Everything about Sulu totally explained
» For the Star Trek character, see Hikaru Sulu. For the sultanate, see Sultanate of Sulu. For the archipelago, see Sulu Archipelago.
Sulu is an island
province of the
Philippines located in the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is
Jolo and occupies the middle group of islands of the
Sulu Archipelago, between
Basilan and
Tawi-Tawi. It is home to the Royal
Sultanate of Sulu.
History
The advent of
Islam at around 1138 was a social phenomenon that had a distinct influence to
Southeast Asia. The exodus of
Arabs,
Persians and other
Muslims[ paved the way for the arrival of religious missionaries, traders, scholars and travelers to Sulu and
Mindanao in the
12th century.
A landmark born of the social process was the founding of the principality of Buansa Sumatra, who settled thereat and married the daughter. A decade earlier (1380), Karim-ul-Mahkdum, an Arab religious missionary and learned judge, reinforced the Islamic foundation of Rajah Baguinda’s polity (1390-1460) and that of the Sultanate of Sayid Abubakar, princely scholar from Arabia who married Paramisuli, the daughter of Rajah Baguinda. Sayid Abubakar eventually inherited the rule of Rajah Baguinda, established the Sultanate and became the first
Sultan of Sulu. To consolidate his rule, Sayid Abubakar united the local political units under the umbrella of the Sultanate. He brought Sulu,
Zamboanga Peninsula,
Palawan and
Basilan under its aegis. Later in 1704,
Sabah was added to the constellation as a quid pro quo for the Sultan’s help in quelling the Brunei civil war which had been raging for decades.
The navigational error that landed
Ferdinand Magellan to
Limasawa brought the
Philippines to the awareness of
Europe and opened the door to
Spanish colonial incursion. The
Spaniards introduced
Christianity and a political system of church-state dichotomy encountering fierce resistance in the devastating Moro wars from 1578 to 1899.
After
Spain ceded the
Philippines to the
United States, American forces came to
Jolo and ended the 23 years of Spanish military occupation (1876- to 1899). On
August 20, Sultan Jamalul Kiram II and Brig. Gen John C. Bates signed the Bates Agreement that continued the gradual emasculation of the Sultanate started by Spain (Treaty of 1878) until its final inertia on March 1915 when the Sultan abdicated his temporal powers in the Carpenter Agreement. The Agreement totally vanished opposition against the civilian government of Gov. Frank W. Carpenter.
The Department of Mindanao and Sulu under Gov. Carpenter was created by Philippine Commission Act 2309 (1914) and ended on February 5, 1920 by Act of Philippine Legislature No. 2878. The Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes was organized and briefly headed by Teofisto Guingona, Sr. With the enactment by the
US Congress of the
Jones Law (Philippine Autonomy Law) in
1916, ultimate Philippine independence was guaranteed and the Filipinization of public administration began. Sulu, however, had an appointed American governor until 1935 and the Governor General in Manila had a say in Sulu affairs. At any rate, the essence of local governance forged by Rajah Baguinda continued to permeate the ethos of Sulu politics despite centuries of colonial presence. History points to a local government in Sulu that antedates other similar systems in the country. Today, Sulu has a locally constituted government under the new leadership of Governor Benjamin T. Loong and is part of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Geography
Sulu's area is 1,600.4 kilometers square, and is 15th largest island of the Philippine Archipelago, in terms of the area. Sulu is a part of the
Sulu Archipelago, which is near the island of
Borneo. The main island and also its islets are in-between the island-provinces of
Basilan to the northeast, and
Tawi-Tawi to the southwest.
People and Culture
Although consisting of a mixed community of Muslims and Christians, the Tausugs dominate the Sulu Archipelago. The Tausugs were among the first Filipinos to embrace Islam as a religion and a way of life.
Their traditional religio-political structure is the sultanate. The sultan is the head of all ranks within the sultanate. Succession is by election by his staff although patrilineal succession is the ideal.
The Tausugs are referred to as ‘people of the current’, reflective of their close ties to the sea. The handicrafts of Sulu mirror Islamic and Indonesian influences. Skilled artisans make boats, bladed weapons, bronze and brassware, pis cloth, embroidered textiles, shellcraft, traditional house carvings, and carved wooden grave markers.
Economy
The province of Sulu is predominantly agricultural with farming and fishing as its main livelihood activities. Its fertile soil and ideal climate can grow a variety of crops such as abaca, coconuts, oranges, and lanzones as well as exotic fruits seldom found elsewhere in the country such as durian and mangosteen.
Fishing is the most important industry since the
Sulu Sea is one of the richest fishing grounds in the country. The province also have a extensive
pearl industry.
Pearls are extensively gathered and a pearl farm is established at Marungas Island. The backs of
sea turtles are made into beautiful trays and combs. During breaks from fishing, the people build boats and weave mats. Other industries include coffee processing and fruit preservation.
Politics and Administration
Sulu is subdivided into 19
municipalities.
Municipalities
| Municipality |
No. of
Barangays |
Population
(2007) |
Area(km²) |
Pop. density
(per km²) |
| Hadji Panglima Tahil (Marunggas) |
5 |
6,192 |
49.50 |
125 |
| Indanan |
34 |
85,220 |
101.90 |
836 |
| Jolo |
8 |
140,307 |
22.20 |
6,320 |
| Kalingalan Caluang |
9 |
30,046 |
55.80 |
538 |
| Lugus |
17 |
21,650 |
35.40 |
47 |
| Luuk |
12 |
33,508 |
167.10 |
200 |
| Maimbung |
27 |
38,092 |
47.90 |
795 |
| Old Panamao |
31 |
49,903 |
51.10 |
977 |
| Omar |
8 |
25,102 |
|
|
| Pandami |
16 |
23,527 |
86.90 |
271 |
| Panglima Estino (New Panamao) |
12 |
35,263 |
45.00 |
783 |
| Pangutaran |
16 |
29,571 |
258.10 |
114 |
| Parang |
40 |
65,019 |
97.40 |
667 |
| Pata |
14 |
20,095 |
58.60 |
343 |
| Patikul |
30 |
56,805 |
179.30 |
316 |
| Siasi |
50 |
63,518 |
102.50 |
620 |
| Talipao |
52 |
85,920 |
141.00 |
609 |
| Tapul |
15 |
17,430 |
55.50 |
314 |
| Tongkil |
14 |
22,502 |
124.00 |
181 |
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sulu'.
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