Tawi is an island province³ in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)⁶ of the Philippines. It is part of the Sulu Archipelago⁵, 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 municipalities¹ 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 Mindanao¹⁷ island group, consisting of the provinces³ of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi⁴, 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 people¹⁸ who speak the Tausug language¹⁹.

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

⁶Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), or Bangsamoro, is an autonomous region¹³ 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 provinces³ (Basilan except Isabela City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi⁴), 116 municipalities¹ and 3 component cities²¹ (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: provinces³ and independent cities²³; component cities²¹ and municipalities¹; and, barangays⁹, 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 municipality¹ 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 provinces³, composed of cities and municipalities¹ (or towns), which in turn, are divided into barangays⁹, formerly called barrios, according to Wikipedia page “Regions of the Philippines” ²⁷. 

See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: WHAT ARE THE REGIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES?

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 regions¹³: Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)⁶. It is composed of 22 provinces³ 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 provinces³ of Basilan, Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi⁴, Zamboanga City, North Kalimantan (Indonesia), and the eastern part of Sabah (Malaysia).

They are part of the wider political identity of Muslims of Mindanao¹⁷ 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 province³ of Sulu in the Philippines and in the eastern area of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, by the Tausug people¹⁸, an ethnic group in Malaysia and Mindanao¹⁷, 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 city³¹. It is under the jurisdiction of a province². 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 municipality¹. 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 province³, and is directly supervised by the President of the Philippines. There are currently 38 independent cities in the Philippines.

See a related post: Foreign Seniors Ask: HOW MANY CITIES ARE THERE 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 

WHAT ARE THE EXTREME N-S-W-E OF THE PHILIPPINES?

Dearest readers, are you experiencing quarantine stress and fatigue? Have you done all you can around the house? Are there times when you just do not want to do anything and your mind wanders? I have! Once, I wondered what the extreme points of the Philippines are, in all directions – north, south, west and east? I had an idea but I had to confirm and research. Interested? Allow Tita S to tell you.

Let us start at the top, let us go north!

Mavulis (Y’Ami) Island is the northernmost of the Batanes islands and the northernmost point of the Philippines, at 21°7′18.41″N 121°56′48.79″E. This uninhabited island is located in the municipality of Itbayat, in the province of Batanes, in the Cagayan Valley Region (Region II), in Luzon. The island is 2.2 km long and up to a km wide. It is rocky on the coasts but is covered in lush vegetation, including mangrove, palms and other native shrubs. Coconut crabs are found in large numbers on the island. It is guarded by the military and frequently visited by local fishermen. It has a newly constructed military and fishermen shelter, a helipad, lighthouse, and a flagpole on the top of the highest point, Y’Ami Hill, at 219 meters (719 ft. high).

See these videos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h2MJG_gkmk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=couPMm0fmPY.

I do not think we can include this in our AC (After Covid) travel bucket list, dearest Seniors, since this place is uninhabitable. On second thought, what if we just jetski there and place a Philippine flag? Joke!

Now, let us go south.

Frances Reef, located in the municipality of Sitangkai, in the province of Tawi-Tawi, in the Bangsamoro Region, in Mindanao, is the southernmost point of the Philippines, at 4°24′53.84″N 119°14′50.71″E.

Not much is written about it so I surmise that we cannot go there, dearest readers. Basically, Tawi-Tawi is not a travel destination but you can contact its tourism office for more information and possible visit there.

How about going to the extreme west?

Balabac Great Reef, in the municipality of Balabac, in the province of Palawan, in the Mimaropa Region, in Luzon, is the westernmost point of the Philippines, at 7°54′36.35″N 116°53′16.64″E.  

I have read how beautiful the town of Balabac is, but as a senior citizen, I am cautious to go there due to its distance from Puerto Princesa (I was told 5 days would be ideal since about 2-3 days would be for travel), the possibility of malaria and sandflies, and the islands being spread far apart. I have seen island hopping packages but have not seen one going to Balabac Great Reef. Not much is written about it too.

But wait! Pag-asa Island, in the municipality of Kalayaan, in the province of Palawan, in the Mimaropa Region, in Luzon, will be the westernmost point of the Philippines, at 11°3′N 114°17′E, if the Philippines’ claim to this island will be accepted by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Want to know more about this island? See footnote 1.

Pag-asa Island is administered by the Philippines, but claimed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Republic of China (Taiwan) and Vietnam. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected China’s claim on the South China Sea and ruled in favor of the Philippines. However, as of this writing, China rejected the international court’s decision.  

Definitely, dearest Seniors, we cannot visit Pag-asa Island since it is still a contested place, there are no regular commercial flights and no tourist facilities, and there are no plans to develop the island as a tourist destination.²  See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg5A0sjXnG0.

Finally, let us go to the extreme right, to the east!

Pusan Point, in the municipality of Caraga, in the province of Davao Oriental, in Mindanao, is the easternmost point of the Philippines, at 7°17′19.80″N 126°36′18.16″E. As such, it is called the First Light in the Philippines since the sun rises 4 minutes earlier there, compared to other parts of the country. A 16-feet (4.9 m.) Jubilee Cross was erected to mark the Millennium Sunrise, the first sunrise in the country in 2000, on the limestone cliff by the shore, seen everywhere in Caraga.³ 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/provinceofdavaooriental/photos/a.1064484543591414/1064486560257879

Great news! This place could be included in your AC bucket list!

Pusan Point Eco Park and Planetarium at Night – Source: https://www.facebook.com/provinceofdavaooriental/photos/a.1193837590656108/1193851337321400

Tourists are encouraged to visit Pusan Point, its lighthouses (yes, it has two⁴), the Jubilee Cross, Pusan Point Eco Park and Science Discovery Center, and the picturesque view of the Pacific Ocean, the landscape, and then some.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/provinceofdavaooriental/photos/a.1193837590656108/1193852783987922

You can also visit https://davaooriental.gov.ph/ or the province’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/provinceofdavaooriental/.

The information was obtained from the following Wikipedia pages: “Extreme points of the Philippines”⁵, “Mavulis Island”⁶, “Thitu Island”⁷, and “Caraga, Davao Oriental”⁸.

Did you find this post informative? I would like to hear from you about these four extreme points of the Philippines. Will you go east and visit Pusan Point After Covid (AC)? If you already visited Pusan Point or other aforementioned extreme points, will you share your experience with me?

See other interesting posts in this category (Foreign Seniors Ask), Smart Travelers (Now You Know and Say, Say, Say), and other categories – SCapades and Pinoy Delights. 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”, not familiar with the terms used in this post, and those too busy or lazy to Google such terms:

¹Pag-asa Island (Philippine name). or Thitu Island (international name), is a low-lying island in the municipality of Kalayaan, in the province of Palawan, in the Mimaropa Region, in Luzon. It is the second largest of the naturally occurring Spratly Islands⁹ (next to Taiping Island or Itu Aba, administered by the Republic of China – Taiwan, as part of Cijin, Kaosiung, but also claimed by the People’s Republic of China, Vietnam and the Philippines) and the largest of the Philippine-administered islands in the (much contested) Spratlys.

It has trees, shrubs, and sand bars, and is surrounded by coral reefs and rusting shipwrecks visible above water.

The island has a white sand coastline, and a wide coral base. It is filled with trees,  and is a sanctuary for several species of sea birds. The island serves as the town proper to the municipality of Kalayaan, and has been occupied and administered by the Philippines since 1971. In 2001, civilian population was about 300, including children. It is the only Philippine-occupied island in the Spratlys to have a significant number of structures, including a municipal hall, multi-purpose hall, health center, school, water-filtration plant, engineering building, marina, communication tower, and military barracks.¹⁰ The 1.3 km-unpaved airstrip called Rancudo Airfield is the military and civilian airfield in the island, named after the late Maj. Gen. Jose Rancudo who started the construction of this airstrip. It also has a naval base of the Philippine Navy called the Naval Station Emilio Liwanag (formerly called Naval Station Pag-asa), renamed on July 7, 2009, in honor of Emilio S. Liwanag (1911-1967), a retired World War II and Korean War veteran, according to Wikipedia page ““Emilio S. Liwanag”.¹¹  

²https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/08/03/1940202/pag-asa-island-not-tourists-official#:~:text=Pag%2Dasa%20island%20not%20for%20tourists%20%E2%80%94%20official%20%7C%20Philstar.com&text=%E2%80%9CPag%2Dasa%20island%20is%20a,Government%20Secretary%20Eduardo%20A%C3%B1o%20said.

³https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/790228/pusan-where-ph-first-sees-the-sun 

⁴https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/790228/pusan-where-ph-first-sees-the-sun#:~:text=The%20point%20hosts%20two%20concrete,)%20complement%20the%20site’s%20substance.%E2%80%9D

⁵“Extreme points of the Philippines,” accessed March 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_points_of_the_Philippines

⁶“Mavulis Island,” accessed March 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mavulis_Island

⁷“Thitu Island,” accessed March 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thitu_Island

⁸“Caraga, Davao Oriental,” accessed March 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caraga,_Davao_Oriental 

⁹The Spratly Islands comprise a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. It lies in primary and strategic shipping lanes, off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Vietnam. It is composed of islands, islets and cays, and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atolls. It is named after the 19^th century British whaling captain Richard Spratly who sighted the islands in 1843, spread over an area of more than 425,000 km² (164,000 sq. mi.). The islands have no indigenous inhabitants or significant arable land, and very few of the islands have a permanent drinkable water supply. However, the islands offer rich fishing grounds and may contain significant oil and natural gas reserves, and as such, are important to the claimants in their attempts to establish international boundaries. Some of the islands have civilian settlements, but of the approximately 45 islands, cays, reefs and shoals that are occupied, all contain structures that are occupied by military forces from China (PRC), Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan (ROC), or Vietnam. Brunei also claims an exclusive economic zone in the southeastern part of the Spratlys, which includes the uninhabited Louisa Reef. The information was obtained from the following Wikipedia page “Spratly Islands”.¹²

¹⁰http://wikimapia.org/2533831/Rancudo-Airfield-RPPN#:~:text=Rancudo%20Airfield%20is%20named%20after,a%201.3%20km%20long%20airstrip. 

¹¹“Emilio S. Liwanag,” accessed March 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilio_S._Liwanag

¹²“Spratly Islands,” accessed March 29, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratly_Islands