The Mangsee Islands are a group of two small islands in the far south west portion 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 ...
. The group comprises North Mangsee Island and South Mangsee Island. Together they form a
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...
within the
Balabac
Balabac Island is the southernmost island of the Palawan province, and therefore the westernmost undisputed island in the Philippines, only about north from Sabah, Malaysia, across the Balabac Strait.
Administratively, the island forms the main ...
, a municipality of the province of
Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...
. Based on the 2010 Census, the population of the Mangsee Islands was 8,433. By the time of the 2015 Census, the population has grown into 9,016.
History
Together with the
Turtle Islands the barangay enjoys the historical distinction of being territory that was not under Philippine administration at the time of independence in 1946. This is due to their unique history. By an international treaty concluded in 1930 between the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
(in respect of its then overseas territory, the
Philippine Islands
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 ...
) and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(in respect of its then protectorate, the
State of North Borneo) the two powers agreed the international boundaries between those respective territories. In that treaty the United Kingdom also accepted that the Turtle Islands as well as the Mangsee Islands were part of the Philippines Archipelago and therefore under United States sovereignty. However, by a supplemental international treaty concluded at the same time, the two powers agreed that those islands, although part of the Philippines Archipelago, would remain under the administration of the
State of North Borneo's
British North Borneo Company
The North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC), also known as the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) was a British chartered company formed on 1 November 1881 to administer and exploit the resources of North Borneo (present-day Sabah in Malaysia). ...
. The supplemental treaty provided that the British North Borneo Company would continue to administer those islands unless and until the United States government gave notice to the United Kingdom calling for administration of the islands to be transferred to the United States. The United States never gave such a notice.
[Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines regarding the transfer of the administration of the Turtle and Mangsee Islands to the Philippine Republic; Cmd 8320](_blank)
/ref> On 4 July 1946, the Republic 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 ...
was born. It became the successor to the United States under the treaties of 1930. On 15 July 1946, the United Kingdom annexed the State of North Borneo and, in the view of the United Kingdom, became the sovereign power with respect to what had been the State of North Borneo. On 19 September 1946, the Republic of the Philippines notified the United Kingdom that it wished to take over the administration of the Turtle Islands and the Mangsee Islands. Pursuant to a supplemental international agreement, the transfer of administration became effective on 16 October 1947.
Geography and society
The islands are situated in the Sulu Sea at the south-western tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and 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 ...
. South Mangsee Island is the larger of the two islands but is tiny measuring just 23 square hectares.[Controlled chaos on Palawan islet; article by By: Redempto D. Anda - Correspondent; ''Philippine Inquirer'', 18 January 2012] With a population of nearly 9,000, mostly ethnic Sama Muslims, the islands are very densely populated. South Mangsee is home to the majority of the population as well as governmental institutions such as an elementary school established in 1975. Mangsee is closer to Sabah, Malaysia, than to the southernmost Palawan town of Balabac to which it belongs administratively. There have been issues with the safety of the islands' water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
. In 2000, Mangsee was hit by an epidemic that killed around 200 people in a span of about two weeks, in what was believed to be caused by cholera. As of 2012, the barangay still did not have a resident doctor. Due to the problems, most of the islands inhabitants seek treatment to neighbouring Banggi Island
Banggi Island ( ms, Pulau Banggi) is located within the Kudat Division of Sabah in Malaysia. With an area of 440.7 square kilometres, it is the largest island in Malaysia followed by Bruit Island, Langkawi Island and Penang Island. It is locate ...
in Sabah. Smuggling to and from Malaysia, as well as fishing, are important economic activities in Mangsee.
Accessibility
Access to the Mangsee Islands is difficult, as there are no regular means of transportation to the area.
References
{{Palawan
Islands of Palawan
Landforms of the Sulu Sea