Bongao Peak of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi

Bud Bongao: The Sacred Mountain of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi

By: A. Tan

Standing approximately 314 MASL, Bud Bongao or Bongao Peak is one of the landmarks in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi in Southern Mindanao. Bud Bongao (“Bud” is a local word for mountain) is considered as sacred by the people of Bongao and nearby places. They believe that it has the power to heal sickness and cleanse people from their sins. Bud Bongao’s trail is gradual and anyone, even those who don’t have experience in hiking can climb this mountain.

Together with some friends from the Tawi-Tawi’s environmental office, we started our journey to the holy mountain at 7:00 in the morning. We were advised to bring bananas because our "monkey-friends", whom they believe as the guardians of the sacred mountain, will expect to be fed.

Most of my companions do not hike mountains so the climb took longer than usual. At the middle of the trail, the guardian monkeys were waiting for us. We took out the bananas and gave them one by one. Monkeys in this mountain are very friendly; they will not harm you most especially if you will hand them their favorite food.

 These monkeys welcome visitors who offers them their favorite treat.

Since I am a self-confessed photo addict, I took the opportunity to have my pictures taken with the "guardian monkeys". Aside from the monkeys, you will also see plastic strips tied around tree branches. This is due to the locals’ belief that if you do so, your wishes will come true.

After an hour of hiking, we reached the place where the tombs of the Muslim Imams/ leaders are located. I saw two tombs at the area. We were guided by one of our local friends inside the tomb. With a ten-peso coin in hand, I made my wishes and prayed inside the cloth line surrounding the tomb. Make sure to leave your foot wear behind before entering the area as the practice requires one to go in bare footed.

After paying our respects, we then continued our journey to the peak of the mountain. Upon reaching the summit, we were amazed by the panoramic view from the top. The wide open sea, the airport and other nearby islands including Simun’ul, which we later visited, were just a sight to behold. Our hike took us about an hour and thirty minutes to get to the mountain peak.

 Bird's eye view of the open sea.

The airport runway clearly visible from the summit.

That day is also the national day of protest against Pork Barel Scam. So with our printed posters, we joined our brothers and sisters in the protest while we were at the peak of Bongao. After some picture taking and short rest, we started our descent. We were back at the jump off point after an hour, after which we continued our tour of Tawi-Tawi.

Abolish Pork Barrel!

How To Get There

• Take a flight from Zambonaga to Tawi-Tawi, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific each have one morning flight.

• There are resorts and some transient hotels in Bongao which usually have more rooms available due to the limited numbers of visitors in the area.

• There are available fast craft and ferries that travel from Zamboanga City to Tawi-Tawi, but please take note that they only have trips 2-3 times a week. It is much more advisable to take a plane since the fare costs almost the same if you will take advantage of the promo fares.

• The only means of transportation in Tawi-Tawi are tricycles. You can just hire a tricycle to bring you to wherever you wish to go.

• There’s no registration fee or guide fee in Bongao Peak, but it is advisable to have someone from the place as your guide. The usual practice of the tourists in the area is by hiring a tricycle driver to take them to the peak as well as accompanying them up Bud Bongao. Extra fees are then arranged.

• Since the sacred mountain is inhabited by troops of local monkeys, do not forget to bring bananas with you as these mountain guardians will surely ask for it.

• Although the locals tie plastic strips on the branches of trees as part of their tradition, local government office most especially the local DENR discourages visitors to do the same. Please always follow the “Leave No Trace” principle in every mountain and in any places you visit.

• And lastly, since Mindanao's religion predominantly practices Islamic traditions, always be mindful of the culture and beliefs of our Muslim brothers and sisters. Wear appropriate clothes at all times to avoid unnecessary attention while you are in the area.