Tawi-Tawi’s Charm
I’m still in awe over having been in Tawi-Tawi last week — the Philippines’ southernmost frontier — a place of beckoning limestone peaks, emerald isles, and with a charm that turns one into mush (er…that’s me).
Encountering and meeting some Badjaos (indigenous peoples who used to live in the sea but have now set up villages on stilts) also reminded me about how the rest of the country has plenty of work left to do. Governance must work. And we all must start somewhere.
In between I met some Marines, fresh from a 10-months’ stint in Tawi-Tawi’s farflung island municipalities (some took 16 hours traversing the open sea), and settling for some respite (hopefully) in the capital, Bongao.
On my last day, I rode topload in the Marines’ hummer — passing through the sea in the horizon, mangroves just over the bend, and the Bongao peak hiding a sunset that quickly paved way to a starlit sky.
What a trip!
