«» Travel Notes 007: A Journey to the Southernmost Province of the Philippines
From scuba diving to cultural contrasts
HELLO. I’m Atom, and you’ve received my Travel Notes.
By visiting all 81 provinces of the Philippines and writing about my experiences, I hope is to connect with you similarly introspective, reflective, and deeply personal types who are not only after the top 10 destinations of the Philippines but also the top 10 ways travel can change you.
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May I see your passport? The woman behind the Tawi-Tawi tourism desk asks. I look back at her, confused. Passport?
Ah. This isn’t the first time, nor would it be the last time I’m mistaken for a foreigner—usually Japanese or Korean. I politely explain that I don’t have my passport because I’m from here, the Philippines. Ay pasesnya na po! she replies with an embarrassed smile. Ito po, pa fill-up nalang po nito. She gives me a logbook where I give my name, address, arrival date, departure date, and signature.
Our first activity is scuba diving. We visit three dive sites: Kobbong Reef, Mussah Reef, and the Pahut Plane Wreck.
While diving, my mom, dad, and Uncle Allen go on a city tour, but we regroup in the afternoon to climb Bud Bongau, the Philippines' southernmost peak. You can see Bud Bongao standing in the distance in the picture above.
The picture below is me with my parents standing in front of the intersection between Sanga-Sanga Island and Tawi-Tawi Island.
This is where we end our first day.
Sir 7am po pala labas na tayo, kasi mag close po yung runway 7:15am!
I woke up to this text from Ms. Shiela, our host for the trip and the owner of our homestay, which just so happens to be a seaside bamboo shack housed inside the airport.
In fact, if you look closely at the picture above, you may notice a blue shade near the middle of the airstrip. That’s Ms. Shiela’s homestay.
May license ka na ba? I joke with Denden, Sheila’s 18-year-old nephew and our tour guide for the day. He replies with a sheepish smile.
I’m riding on Denden’s habal-habal, while the rest of the group rides in a red Wigo driven by Ms. Shiela’s brother, Ysmael. Because we’re five in the group and Ms. Shiela doesn’t have a bigger car, we’re forced to get around this way. Four in a car, me on a bike.
We’re headed to the port for our island hopping tour.
Oh, and did I mention Ysmael is a policeman? The irony of Denden driving me around without a license while his policeman uncle drives the rest of our group does not escape me. They’re relaxed that way here, Ms. Shiela explains to me.
Panampangan island is two hours away from the port. It’s a beautiful island with a sandbar stretching into the ocean. It reminds me of Kalanggaman Island in Leyte.
My parents love it.
Our second island is Simunul Island.
It takes another two hours to reach Simunul Island, where we find the first mosque in the Philippines. The posts from the original structure built in the 1300s are preserved inside.
On our way, we see stilt houses in the middle of the ocean.
Denden shares that these belong to the Sama Dilaut (Badjao), whereas the stilt houses we see around the mainland of Tawi-Tawi belong to the educated Sama Dilaya (Sama).
I can’t help but feel in awe.
We’re the same people; we’re all Filipinos. Yet how drastically different our lives are. Not just between them and me but even between the Sama and Badjao because the Badjao, I’m told, cannot make a living on land. That’s why they’re often seen begging.
At the same time, although the Sama is educated and has learned to make a living on land, they are far from city-dwelling Filipinos. I have yet to interact closely with them, but from what I can see, they farm seaweed, they live within the vicinity of their stilt houses, and some have sari-sari stores. I doubt any drive cars, own Instagram accounts or eat in restaurants. Few may even speak Tagalog.
We are supposed to have lunch and end the day on Sangay Siapo Island, only 15 minutes from Simunul Island. Still, we are greeted by a guard who tells us the resort is under construction.
We’re forced to have lunch on our boat.
Denden sits to my left beside my dad. Kelvin, our boatman, sits in the middle, while AJ, my mom, and uncle Allen sit to the left. (Kelvin was also our scuba diving guide the day before).
Lovely, one of Shiela’s relatives who helps when guests are over, serves us our dinner.
First time ko makakita ng Koreano na nagsasalita ng Filipino. Lovely comments to my mom. It brings a chuckle around the group.
I find it amusing that people are amused by me. I don’t feel special, but I can tell I’m different.
Landscape-wise, Tawi-Tawi is the same. It’s islands, beaches, coral reefs, and mountains. It’s what you would find in many of the country’s islands. But it’s nothing like any province I’ve been to.
What do you think? Are these differences something to be preserved, or are they people waiting to be helped by modern technology and education?
Until next week,
Atom
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