Bud Bongao

Bud means mountain in the local language. Bud Bongao or simply Bud (Bongao Peak) is a majestic landmark that welcomes visitors to the Emerald Isles also known as Tawi-Tawi. Coming by air or by sea, the first sight from afar that captivates the eyes is the towering Bud that tells all and sundry that landfall is near. The Bud is a towering and forbidding sight that dominates the Sulu Sea. Bud Bongao rose from the bottom of the sea thousands of years ago in a great volcanic eruption that created the mainland Tawi-Tawi and other adjacent islands. This geological cataclysm had produced not only the enchanting Bud but also tells the origin of the Sama people. This perhaps explains the intermittent eruption of violence in an otherwise very peaceful province. The Bud is not only known for its fascinating beauty but also for its enchanting “mystique”. The Bud is deemed as sacred as it is the abode of the spirits or “jinns”. People go up the peak to appease the spirits and the “jinns” that disturb the lives of the peoples in the valley. People, whether Muslims or Christians, believe that the “jinns” that inhabit the Bud are intimately connected to the people who live below, as well as to the land and sea. It is this mystique or magic that makes the Bud a “holy mountain”. The town of Bongao sits right at the foot of the Peak. It is the capital town of the province. In 1973, when the dictator Marcos decided to empower the Sama people, he gave them a province of their own by carving the province of Tawi-Tawi from its mother, the Sulu province. But a good intention, even if backed by a dictator’s decree, is never self-implementing! Thus after more than three decades of existence, the province of Tawi-Tawi as instrument of empowerment for the Sama people remains an elusive dream or a promise that has turned sour. Many are blaming the dictator’s henchman, Romulo Espaldon, for the wrong turn of events in the province. They claim that from day one of the Sama province, the Sama people had always been marginalized. The same “wrong” was repeated when Marcos created the Autonomous Region IX. Thus, for more than 30 years and still counting, the political power of the province of Tawi-Tawi has remained in the hands of the Tausugs. There is nothing wrong with the Tausugs as a people. But by design and intent, their sphere of influence should have been the province of Sulu with its two Congressional Districts. The very rationale of the creation of the province of Tawi-Tawi was precisely to give the Sama people a voice and political power. Why this is NOT happening is another story of the kind of politics and political manipulation in the South. Yet, if there is a place in the planet earth to pilot tolerance and peace, Bongao would easily be a nominee. Muslims and Christians live side by side in peace and harmony. Except for the “outsiders”, the inhabitants speak Sama regardless of faith and provenance. They respect their respective feasts and they are not bothered by their differences. They, too, have learned to live together and continue to try to become neighbors to each other. This good relation is true also among the schools and colleges in the place. Mindanao State University, Notre Dame of Bongao and other non-sectarian schools in the town work together for a peaceful and better Bongao. As said earlier, there are also violent strands in this very peaceful place. Though people of Bongao refer to them as “outsiders”, they equally claim the place. The growing numbers of religious fanatics who are intolerant of differences among peoples, nations and communities become the source of frictions and new insecurities in the place. There is no ready answer to this phenomenon but simply to remind people over and over again that religious intolerance is a proven source of disaster for peoples and places alike. True people of God no longer present religions in opposition to one another but as partners for the good and well-being of the citizens and the planet. The other “outsiders” often referred to are the “masasamang loob”. They come to the shores of Bongao and other islands to disturb the peace and make trouble for the community. They steal, kidnap and destroy good relations in the community. The generic name given to them are Abu Sayyaf. They are definitely considered as “outsiders” and the peoples are helpless to ward them off. Sad to say, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is of little help against these “masasamang loob”. Like magic, they (PNP) often “disappear” when these “masasamang loob” appear in the horizon. With the presence of Marines and the Navy in the islands, the inhabitants feel, more or less, secure. I believe that in a paradise like Bongao and some islands in the Emerald Isles, the local government, with strong political will and ethical governance, can truly make a difference in improving the lives of its peoples and jumpstart the development of the place. The province of Tawi-Tawi and specifically the capital town of Bongao with their diverse peoples, rich resources and magical islands and islets can easily be the Shangri-la of the Philippines. In my last visit to Bongao, I had the privilege of having the company of Atty. Lorenzo Reyes, the former OIC Governor during the time of President Corazon Aquino. He is now overseeing the electrification projects within the ARMM. He is NO “outsider”. He is a native! His folks belonged to the original public teachers brought to the Archipelago of Sulu when General Tasker Bliss of the famed Moro Province brought governance and education to the islands. Though he was a man from the University of the Philippines and Harvard University, he speaks and acts like one of Oblate missionaries who can swim in the seas of loneliness, isolation and “hopelessness”. Why? Because they are either nuts or they are a people who are passionately in love with the peoples and the islands. I believe it is the latter! While celebrating the fiesta of Bongao parish, I had a good discussion about Tawi-Tawi and the development of Mindanao with PNB Vice President for Western Mindanao, Tess Uy-Sebastian. She, too, is a woman of great passion for Mindanao. With these people around, no doubt, development, progress and modernization are coming to the last frontier of the land. It begins in Bongao. The capital town has electricity, internet, cable TV and cell and land phone services for 24 hours. Sanga-Sanga has cell sites and electricity from 6 pm to midnight. Other islands like Sitangkai and Sibutu and Tongehat would have electricity hopefully before the end of the year. Smart and Globe towers have become symbols in many islands announcing to all that modernization has come! (Next: The Venice of the South)