Tags: Beaches and Water Activities, Indigenous Culture, Natural Wonders
By Gail Javier
SITANGKAI, TAWI-TAWI – With homes and almost everything else floating on water, this remote Tawi-Tawi town is considered the country’s own version of Venice.
Sitangkai is one of many islands dotting the province of Tawi-Tawi. It is said to be the farthest town down south, a mere 14 kilometers away from Sabah, Malaysia. Most traveler accounts point to the fact that the people of Sitangkai have more in common with the Malaysian culture.
The town, which has a total population of around 50,000, majority of which are Sama-speaking Badjaos, is also said to be the country’s biggest seaweed producer.
People in Sitangkai sell and trade seaweed (locally called guso and used as a salad ingredient) and other marine produce such as sea cucumbers and cuttlefish – though mostly in Borneo since its closer than Zamboanga City.
Tourism-wise, travelers brave going to this remote town because, like the Italian city of Venice, is characterized waterways and bridges instead of roads.
Blogger Red Jasmine reached a community called Sowang Pukul, where houses appear to be floating in water but are actually on stilts buried in the Sulu Sea’s sandy bottom. She and her companion also checked out the floating market (described as “one of the liveliest but least known” in Asia) in the town center, where one can buy freshly caught seafood.
The resemblance to Venice also lured blogger June Mercado to Sitangkai. Mercado, who has lived in Italy for years, described his awe upon reaching the place:
“The sheer beauty of the town center sitting right in the middle of the coral reefs with its natural waterways is simply beyond description. The romantic wooden walks and bridges crisscrossing the waterways are, definitely, no match to the marbles and granites of San Marco Cathedral, piazzas and palaces of its European counterpart. But Sitangkai’s natural beauty and environs speak not of human handiwork but of God’s.”
Mercado, however, noted a lot of work needs to be done about the town’s garbage problem. According to him, people admit to throwing their garbage in the waterways thinking the sea will wash it away. He also talked about efforts to preserve the town’s mangrove areas.
The best time to visit Sitangkai is during the month of September, when the entire province of Tawi-Tawi celebrates the Seaweed Festival.
How to get there:
There are flights from Manila to Bongao Airport in the capital city of Tawi-Tawi. From Bongao Pier, take a ferry bound for Sitangkai, which passes by nearby Sibutu Island.
Photos taken from Wtisburyschool.org, Phil-ip-pines.com and Wikipedia
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