Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi

Turtle / Taganak Islands
Municipality

Map of Tawi-Tawi with the Turtle Islands highlighted
Turtle / Taganak Islands

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 06°05′N 118°19′E / 6.083°N 118.317°E / 6.083; 118.317Coordinates: 06°05′N 118°19′E / 6.083°N 118.317°E / 6.083; 118.317
Country Philippines
Region Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
Province Tawi-Tawi
District Lone district of Tawi-Tawi
Barangays 2
Government[1]
 • Mayor Berong Oliveros
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 4,727
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 7507
Dialing code +63 (0)68
Income class 5th

Turtle Islands, also known as Turtle Isles, is a fifth class municipality composed of a remote group of seven islands in the province of Tawi-Tawi in the Southern Philippines. According to the 2010 census it has a population of 4,727 people.[2]

History

The islands, together with Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi, were formerly held by the United Kingdom since 1885 which at that time administered the adjacent territory of a protectorate called North Borneo (present-day Sabah, Malaysia). Following the League of Nations treaty between the United States (which controlled the Philippines at the time) and United Kingdom on 2 January 1930 regarding territorial boundaries,[3] the UK acknowledge seven of the Turtle Islands (including Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi) are part of the Philippine archipelago.[4] The United States then was given a privilege to administer the islands anytime if a one-year notice was given to the United Kingdom and in 1932, a treaty was signed between them to let the United States to administer the islands.[4] According to the treaty, Britain would fully hand over the administration to Philippine government when it gained its full independence from the United States on 4 July 1946.[4] After achieving its independence, the Philippines expressed its interest to take over the islands. The British under the Crown Colony of North Borneo officially transferred control of the islands to the Philippines on 16 October 1947.[5][6][7][8] The remaining three Turtle Islands which were not turned over by UK are now part of Malaysia, which formed the Malaysian Turtle Islands National Park.

Malaysian annexation allegation controversy

In 1988, the Manila press announced that Malaysia had annexed the islands. Three days of hype, supported by news maps showing the annexation, died away when it was revealed that the "annexation" was the result of the misreading of an American naval chart by a Philippine naval officer. The officer mistook a deepwater ship route for the boundary of Malaysia's new economic zone.[9]

Geography

The islands are located within the Sulu Sea[10] at the south-western tip of the country, at the edge of the international treaty limits separating the Philippines and Malaysia.[11] The seven islands from north-west to southeast are:[3][12]

Fresh water is reported available from shallow groundwater on the last six islands.[13]

Mud volcanoes

In the Philippines, mud volcanoes are known to exist only on the Turtle Islands. Presence of these formations are evident on three of the islands - Lihiman, Great Bakkungaan and Boaan Islands. The hills on these islands are mostly mud volcanoes. On Great Bakkungan Island, grey mud quietly flows from the vent in a pulsating manner accompanied by gas bubbling. On Boan Island, mud extrusion have ceased for a number of years.

Compared to the other two islands, in Lihiman Island, a more violent extrusions of mud, mixed with large pieces of rocks occur that it has created a 20-m (66-ft) wide crater on the hilly part of the island.[11] Such extrusions are reported to be accompanied by mild earthquakes and evidence of extruded materials can be found high up the surrounding trees because of its explosive character. Huge amount of materials are discharged from this volcano that drainage was cut on the northern slope of the hill to direct the flow to the sea. Submarine mud extrusions off the island have also been observed by local residents.[14]

Barangays

Turtle Islands are politically subdivided into 2 barangays.[2]

Demographics

Population census of Turtle Islands
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 2,296—    
1995 2,359+0.51%
2000 3,600+9.48%
2007 6,194+7.77%
2010 3,772−16.51%
Source: National Statistics Office[2]

According to the 2010 census, the population of the five permanently inhabited islands is 4,727 people. With a land area of only 3.08 square kilometres (1.19 square miles), the islands have a population density of 1,534.7/km2 – much higher than the national average of 276 persons per km².

Turtle sanctuary

Together with three islands of neighbour country Malaysia and the surrounding coral waters, Turtle Islands are one of the world's few remaining major nesting grounds for the Green Sea Turtles. In 1996, the islands were declared as Turtle Islands Heritage Protected area by the governments of the Philippines and Malaysia as the only way to guarantee the continued existence of the green sea turtles and their nesting sites.[15][16]

For the five islands, the Philippine government decided to create special protection zones, and within this zones, only scientific and conservation activities are allowed. In other zones, certain rules are adapted to prevent too much impact by people on the environment and the turtles. Visiting these zones is only possible with strict guidance and under supervision of the staff of the officials of the government.

For a successful conservation and protection program, the support of the locals was very important. Fishing, for most of them, is the most important activity and source of income. Hunting sea turtles and collecting the turtle eggs for food, had always been a possible source for additional income. From the end of August to December, turtles come by the hundreds from the surrounding coastal waters, to lay and dig their eggs into the sand. The staff of the conservation project were able to succeed in convincing the locals the need to minimise their collecting activities. Local men, women and children, are now involved, helping with the protection activities.[17]

Accessibility

Access to the Turtle Islands is difficult, as there are no regular means of transportation to the area.

References

  1. ↑ "Official City/Municipal 2013 Election Results". Intramuros, Manila, Philippines: Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 1 July 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Convention regarding the boundary between the Philippine Archipelago and the State of North Borneo" (PDF). United Nations Treaty Collection. 2 January 1930, and 6 July 1932. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2015. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. 1 2 3 C. Richards, Peter (6 December 1947). "New Flag Over Pacific Paradise". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Williamson, Charles (30 July 1929). "Treaty over Turtle Islands". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Turtle Islands Furnish Food". Kentucky New Era. 3 September 1947. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Bocobo, Ariel (16 September 1988). "Those islands are ours". Manila Standard. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  8. ↑ United States. Dept. of State; Charles Irving Bevans (1968). Treaties and other international agreements of the United States of America, 1776–1949. Dept. of State; for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 473–476.
  9. ↑ Monmonier, Mark (1996). How to Lie with Maps (2nd. ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 44. ISBN 0-226-53421-9.
  10. ↑ C. Michael Hogan. 2011. Sulu Sea. Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. P. Saundry & C.J. Cleveland. Washington DC
  11. 1 2 "Philippine Turtle Islands". Retrieved 1 March 2008.
  12. ↑ U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. "United States Coast Pilot, Philippine Islands, Vol.2", pp.309-310. Washington Government Printing Office, 1921.
  13. ↑ Geo-physical features of the six Philippine Turtle Islands". Ocean Ambassadors. Retrieved on 15 February 2011.
  14. ↑ "Lihiman Island". Ocean Ambassadors Track a Turtle. Retrieved on 5 October 2010.
  15. ↑ Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area". Ocean Ambassadors Track a Turtle. Retrieved on 15 February 2011.
  16. ↑ "Turtle Islands Memorandum of Agreement between Governments of Philippines and Malaysia". Ocean Ambassadors Track a Turtle. Retrieved on 15 February 2011.
  17. ↑ "Turtle Islands in the Philippines". Retrieved 1 March 2008.
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