Bongao Island is one of the islands of the Sulu Archipelago, a chain of islands between

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

and

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

. Bongao Island is the town center of the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of Bongao, the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

of the province of Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Being the urban area of Bongao, it is the trading center of the whole province. Commercial centers, banks, schools, hospitals and government buildings are located in the island. The main seaport of the Tawi-Tawi is also situated in the island. But the island also has natural attractions, which includes many beach resorts and the imposing mountain at the center of the island, Bud Bongao, which overlooks the landscape.

Barangays

10 out of Bongao's 35 barangays is situated in the island. * Bongao Poblacion * Lamion * Nalil * Pag-asa * Pahut * Pasiagan * Simandagit * Tubig-Boh * Tubig-Mampallam * Tubig Tanah

Geography

The total land area of Bongao Island is approximately . Directly north of the island is the island of Sanga-Sanga and its northeast is Pababag island. Both islands are still part of the municipality of Bongao. The island is around from

Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

, much nearer than Jolo or Zamboanga.

Demographics

According to the latest 2020 census, Bongao Island's total number of residents is 75,076. This table shows the population of the island's barangays. Residents of the island practice

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and are part of the ethnic group,

Sama Sama or SAMA may refer to: Places * Sama, Burkina Faso, a town in the Kouka Department, Banwa Province, Burkina Faso * Sama, China (Sanya), a city in Hainan, China * Sama, Chalus, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Sama, Nowshahr, a vil ...

. But since the Bongao is the capital of commerce, it also has

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and other groups such as Tausug,

Yakan Yakan may refer to: * Yakan people, a community of the Philippines * Yakan language, a language of the Philippines * Cape Yakan, in Russia People with the name * Adly Yakan Pasha (1864–1933), Egyptian politician * Fathi Yakan (1933–2009), Le ...

and

Bisaya Visayans (Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group, ...

Transport

There are regular flights from Zamboanga and

Cotabato Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: ڤڠوترن كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...

through Sanga-Sanga Airport located in the adjacent island of Sanga-Sanga. There are also scheduled boat trips from Zamboanga and Jolo to Bongao.

References

{{reflist

Barangays

Geography

Demographics

Transport

References

See also