Tawi-tawi village exhibit highlights ‘peace and simplicity’

COTABATO CITY – To bring Tawi-tawi closer to people from other places, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) opened the island province’s mock cultural village at the Office of the Regional Governor-armm compound here.

The mock village, representing the culture and tradition of the province, is still part of the celebration of the ARMM Pakaradjaan 2018. The original inhabitants of Tawi-tawi are the Sama, a word derived from the term ‘samasama’ which means ‘togetherness’. The Sama people are peace-loving and no wonder the province has the lowest crime rate in the entire region.

Tawi-tawi, tagged as an ‘Island Paradise’, is known for its wonderful sceneries. Its peaks and beaches possess natural beauty that Sama people are truly proud of.

“Tawi-tawi has the simplest among the five mock villages. It is based on what the province really is – peaceful and simple,” said village chieftain Dayang Carlsum Jumaide, Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform in ARMM.

One of the main attractions of the village is the replica of Bongao Peak or Bud Bongao, the first eco-tourism park developed by the ARMM. Bongao Peak is one of the 12 key biodiversity sites in the country protected under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project.

The region has developed Bud Bongao into an Eco-tourism Park with the construction of a visitor receiving center, waiting sheds, view decks, solar-powered post lights, concrete paved steps and handrails, and a 400meter access road.

Around 1,500 tourists visit the peak every week. In 2016, the Department of Tourism in ARMM recorded some one million tourist arrivals in Tawi-tawi, notwithstanding the island province’s remote location.

Also featured inside the village exhibit is the country’s oldest mosque – the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque – a National Historical Landmark as per declaration of the National Historical Commission and is recognized as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum.

Sheikh Karimul Makhdum is an Islamic preacher from Malaysia who arrived in Tawi-tawi in 1380. From then on, Islam became the faith of the Moro people and has been dominant in the Bangsamoro life and culture, setting the Moros’ identity apart from the rest of the country.

Through the ARMM’S Regional Legislative Assembly, a management board was created to manage, preserve and promote the Makhdum mosque as one of Bangsamoro’s historical landmarks. However, the mosque is currently closed to visitors to allow restoration and rehabilitation.

To complete the Tawitawi village experience, visitors can enjoy performing arts such as Pangalay dance and Sama songs that are featured every night. Visitors can also have a taste of different delicacies from Tawi-tawi. Sea foods, being the province’s main source of income, are the main commodities offered to visitors inside the village.