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Sitangkai, a municipality of Tawi-Tawi, is nicknamed as "the Venice of the South."

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Free Wifi

In 2021, DICT provided free wifi hotspots to all 81 provinces of the country, which of course included Tawi-Tawi. We believe that this access to the internet ensures a quick spread of information on the above-mentioned issues throughout the communities, bringing awareness not just to the residents of Tawi-Tawi but also the entire country. However, this advancement may also bring about the negative impacts of the internet, such as cybercrime.

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Home to many beautiful islands, Tawi-Tawi is considered to be the largest producer of seaweed in the country. Around 80% of the province’s residents rely on seaweed farming as source of income.

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Mindanao Development Authority Solar Project

Said to be capable of generating 600kW of renewable energy, this solar project to be operated this month in Sibuto, Tawi-Tawi, will help the province’s many seaweed farmers to produce products with better quality.

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references :

✧ Alipala, J. (2021, March 10). DICT on Sulu, Tawi-Tawi projects: ‘Now, we have free wi-fi in all 81 provinces.’ INQUIRER.Net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1405012/dict-on-sulu-tawi-tawi-projects-now-we-have-free-wi-fi-in-all-81-provinces

✧ Bartkowiak, A. (2022, January 30). Influence of heavy metals on quality of raw materials, animal products, and human and animal health status. IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/80259

✧ Cudis, C. (2022, June 1). 600kW solar project in Tawi-Tawi operational by November: MinDA. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1175666

✧ Imlani, A., Taştan, Y., Tahiluddin, A. B., & Sönmez, A. Y. (2022, March 28). Preliminary determination of heavy metals in sediment, water, and some macroinvertebrates in Tawi-Tawi... Marine Science and Technology Bulletin. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359332619_Preliminary_determination_of_heavy_metals_in_sediment_water_and_some_macroinvertebrates_in_Tawi-Tawi_Bay_Philippines

✧ Lozada, D. (2015, July 13). The problems in Tawi-Tawi, according to its youth. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/moveph/99232-problems-tawi-tawi-youth-discussion/

✧ Labitoria, P. (2022, October 9). Tawi-Tawi to the world. The Green Wayfarer. https://www.greenwayfarer.com/tawi-tawi-to-the-world/

✧ PhilAtlas. (n.d.). Tawi-Tawi.  https://www.philatlas.com/mindanao/barmm/tawi-tawi.html

✧ Philippine Statistics Authority - ARMM. (n.d.). Solid, Responsive, World Class. http://rssoarmm.psa.gov.ph/release/content/special/55880

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protects and maintains sustainable use of oceans ! ~

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works to eradicate gender inequality and empower women and girls through sustainable development ! ~

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Tawi-Tawi is the Sinama form of “jawi-jawi”, Malay for “banyan tree”, which is abundant in the area.

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"This act of violence serves as further evidence that the government must address issues of gender discrimination and ensure that stronger mechanisms of redress are in place for victims of such violence. Campaigns against prejudice, stigma, and discrimination need to be strengthened more than ever in terms of gender education." the Commission on Human Rights  Executive Director, Atty. Jacqueline de Guia says.

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The fourteenth Sustainable Development Goal, Life Below Water, aims to conserve marine resources and keep bodies of water healthy. One of the ways to uphold this goal is to eliminate underwater pollution.

A preliminary determination study on heavy metals in Tawi-Tawi Bay revealed that the heavy metal contamination, brought about by human activities, has not yet exceeded the safety limits set by WHO.

The highest concentration of heavy metal was found in the Bongao area, but it is not considered a polluted category. However, this remains a noteworthy concern because while the heavy metal contamination is still too low to officially classify as pollution, that does not mean it will stay that way and not worsen overtime. Institutions in Tawi-Tawi must carefully monitor the presence of the heavy metals in their water and sediments to avoid the possibility of pollution. They should also look into ways to reduce the already-present heavy metal contamination.

Even in low concentrations, heavy metals can prove to be toxic to living organisms. Heavy metals pollution also spreads to areas distant from the sources of contamination, exposing several ecosystems to its toxic effects.

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Tawi-Tawi is an island province located in the Sulu Archipelago of the BARMM region, wedged between the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea. It was once a part of Sulu, only becoming a new, separate province on September 11, 1973 by the Presidential Decree No. 302. The province has a land area of 3,626.55 square kilometers or 1,400.22 square miles.

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The fifth Sustainable Development Goal seeks gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. One way to maintain this is to prevent and protect women from violence, which is unfortunately still prevalent during the present times.

On the 17th of May 2022, a transgender woman was discovered dead in Tawi-Tawi. Khay Abdulgajir was brutally murdered, suffering five stab wounds including one in the neck. Members of the LGBT Community took to the internet and condemned this gruesome incident, calling for the government to take further action to prevent gender-based violence.

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Tawi-Tawi claims to be the earliest home of Islam in the Philippines, with its first mosque built on Simunul by Sheik Karim ul-Makhdum in 1380. In 2020, PhilAtlas reported a population of 440, 276 in Tawi-Tawi. Majority of its population are Muslim, belonging to the Tausug or Sama-Bajau cultural group.

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Tawi-tawi headline inflation increased to 6.6 percent in September 2022, up from 6.3 percent in August 2022. This is the highest inflation rate since January 2022. In September 2021, inflation was -0.3 percent. Inflation averaged 2.5 percent in the first nine months of the year. Compared to other provinces and the City of Cotabato, Tawi-tawi had the second-highest inflation rate in the entire Region of BARMM.