Behind the news that often puts Tawi-Tawi in bad light, this southern-most island province of the country deserve more praise than it has gained, and more visitors to leave foot prints on its white sand shores.
The Island of Tawi-Tawi has so much to offer – the beauty of its islands is something we can all be proud of as Filipinos. They are not only comparable to what Coron and Boracay can offer, it’s comparable to what Maldives and even the Caribbean could offer.
Among these is the Panampangan Island – a 10 hectare uninhabited white-sand beach tagged as a ‘virgin island.’
This island is the longest sand bar in the Philippines – 10 kilometer long on low tide, 7 kilometers during high tide.
It is a marine conservation island, whose waters teem with life. Beds of corals and some of the world's endangered turtle species are found in its waters.
There is in fact a marine protected area (MPA) not far from the island, a reason why tourist and even locals have to coordinate with the local government unit (LGU) of the Municipality of Sapa-Sapa before visiting the beautiful island.

Since it hasn’t been commercialized, you will probably get the island exclusive for yourself if you visit it now.
Only an hour and thirty minutes boat ride from Tawi-Tawi’s capital, Bongao and you can reach Panampangan Island.
But Panampangan is not the only island you should mark on your list if visiting Tawi-Tawi – there is also the Island of South Ubian, whose Bintawlan Beach take’s the white-sand beach experience never more relaxing and satisfying than ever.
As you step on the shore, your feet will probably half-sink because of the island’s white sand – so fine and so white you’ll have it mistaken as confectioner glistening on a peaceful sunny day.
The breeze of fresh air that brushes the salty taste of the ocean, water so clear it reveals the beauty of life underwater and the whistling sound of coconut leaves that orchestrates a wonderful euphoria of music -- the perfect recipe for relaxation.
Because of its beautiful islands, it is not surprising that last year more than 1 million tourists, local and foreign, visited Tawi-Tawi.
Among them, Rauri Benton from the United Kingdom, who visited Tawi-Tawi last month, who calls Tawi-Tawi as his home in the Philippines.
It is a 340 meter tall mountain, covering a lush 200 hectare land home to some endemic and endangered animals, flora and fauna and insects, making the peak as one of the 12 key biodiversity sites in the country protected by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Aside from being a key biodiversity site, the Bongao Peak is also the first eco-tourism park in the Autonomus Region in Muslim Mindanao developed by the regional government.
It was funded by the regional government under Gov Mujiv Hataman with more than P56 million ans was inaugurated last month by Gov. Hataman himself, together with his public works (DPWH-ARMM) secretary Engr. Don Mustapha Loong and public officials of Tawi-Tawi: Bongao Mayor Jimuel Que and Tawi-Tawi Governor Rashidin Matab.
The peak climb has more than 700 steps and three view deck stations that reveals and exhilarating bird’s eye view of Bongao – a spectrum of blue-green waters kissing the white-sand shores.
Like Benton, if you want to escape from the busy, noisy and polluted streets of the city, or relieve some stress from your work by climbing a mountain, or simply lying on a white sand shore while watching the fast-drifting and shape-shifting clouds against the blue sky – Tawi-Tawi is the best place to visit.

In consonance with the Hataman administration’s development agenda, more infra projects such as water systems, pier heads, shore protection and road projects is expected in the next years.
The envisioned Tawi-Tawi as ARMM’s top tourist destination is not so distant from the present.
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