Bongao, officially the Municipality of Bongao, is a 2nd class municipality and capital of the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 116,118 people. [5]
Bud Bongao, a 250-hectare (620-acre) mountain-forest located within the municipality
Evidence of human presence in Bongao was carbon-dated to be 8,810 to 5,190 years old, signifying one of the earliest known evidence of human presence in Southeast Asia. The bones, jars, shells, and other artifacts and fossils were found in the Bolobok Rock Shelter Cave Archaeological Site, which has been declared as an Important Cultural Treasure by the government in 2017.[6]
Much of the Bongao area was the center of Bajau culture and arts for hundreds of years. By the 14th century, Muslim missionaries from Arabia arrived and established the first ever mosque in the Philippines. The area was heavily converted to Islam, especially when the Sultanate of Sulu in nearby Sulu province was founded.
The province of Tawi-tawi was never officially controlled directly by the Spanish as the Sultanate of Sulu was in a perpetual war with Spain, resulting to the preservation of its Muslim and Bajau cultures. However, the sultanate waned and was captured by Spain, only to be handed to American forces after a few years. Sibutu remained under Spanish rule until 1900.
Before the armed rebellion of the MNLF in the early 1970s, Bongao was merely a backwater village ruled by the prominent noble Halun family, who used to own about three-quarters of the island. The capital of the province was Batu-Batu (in Panglima Sugala) in the mainland situated in a cove with deep waters suited for anchors of the Philippine Navy. At the height of the armed rebellion and fearing that the provincial capitol might be overrun, the government transferred it to Bongao. The white-washed, Taj Mahal-inspired provincial capitol building is located on a hill overlooking the bay and the whole town to the North of the Island against the backdrop of Mount Kabugan and the famous Bud Bongao (Bongao Peak).
The transfer of the seat of government ushered the rapid development of the island as the southernmost center of commerce and trade. Suddenly, the population swelled as individuals (and their families) who are in government service moved to the town.
Today, Bongao is a minuscule cosmopolitan site that is becoming a model of multicultural society. In downtown Bongao, there are mosques for the majority Muslim population, a Catholic church, a church for Protestant inhabitants, and a Chinese temple.
The municipality is the home of the Balobok Rock Shelter-Cave Archaeological Site, which carbon dates the existence of humans on Tawi-Tawi for 5,000-8,000 years, making it one of the earliest human settlement site in Southeast Asia. The entire archaeological site has been declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Government in 2017.[12]
The main thoroughfare is Datu Halun Street, where the Town Hall is situated. Poblacion is the commercial hub. Most of the businesses here are owned by local people. Due to its relative peace and order situation, recent migrant Chinese from Zamboanga have also open business.
The Midway Plaza Mall, a new 2-storey retail center, is the first shopping mall in Tawi-tawi opened in April 2010.
Education
Bongao is home to the Mindanao State University - Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography (MSU-TCTO), Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College (TRAC), Mahardika Institute of Technology (MIT), Abubakar Learning Center Foundation College (ALC), Tawi-Tawi School of Midwifery (TTSM). The first two are government owned state colleges, while the last three are privately owned.
There are several secondary high schools in Tawi-Tawi such as the MSU TCTO - Science High School, MSU TCTO Preparatory High School, Tawi-Tawi School of Arts and Trade, Notre Dame of Bongao, and Tawi-Tawi School of Fisheries (TTSF).
^"2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
^"2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". 2020 Census of the Philippines. Philippine Statistics Authority. July 7, 2021.
^"PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
^Census of Population (2020). "BARMM". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
^. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
^"Climate: Bongao". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
^Census of Population (2015). "ARMM – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
^Census of Population and Housing (2010). "ARMM – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
^Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "ARMM – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
^"PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bongao.
Bongao Profile at PhilAtlas.com
Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Bongao Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
January 09, 2023
bongao, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, 2014, le. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Bongao news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Bongao officially the Municipality of Bongao is a 2nd class municipality and capital of the province of Tawi Tawi Philippines According to the 2020 census it has a population of 116 118 people 5 Bongao بوڠااوMunicipalityMunicipality of BongaoAerial view of the Bongao CoastFlagSealMap of Tawi Tawi with Bongao highlightedOpenStreetMapBongaoLocation within the PhilippinesCoordinates 5 01 45 N 119 46 23 E 5 02917 N 119 77306 E 5 02917 119 77306 Coordinates 5 01 45 N 119 46 23 E 5 02917 N 119 77306 E 5 02917 119 77306CountryPhilippinesRegionBangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoProvinceTawi TawiDistrictLone districtBarangays35 see Barangays Government 1 TypeSangguniang Bayan MayorJimuel S Que Vice MayorJasper S Que RepresentativeDimszar M Sali Municipal CouncilMembers Talib Q Ibbo Jr Mon Harris T SamsuyaRufaida S AkipMidzfar H PajijiAcmed H KalbitHussin Lhong S KaranainNagder A SangkulaKhaizal A Jumdail Electorate62 285 voters 2022 Area 2 Total365 95 km2 141 29 sq mi Elevation6 0 m 19 7 ft Highest elevation408 m 1 339 ft Lowest elevation0 m 0 ft Population 2020 census 3 Total116 118 Density320 km2 820 sq mi Households19 589Economy Income class2nd municipal income class Poverty incidence17 29 2018 4 Revenue 291 885 869 14 2020 Assets 211 999 328 45 2020 Expenditure 259 546 678 59 2020 Liabilities 57 799 094 32 2020 Service provider ElectricityTawi Tawi Electric Cooperative TAWELCO Time zoneUTC 8 PST ZIP code7500PSGC157002000IDD area code 63 0 68Native languagesSama Tagalog Sabah MalayWebsitewww wbr bongao wbr gov wbr ph Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2 1 Barangays 2 2 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Culture 5 Economy 6 Education 7 References 8 External linksHistory Edit Aerial view of Bongao Island circa pre 1942 Bud Bongao a 250 hectare 620 acre mountain forest located within the municipality Evidence of human presence in Bongao was carbon dated to be 8 810 to 5 190 years old signifying one of the earliest known evidence of human presence in Southeast Asia The bones jars shells and other artifacts and fossils were found in the Bolobok Rock Shelter Cave Archaeological Site which has been declared as an Important Cultural Treasure by the government in 2017 6 Much of the Bongao area was the center of Bajau culture and arts for hundreds of years By the 14th century Muslim missionaries from Arabia arrived and established the first ever mosque in the Philippines The area was heavily converted to Islam especially when the Sultanate of Sulu in nearby Sulu province was founded The province of Tawi tawi was never officially controlled directly by the Spanish as the Sultanate of Sulu was in a perpetual war with Spain resulting to the preservation of its Muslim and Bajau cultures However the sultanate waned and was captured by Spain only to be handed to American forces after a few years Sibutu remained under Spanish rule until 1900 Before the armed rebellion of the MNLF in the early 1970s Bongao was merely a backwater village ruled by the prominent noble Halun family who used to own about three quarters of the island The capital of the province was Batu Batu in Panglima Sugala in the mainland situated in a cove with deep waters suited for anchors of the Philippine Navy At the height of the armed rebellion and fearing that the provincial capitol might be overrun the government transferred it to Bongao The white washed Taj Mahal inspired provincial capitol building is located on a hill overlooking the bay and the whole town to the North of the Island against the backdrop of Mount Kabugan and the famous Bud Bongao Bongao Peak The transfer of the seat of government ushered the rapid development of the island as the southernmost center of commerce and trade Suddenly the population swelled as individuals and their families who are in government service moved to the town Geography EditThe municipality s territory includes Bongao Island where the poblacion is located Sanga Sanga Island Pababag Island as well as the western end of Tawi Tawi Island Barangays Edit Bongao is politically subdivided into 35 barangays themselves split into two geographical regions Mainland and Islands Ipil M Kamagong M Karungdong I Lakit Lakit I Lamion I Lapid Lapid M Lato Lato I Luuk Pandan I Luuk Tulay M Malassa I Mandulan I Masantong M Montay Montay M Pababag I Pagasinan I Pahut I Pakias I Paniongan I Pasiagan I Bongao Poblacion I Sanga Sanga I Silubog M Simandagit I Sumangat M Tarawakan M Tongsinah I Tubig Basag I Ungus ungus M Lagasan I Nalil I Pagatpat M Pag asa I Tubig Tanah I Tubig Boh I Tubig Mampallam I Climate Edit Bongao has a tropical rainforest climate Af with heavy rainfall year round Climate data for BongaoMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearAverage high C F 29 6 85 3 29 6 85 3 30 2 86 4 30 9 87 6 31 5 88 7 31 1 88 0 31 1 88 0 31 3 88 3 31 3 88 3 31 0 87 8 30 5 86 9 30 0 86 0 30 7 87 2 Daily mean C F 26 1 79 0 26 1 79 0 26 4 79 5 26 7 80 1 27 2 81 0 26 8 80 2 26 7 80 1 26 9 80 4 26 8 80 2 26 7 80 1 26 5 79 7 26 3 79 3 26 6 79 9 Average low C F 22 6 72 7 22 6 72 7 22 6 72 7 22 6 72 7 22 9 73 2 22 6 72 7 22 4 72 3 22 6 72 7 22 4 72 3 22 5 72 5 22 6 72 7 22 6 72 7 22 6 72 7 Average rainfall mm inches 177 7 0 146 5 7 123 4 8 126 5 0 179 7 0 178 7 0 144 5 7 118 4 6 132 5 2 183 7 2 196 7 7 172 6 8 1 874 73 7 Source Climate Data org 7 Demographics EditPopulation census of BongaoYearPop p a 19031 854 19183 486 4 30 19394 510 1 23 19485 626 2 49 196010 822 5 60 197020 983 6 84 197520 560 0 41 198027 884 6 28 199037 932 3 13 199546 672 3 96 200058 174 4 84 200795 055 7 01 201079 362 6 36 2015100 527 4 61 2020116 118 2 88 Source Philippine Statistics Authority 8 9 10 11 Bongao poblacionCulture EditToday Bongao is a minuscule cosmopolitan site that is becoming a model of multicultural society In downtown Bongao there are mosques for the majority Muslim population a Catholic church a church for Protestant inhabitants and a Chinese temple The municipality is the home of the Balobok Rock Shelter Cave Archaeological Site which carbon dates the existence of humans on Tawi Tawi for 5 000 8 000 years making it one of the earliest human settlement site in Southeast Asia The entire archaeological site has been declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Government in 2017 12 Economy EditPoverty Incidence of Bongao Source Philippine Statistics Authority 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 The main thoroughfare is Datu Halun Street where the Town Hall is situated Poblacion is the commercial hub Most of the businesses here are owned by local people Due to its relative peace and order situation recent migrant Chinese from Zamboanga have also open business Banks operating in Bongao include Land Bank of the Philippines Philippine National Bank and Metrobank Quedancor a government owned investment company has recently opened business The Midway Plaza Mall a new 2 storey retail center is the first shopping mall in Tawi tawi opened in April 2010 Education EditBongao is home to the Mindanao State University Tawi Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography MSU TCTO Tawi Tawi Regional Agricultural College TRAC Mahardika Institute of Technology MIT Abubakar Learning Center Foundation College ALC Tawi Tawi School of Midwifery TTSM The first two are government owned state colleges while the last three are privately owned There are several secondary high schools in Tawi Tawi such as the MSU TCTO Science High School MSU TCTO Preparatory High School Tawi Tawi School of Arts and Trade Notre Dame of Bongao and Tawi Tawi School of Fisheries TTSF References Edit Municipality of Bongao DILG 2015 Census of Population Report No 3 Population Land Area and Population Density PDF Philippine Statistics Authority Quezon City Philippines August 2016 ISSN 0117 1453 Archived PDF from the original on May 25 2021 Retrieved July 16 2021 2020 Census of Population and Housing 2020 CPH Population Counts Declared Official by the President 2020 Census of the Philippines Philippine Statistics Authority July 7 2021 PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates Philippine Statistics Authority December 15 2021 Retrieved January 22 2022 Census of Population 2020 BARMM Total Population by Province City Municipality and Barangay PSA Retrieved July 8 2021 Tawi tawi Glimpse of pre historic life at Balobok Rock Shelter Ironwulf en Route Archived from the original on October 25 2019 Retrieved August 1 2017 Climate Bongao Climate Data org Retrieved October 25 2020 Census of Population 2015 ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Total Population by Province City Municipality and Barangay PSA Retrieved June 20 2016 Census of Population and Housing 2010 ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Total Population by Province City Municipality and Barangay NSO Retrieved June 29 2016 Censuses of Population 1903 2007 ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Table 1 Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province Highly Urbanized City 1903 to 2007 NSO Province of Tawi tawi Municipality Population Data Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division Retrieved December 17 2016 Tawi tawi Glimpse of pre historic life at Balobok Rock Shelter Ironwulf en Route Archived from the original on October 25 2019 Retrieved August 1 2017 Poverty incidence PI Philippine Statistics Authority Retrieved December 28 2020 https psa gov ph sites default files NSCB LocalPovertyPhilippines 0 pdf publication date 29 November 2005 publisher Philippine Statistics Authority https psa gov ph sites default files 2003 20SAE 20of 20poverty 20 28Full 20Report 29 1 pdf publication date 23 March 2009 publisher Philippine Statistics Authority https psa gov ph sites default files 2006 20and 202009 20City 20and 20Municipal 20Level 20Poverty 20Estimates 0 1 pdf publication date 3 August 2012 publisher Philippine Statistics Authority https psa gov ph sites default files 2012 20Municipal 20and 20City 20Level 20Poverty 20Estima7tes 20Publication 20 281 29 pdf publication date 31 May 2016 publisher Philippine Statistics Authority https psa gov ph sites default files City 20and 20Municipal level 20Small 20Area 20Poverty 20Estimates 202009 2C 202012 20and 202015 0 xlsx publication date 10 July 2019 publisher Philippine Statistics Authority PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates Philippine Statistics Authority December 15 2021 Retrieved January 22 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bongao Bongao Profile at PhilAtlas com Philippine Standard Geographic Code Bongao Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index Philippine Census Information Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bongao amp oldid 1130796484, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
