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Province

Tawi-Tawi

Tawi-Tawi is a province in the Bangsamoro (BARMM) region of Mindanao, Philippines. Its population was 482,645 in the 2024 census, and it has 11 municipalities.

  • Population: 2024 Census
  • Places: PSGC 2Q 2026
  • Checked by Scene: October 8, 2026
  • Page updated: October 8, 2026
Sheer grey limestone cliffs of a forested mountain rising above coconut palms and a grassy clearing with scattered boulders, where cattle graze, under a pale sky.
Bud Bongao, above Bongao.Photo: “Bud Bongao the Healing Mountain” by JAcapulco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; resized by Scene. Scene's copy is shared under the same licence.

  • PeopleSources

    482,645

    people counted in the 2024 censusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary

    Up 31.7% from 2010 to 2024

  • Rank by peopleSources

    5th

    of the 6 provinces of Bangsamoro (BARMM) by population, 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary

    About 11 of every 100 people in Bangsamoro (BARMM) lived in Tawi-Tawi in 2024 (10.62%)

  • Inside itSources

    11

    cities and municipalities

    203 barangays

  • LandSources

    1,335.72 km²

    of land, 2019 masterlistLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.Explained by Scene: Tawi-Tawi's land would fill a square about 36.5 km on each side. That is only a way to picture its size: its real shape is on the map.More in the glossary

    Average density, 2024: 361 people per km²Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.Explained by Scene: About 4 people per hectare if everyone were spread evenly across the land. In fact people live closer together in towns and farther apart in the countryside.More in the glossary

  • HomesSources

    82,218

    households in 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary

    5.8 people in each, on average, in 2024

  • Town or countrySources

    27.8%

    About 28 of every 100 people lived in urban barangays in 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary

PSGC codePSGC codeThe code the Philippine Statistics Authority gives every place, so each one is known exactly, even when two share a name.More in the glossary
1907000000[4]Formerly 157000000

People

Tawi-Tawi had 482,645 people in the 2024 census, up 31.7% from 2010.
People at each census since 1960

Counts from 2000 on are on today’s borders; earlier counts are as the place was then, so the line may step where a border moved.

Tawi-Tawi had the 5th most people of the 6 provinces of Bangsamoro (BARMM) in 2024[1]
  1. 1Lanao del Sur1,368,137
  2. 2Maguindanao del Norte1,124,811
  3. 3Maguindanao del Sur813,243
  4. 4Basilan541,947
  5. 5Tawi-Tawi482,645
  6. 6Special Geographic Area214,703
All 6 provinces of Bangsamoro (BARMM)
Of every 100 people in Tawi-Tawi in 2024[1]
Age structure · 2024 Census[5]People living in households, by age and sex
  • About 37 of every 100 are children under 15 (37.4%)
  • About 60 of every 100 are of working age, 15 to 64 (59.9%)
  • About 3 of every 100 are 65 or older (2.7%)
MenWomen

The figures by age

People by age group, men and women
AgePeopleMenWomen
Under 556,39427,56428,830
5 - 963,55231,31532,237
10 - 1458,76528,90729,858
15 - 1951,54325,12826,415
20 - 2447,72123,02324,698
25 - 2940,19519,63820,557
30 - 3435,48917,55717,932
35 - 3928,40914,09714,312
40 - 4426,98413,54513,439
45 - 4921,03610,79210,244
50 - 5416,6008,9177,683
55 - 5910,5565,5684,988
60 - 647,9804,1333,847
65 - 695,3932,8462,547
70 - 743,9352,0321,903
75 - 791,8728461,026
80 - 841,039465574
85 and over663227436

Every figure, census by census

People, 2024 CensusCensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary
482,645[1, 2]
Households, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary
82,218[1, 2]
People in each household, 2024
5.8 on average[1, 2]
Share of Bangsamoro (BARMM), 2024Rank and shareWorked out by Scene from the PSA's counts: where a place stands among the places listed with it, and how many of every 100 of its parent's people live in it.More in the glossary
10.62%[1]
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary
27.8% (134,060 people)[6]
Men and women, 2024
236,600 men, 241,526 women[5]People living in households
Population at each census, with its source
CensusPopulationGrowth since the census beforeHouseholdsPeople per household
2024as of July 1, 2024482,645[1, 2]2.23% a year82,2185.8
2020as of May 1, 2020440,276[1]2.54% a year——
2015as of August 1, 2015390,715[1]1.22% a year——
2010as of May 1, 2010366,550[1]———
2007as of August 1, 2007; as it was then450,346[41]4.72% a year——
2000as of May 1, 2000; on today’s borders322,317[41, 42]5.53% a year——
1995as of September 1, 1995; as it was then250,718[41]1.78% a year——
1990as of May 1, 1990; as it was then228,204[41]1.60% a year——
1980as of May 1, 1980; as it was then194,651[41]6.28% a year——
1975as of May 1, 1975; as it was then143,487[41]5.43% a year——
1970as of May 6, 1970; as it was then110,196[41]3.36% a year——
1960as of February 15, 1960; as it was then78,594[41]———

Cities and municipalities

Tawi-Tawi is made up of 11 municipalities, with 203 barangays in all.
Colour byColours the map of Tawi-Tawi by the figure chosen; the key beside it says what each colour means.
Bongao: 131,887 people, 999 per km², 3.10% a yearLanguyan: 41,587 people, 111 per km², 2.78% a yearMapun: 29,218 people, 401 per km², −0.66% a yearPanglima Sugala: 52,657 people, 266 per km², 2.22% a yearSapa-Sapa: 37,129 people, 282 per km², 2.44% a yearSibutu: 38,070 people, 333 per km², 2.57% a yearSimunul: 35,616 people, 626 per km², 0.95% a yearSitangkai: 42,172 people, 1,370 per km², 2.98% a yearSouth Ubian: 31,942 people, 768 per km², 1.86% a yearTandubas: 34,702 people, 192 per km², 0.27% a yearTurtle Islands: 7,665 people, 2,248 per km², 7.44% a year

People · 2024 Census

  • Under 20,000
  • 20,000 to 31,000
  • 31,000 to 45,000
  • 45,000 to 76,000
  • 76,000 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Density · people per km², 2024

  • Under 140
  • 140 to 250
  • 250 to 390
  • 390 to 750
  • 750 and over

The same steps colour every map of cities and municipalities in the Atlas, so a colour means the same range everywhere.

Growth a year · 2020–2024

  • Fell by more than 1% a year
  • Fell, by up to 1% a year
  • Grew, by under 1% a year
  • Grew by 1 to 2% a year
  • Grew by 2% a year or more

Each place's yearly change between the 2020 and 2024 censuses, on the same steps as every map in the Atlas.

Borders from UN OCHA (PSA and NAMRIA), a guide and not the legal boundary[3]Open in OpenStreetMap
Cities and municipalities of Tawi-Tawi. Each column heading sorts the table.
[1, 7]Share (2024)
Bongao131,88727.33%3.10% a year132.08 km²
Languyan41,5878.62%2.78% a year373.37 km²
Mapun29,2186.05%−0.66% a year72.84 km²
Panglima Sugala52,65710.91%2.22% a year198.05 km²
Sapa-Sapa37,1297.69%2.44% a year131.75 km²
Sibutu38,0707.89%2.57% a year114.34 km²
Simunul35,6167.38%0.95% a year56.90 km²
Sitangkai42,1728.74%2.98% a year30.79 km²
South Ubian31,9426.62%1.86% a year41.59 km²
Tandubas34,7027.19%0.27% a year180.60 km²
Turtle Islands7,6651.59%7.44% a year3.41 km²

Land & Environment

Tawi-Tawi covers 1,335.72 km² of land, 361 people for every km² in 2024. Its land rises to 547 m above the sea and it has 1,538.1 km of coast.
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary
1,335.72 km²[7]As listed in the 2019 Masterlist of Land Areas (LMB, DENR)
Average density, 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary
361 people per km²[7]
Coordinates
5.25759° N, 120.16840° E[3]The point inside its border farthest from every edge, so it always falls within the place.
Height above the sea[38]
Lowest
Sea level
Average
35 m
Highest
547 m

Heights from the Copernicus DEM, a 30 m model of the surface: it reads the tops of trees and roofs, not the bare ground, over the land inside the border, the sea left out. Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.

Water, coast and peaks

1,538.1 km of coastline[39]

Rivers[39]

  1. Malum River15.7 of 16.0 km

Lakes[39]

  1. Look Lake2.4 km²
  2. lawa ng Sapa0.73 km²
  3. Lawa ng Singuwanglagoon0.49 km²
  4. Lawa ng Danaolagoon0.35 km²

Peaks[39]

  1. Mount Sibangkat535 m
  2. Mount Biladali349 m
  3. Sibutu Peak342 m
  4. Bundok ng Ledan337 m
  5. Simunul Peak328 m
  6. Mount Datu Sali321 m

The highest: 32 in all.

Named rivers, lakes and peaks as OpenStreetMap mapped them on 30 September 2026, and the coast within 150 m of the border. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Climate

Climate typeClimate typePAGASA sorts the country's climate into four types by when the rain falls. Type I has a dry season from November to April and a wet one for the rest of the year; Type II has no dry season, with the most rain from December to February; Type III has a short dry season; Type IV has rain spread through the year.More in the glossary

Type IV[40]

Rain spread fairly evenly through the year, with no dry season.

Covers about 76 of every 100 parts of its land. Read by Scene off PAGASA's climate map, so approximate: the type that covers most of the place's land.

Life & Economy

Tawi-Tawi's economy made ₱35.8 billion of goods and services in 2025, ₱79,524 for each person. About 42 of every 100 people lived below the poverty line in 2023.
Economy, 2025Gross domestic productThe value of all the goods and services made in a place in a year: the size of its economy. The PSA measures it for every region, province and highly urbanized city. Counted at 2018 prices, it leaves out the rise in prices, so one year can be set beside another.More in the glossary
₱35.8 billion[26]Its gross domestic product at current prices; ₱27.2 billion at 2018 prices.
Growth, 2024–2025
4.1%[27]How much more it made than the year before, at 2018 prices.
For each person, 2025
₱79,524[28]Its economy divided by its projected population, at current prices, as the PSA works it out.
Poverty, 2023Poverty incidenceHow many of every 100 people live in families whose income is below the poverty line: what a person needs in a year for food and other basic needs, as the PSA sets it for each province. It is an estimate, from a survey or, for a town, a statistical model, so the PSA gives a range it is likely to fall in.More in the glossary
41.8% of people[29]Below the poverty line, by the PSA's survey.
Income classIncome classThe Department of Finance sorts provinces, cities and municipalities into classes by their average yearly income over recent years: 1st class has the most. It measures the local government's income, not how well off its people are.More in the glossary
1st class[4]
About 42 of every 100 people in Tawi-Tawi lived below the poverty line in 2023 (41.8%)[29]

The PSA's survey puts it between 35.0% and 48.6%, with 95% confidence. The poverty line was ₱31,380 a person for the year.

Public places

  • 26government offices
  • 14hospitals and health centres
  • 237schools
  • 21places of worship
  • 4markets
  • 14stations and terminals
  • 1park
  • 2beaches
  • 1monument or memorial

Counted from OpenStreetMap[3, 8]. Each town's page lists its own; this page lists the stations, parks, beaches and monuments.

Where a kind has more than 8, this page shows 6: first those with “Tawi-Tawi” in their name, then one in each of its most populous cities and municipalities.

Stations and terminals14

8 more stations and terminals are listed on the pages of the cities and municipalities they stand in. See the 11 cities and municipalities of Tawi-Tawi

Parks1

Beaches2

Monuments and memorials1

As OpenStreetMap maps them on September 30, 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License.

Government & Leaders

A governor leads Tawi-Tawi. Its local laws, called ordinances, are passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (the provincial board), led by the vice governor. The governor, the vice governor and the board's elected members serve three-year terms, and none may serve more than three in a row.[23, 24]

Capital
Bongao[4]
Legislative districtLegislative districtThe area that elects one member of the House of Representatives. A big province or city may have several.More in the glossary
Lone district of Tawi-Tawi[25]

Leaders

The governor and vice governor elected at each election since 2004, as COMELEC's lists of the elected name them, and those in office now, as the DILG's directory lists them.

  1. 2025–2028In office as of February 2026

    Governor
    Yhsmael Ismail Sali[30]
    Vice governor
    Al-Syed Abdulla Sali[30]

  2. 2022–2025

    Governor
    Yshmael Ismail Sali[31]
    Vice governor
    Ay-Syed Abdulla Sali[31]

  3. 2019–2022

    Governor
    Yshmael Ismael Sali[32]
    Vice governor
    Michail Kong Ahaja[32]

  4. 2016–2019

    Governor
    Rashidin Halun Matba[33]
    Vice governor
    Michail Kong Ahaja[33]

  5. 2013–2016

    Governor
    Nurbert Maquiso Sahali[34]
    Vice governor
    Michail Kong Ahaja[34]

  6. 2010–2013

    Governor
    Sadikul Adalla Sahali[35]
    Vice governor
    Ruby Maquiso Sahali[35]

  7. 2007–2010

    Governor
    Sadikul Adalla Sahali[36]
    Vice governor
    Ruby Maquiso Tan Sahali[36]

  8. 2004–2007

    Governor
    Sadikul Adalla Sahali[37]
    Vice governor
    Jilkasi Joe Usman[37]
Governors and vice governors of Tawi-Tawi, by term
TermGovernorVice governor
2025–2028In office as of February 2026Yhsmael Ismail Sali[30]Al-Syed Abdulla Sali[30]
2022–2025Yshmael Ismail Sali[31]Ay-Syed Abdulla Sali[31]
2019–2022Yshmael Ismael Sali[32]Michail Kong Ahaja[32]
2016–2019Rashidin Halun Matba[33]Michail Kong Ahaja[33]
2013–2016Nurbert Maquiso Sahali[34]Michail Kong Ahaja[34]
2010–2013Sadikul Adalla Sahali[35]Ruby Maquiso Sahali[35]
2007–2010Sadikul Adalla Sahali[36]Ruby Maquiso Tan Sahali[36]
2004–2007Sadikul Adalla Sahali[37]Jilkasi Joe Usman[37]

History & Identity

Created
Created by Presidential Decree No. 302, 27 September 1973, which separated eight towns of the Tawi-Tawi group from Sulu, with Bato-Bato, in Balimbing, as capital; Batas Pambansa Blg. 24 moved the capital to Bongao on 4 April 1979[9, 10]

How it got its name

Local traditionThe province's own account derives the name from the Malay jau, far: repeated in speech as jaui-jaui, the word became Tawi-Tawi.[11]

Its story

By the province's account, the seafaring ancestors of the Sama, Jama Mapun and Badjao reached the islands at least a thousand years ago, and from 1465 to 1898 Tawi-Tawi was a domain of the Sultanate of Sulu, with seven principalities.[11]

Sources differSources differ on when Islam reached Simunul: the province's account says the 13th century, while a law of 2013 dates the mosque of Sheikh Karimul Makhdum at Tubig Indangan to 1380, the year the National Historical Institute's marker gives for his landing there.[11, 12, 13]

The Turtle Islands, leased by the Sultan of Sulu to the British North Borneo Company in 1878, became Philippine under the Treaty of Paris of 1898 but stayed in the company's hands until they were handed over to the Republic on 16 October 1947.[13]

Under American rule the islands were part of the Sulu District of the Moro Province, and they stayed part of Sulu until Presidential Decree No. 302 of 27 September 1973 made eight of their towns a province, with Bato-Bato as its capital. A law of 1979 moved the capital to Bongao.[9, 10, 11, 14]

Tawi-Tawi took part in the autonomous government of 1979 and voted in 1989 to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. In the plebiscite of 21 January 2019 it voted 151,788 to 9,907 for the Bangsamoro Organic Law.[11, 15]

The province keeps 27 September, the day of its decree, as its anniversary: the 53rd fell in 2026, when, as in 2025, 23 September was declared a special non-working day in its place.[9, 16, 17]

Timeline

  1. 1380

    Sheikh Karimul Makhdum's mosque is built at Tubig Indangan, Simunul.[12, 13]

  2. 22 January 1878

    The Sultan of Sulu leases the Turtle Islands to the British North Borneo Company.[13]

  3. 1 June 1903

    Act No. 787 places the Tawi Tawi Group in the Moro Province.[14]

  4. 16 October 1947

    The Turtle Islands are handed over to the Republic of the Philippines.[13]

  5. 17 December 1967

    Training of a secret unit of young Moro recruits begins in Simunul; reports that some were killed on Corregidor in March 1968 set off the Mindanao conflicts of the 1970s.[18]

  6. 27 September 1973

    Presidential Decree No. 302 creates the Province of Tawi-Tawi, with Bato-Bato as its capital.[9]

  7. 4 February 1977

    Presidential Decrees No. 1086 and 1087 create the towns of Languyan and Sapa-Sapa.[19, 20]

  8. 4 April 1979

    Batas Pambansa Blg. 24 moves the capital to Bongao.[10]

  9. 8 February 1982

    Batas Pambansa Blg. 150 makes the Makhdum mosque a national landmark.[21]

  10. 5 September 1988

    Republic Act No. 6672 renames the town of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi as Mapun.[22]

  11. 24 May 2013

    Republic Act No. 10573 declares the mosque a national historical landmark.[12]

  12. 21 January 2019

    Tawi-Tawi votes for the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the plebiscite.[15]

Nearby

Tawi-Tawi shares no land border with another province. Nearest across the water are Sulu, Palawan, Basilan and Zamboanga del Sur.

How it compares

Tawi-Tawi beside Bangsamoro (BARMM), and where it stands among the provinces of Bangsamoro (BARMM).

Tawi-Tawi beside Bangsamoro (BARMM)
FigureTawi-TawiBangsamoro (BARMM)Rank among the provinces of Bangsamoro (BARMM)
People, 2024CensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary482,645[1, 2]4,545,4865th of 6
Growth a year, 2020–2024Growth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary2.23% a year[1, 2]slower3.46% a year5th of 6
People per km², 2024Population densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary361[7]more crowded3144th of 6
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary1,335.72 km²[7]14,478.08 km²4th of 6
People in each household, 2024HouseholdA person living alone, or people who sleep in the same home and share their meals. A family may be one household or several.More in the glossary5.8[1, 2]higher4.9not ranked
In urban barangays, 2024Urban barangayThe PSA counts a barangay as urban when it has 5,000 people or more, or a big employer, or several businesses and public services close by. Every barangay in Metro Manila is urban.More in the glossary27.8%[6]lower29.1%not ranked

The nearest provinces across the water[3]

  1. SuluZamboanga Peninsula14.0 km northeast
  2. PalawanMIMAROPA126.7 km north
  3. BasilanBangsamoro (BARMM)161.8 km northeast
  4. Zamboanga del SurZamboanga Peninsula221.9 km northeast

Measured between the two borders where they come closest, on the Earth's surface, across the water. Not a boat or ferry route.

Sources

Page updated October 8, 2026. Sources checked by Scene October 8, 2026.
  1. 1.Philippine Statistics Authority. Population and Annual Population Growth Rate of the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities Based on the 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024 Population Census (OpenSTAT table 0211A6DAPG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  2. 2.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population, Household Population, and Number of Households by Province, City, Municipality, and Barangay as of 01 July 2024 : Bangsamoro Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) (OpenSTAT table 0141A6DTHP3). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  3. 3.UN OCHA, from the PSA and NAMRIA. Philippines: Subnational Administrative Boundaries (COD-AB), barangay layer. Published February 13, 2025. Read by Scene September 25, 2026. CC BY-IGO 3.0. Open the source
  4. 4.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Publication Datafile. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene September 24, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  5. 5.Philippine Statistics Authority. Household Population by Age-Group Region, Province, and Highly Urbanized City: Philippines, 2024 Census of Population (OpenSTAT table 0201A6DPAG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  6. 6.Philippine Statistics Authority. Total Population and Urban Population by Urban Classification and Region, Province, Highly Urbanized City, City/Municipality and Barangay: Philippines, 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0231A6DPUP0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  7. 7.Philippine Statistics Authority, from the Land Management Bureau (DENR). Population, Land Area, Population Density, and Percent Change in Population Density by Region, Province/Highly Urbanized City, and City/Municipality: 2015, 2020, and 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0221A6DLPD0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  8. 8.OpenStreetMap contributors. Named public places in OpenStreetMap: schools, hospitals and health centres, places of worship, government offices, markets, stations, parks, beaches and monuments, from Geofabrik's extract of the Philippines. Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  9. 9.Office of the President of the Philippines (Ferdinand E. Marcos). Presidential Decree No. 302: Creating the Province of Tawi-Tawi. Published September 27, 1973. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  10. 10.Batasang Pambansa. Batas Pambansa Blg. 24: An Act Transferring the Provincial Capital of Tawi-Tawi from Bato-Bato to Bongao, Amending Section Two of Presidential Decree Numbered Three Hundred Two. Published April 4, 1979. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  11. 11.Provincial Government of Tawi-Tawi. History: Provincial History. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  12. 12.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 10573: An Act Declaring the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque, Considered as the Site of One of the Oldest Existing Muslim Houses of Prayer or Mosques in the Philippines, at Tubig Indangan, Simunul, Province of Tawi-Tawi, as a National Historical Landmark and for Other Purposes. Published May 24, 2013. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  13. 13.National Historical Institute. Historical Markers: Regions V-XII. Published 1994. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  14. 14.Philippine Commission. Act No. 787: An Act Providing for the Organization and Government of the Moro Province. Published June 1, 1903. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  15. 15.Supreme Court of the Philippines (text from the Supreme Court E-Library). G.R. No. 242255, Province of Sulu v. Medialdea and others: decision of the Court en banc on the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Published September 9, 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  16. 16.Office of the President of the Philippines. Proclamation No. 1016, s. 2025: Declaring Tuesday, 23 September 2025, a Special (Non-Working) Day in the Province of Tawi-tawi. Published September 4, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  17. 17.Office of the President of the Philippines. Proclamation No. 1445, s. 2026: Declaring Wednesday, 23 September 2026, a Special (Non-working) Day in the Province of Tawi-tawi. Published September 16, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  18. 18.National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Panandang Pangkasaysayan 2007-2016. Published 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  19. 19.Office of the President of the Philippines (Ferdinand E. Marcos). Presidential Decree No. 1086: Creating the Municipality of Languyan in the Province of Tawi-Tawi. Published February 4, 1977. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  20. 20.Office of the President of the Philippines (Ferdinand E. Marcos). Presidential Decree No. 1087: Creating the Municipality of Sapa-Sapa in the Province of Tawi-Tawi. Published February 4, 1977. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  21. 21.Batasang Pambansa. Batas Pambansa Blg. 150: An Act Further Amending Presidential Decree Numbered Two Hundred Sixty as Amended, by Including Six-Hundred-Year Old Karim Ul-Makhdum Mosque of Simunul, Tawi-Tawi, Among the National Landmarks and Monuments Declared as National Shrines. Published February 8, 1982. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  22. 22.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 6672: An Act Changing the Name of the Municipality of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi in the Province of Tawi-Tawi to Municipality of Mapun. Published September 5, 1988. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  23. 23.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7160: the Local Government Code of 1991. Published October 10, 1991. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  24. 24.1986 Constitutional Commission. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Published February 2, 1987. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  25. 25.1986 Constitutional Commission (text from the Chan Robles Virtual Law Library). Ordinance appended to the 1987 Constitution, apportioning the seats of the House of Representatives. Published February 2, 1987. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
  26. 26.Philippine Statistics Authority. Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC (OpenSTAT table 0012A5FPPA0). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  27. 27.Philippine Statistics Authority. Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC, Growth Rates (OpenSTAT table 0032A5FPPA2). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  28. 28.Philippine Statistics Authority. Per Capita Gross Domestic Product by Province and HUC (OpenSTAT table 0092A5FPPA8). Published August 28, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  29. 29.Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Table 2a. Annual Per Capita Poverty Threshold and Poverty Incidence Among Population with Measures of Precision, by Region, Province and Highly Urbanized Cities: 2018, 2021, and 2023 (OpenSTAT table 0041F3DF02A). Published August 15, 2024. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  30. 30.Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Directory of LGU Elective Officials for Term 2025-2028 as of February 2026 (its sheet: Consolidated List of Officials for Election Terms (2025-2028)), released through the FOI portal. Published February 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: RA 8293, Section 176 (no copyright subsists in it; exploiting it for profit needs the agency's prior approval). Open the source
  31. 31.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 9, 2022 National and Local Elections. Published December 23, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  32. 32.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections. Published December 23, 2025. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  33. 33.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections. Published January 12, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  34. 34.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 13, 2013 National and Local Elections. Published January 12, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  35. 35.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections. Published January 10, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  36. 36.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections. Published January 14, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  37. 37.Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Records and Statistics Division, ERSD. List of Elected Provincial Candidates, May 10, 2004 National and Local Elections. Published January 8, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Public domain: comelec.gov.ph says "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated." Each list carries COMELEC's data privacy notice (RA 10173).. Open the source
  38. 38.European Union and the European Space Agency (Copernicus), from DLR and Airbus Defence and Space (WorldDEM). Copernicus DEM GLO-30: global digital surface model at 30 m, one-degree tiles (2021 release). Published 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Copernicus DEM GLO-30 licence: free, any use including commercial, with the Copernicus notice. Open the source
  39. 39.OpenStreetMap contributors, extract by Geofabrik. Named rivers, lakes, reservoirs, peaks and the coastline of the Philippines in OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extract, cut by osmium). Published September 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. ODbL 1.0. Open the source
  40. 40.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Climatology and Agrometeorology Division. Climate Map of the Philippines (1951-2010), Modified Coronas Climate Classification. Published August 2014. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. A work of the Government of the Philippines: no copyright (RA 8293 s.176.1); PAGASA's approval is needed to use it for profit. Open the source
  41. 41.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2015 Census of Population, Statistical Tables, Table 1: Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by City/Municipality, 1960-2015 (one workbook for each province, highly urbanized city and region). Published 2017. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
  42. 42.Philippine Statistics Authority. 2020 Census of Population and Housing: Table A (Population and Annual Growth Rate for the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces and Highly Urbanized Cities) and Table B (Population and Annual Growth Rates by Province, City and Municipality, by Region). Published July 2021. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene adds what the sources do not print themselves: growth rates, shares, barangay areas and densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances, each computed from the figures and borders above. How each is made.

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Scene.ph. “Tawi-Tawi.” Scene Atlas. Updated October 8, 2026. https://scene.ph/atlas/tawi-tawi