CONSIDERED as the most beautiful province with close to half a million people, Tawi-Tawi comprises 302 islands and islets at the southernmost part of the Philippines. It has 11 municipalities — three are found in the mainland, while eight are on the larger islands. The province shares a common sea border with Indonesia's North Kalimantan province and with Sabah. Its strategic location provides an easier access to the member countries of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), of which it is an active member.

I first visited Tawi-Tawi on a bright sunny day 10 years ago, and during that short air flight from Zamboanga City, I was awed by the sight of the vast blue sea and many green islands with pearly white-sand beaches. I went to Bongao, the provincial capital, to meet with Dr. Sukarnu Asri, the provincial health officer then, and now a provincial board member, some Muslim religious leaders and local government officials, to find out if they were interested in joining the proposed UNFPA South-South Cooperation (SSC) program between Indonesia and the Philippines (particularly with the defunct Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, now the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM), for a concept note that I was asked to prepare. I have returned to this province several times after the SSC became operational. After every trip from Tawi-Tawi, my relatives and friends always asked the same question: Was I not afraid to travel alone in that part of the country, where terrorists and kidnappers are reportedly harbored? I always responded by telling them that Tawi-Tawi is the most peaceful ARMM province, the people are friendly and hardworking, and fresh seafood is abundant. If fully developed, this province will have many captivating natural sites for tourism and other socioeconomic activities.

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