The Agal-Agal Festival is one of the highlights of Kamahardikaan Sin Tawi-Tawi or the Founding Anniversary of Tawi-Tawi Province.
This year, MyMindanao.Com was lucky to have attended the weeklong celebration with a team of bloggers, journalists and media from different parts of the country invited by the Department of Tourism-ARMM.
Held in Languyan, one of the 11 municipalities of Tawi-Tawi, the celebration kicked off last September 23 with exciting activities until September 27. Among the activities include a colorful fluvial parade, a grand opening ceremony, municipal variety show, the street dancing competition, the search for Budjang Tawi-Tawi, the grand cultural parade and more.
The Agal-Agal Festival which celebrates the province as the “Seaweed Capital of the Philippines” was the main highlight of Kamahardikaan Sin Tawi-Tawi.
Held in Languyan, one of the 11 municipalities of Tawi-Tawi, the celebration kicked off last September 23 with exciting activities until September 27. Among the activities include a colorful fluvial parade, a grand opening ceremony, municipal variety show, the street dancing competition, the search for Budjang Tawi-Tawi, the grand cultural parade and more.
I was so amazed with the Igal Ma Lan or the street dancing competition. Everything were new to me, who has been covering and attending festivals in different parts of the country. The participants in their colorful costumes and unique attires depicting the bounties of the sea and agal-agal industry in the province were from the nine (9) out of 11 municipalities of Tawi-Tawi.
Their dances and music left me in complete awe during the street dancing competition. I was particularly captivated with the pangalay (a traditional dance) performances to the tune of different traditional Tawi-Tawi instruments.
The contingents from the towns of Simunul, Sapa-Sapa, and Bongao took home Php 1 million pesos each as cash prize after being adjudged champion, 1st and 2nd runners up, respectively.
In 2018, the Kamahardikaan Sin Tawi-Tawi and Agal-Agal Festival will be held in the island municipality of Sitangakai which is also dubbed as the "Venice of Tawi-Tawi" and a major source of high quality seaweeds.
Other reasons to visit Tawi-Tawi include Bud Bongao, the province’s highest peak; Sheikh Karim-ul Makhdum Mosque, the country’s oldest mosque located in Simunul; Sitangkai, dubbed as the “Venice of Tawi-Tawi”; Panampangan Island, which has the country’s longest sandbar; and the stilt houses of the Sama Badjao and Tausug communities, among others.
How to go to Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province in the Philippines, believe it or not, is just about 2-3 hours away from Manila by plane.
Cebu Pacific has daily flights to Zamboanga with a travel time of about 1 hour. From Zamboanga City, another plane ride for 45minutes via Cebu Pacific or Platinum Skies will bring you to Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.
The contingents from the towns of Simunul, Sapa-Sapa, and Bongao took home Php 1 million pesos each as cash prize after being adjudged champion, 1st and 2nd runners up, respectively.
In 2018, the Kamahardikaan Sin Tawi-Tawi and Agal-Agal Festival will be held in the island municipality of Sitangakai which is also dubbed as the "Venice of Tawi-Tawi" and a major source of high quality seaweeds.
How to go to Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province in the Philippines, believe it or not, is just about 2-3 hours away from Manila by plane.
Cebu Pacific has daily flights to Zamboanga with a travel time of about 1 hour. From Zamboanga City, another plane ride for 45minutes via Cebu Pacific or Platinum Skies will bring you to Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi.
