SULU: THE ISLAND COUNTRY OF SEA

Neldy Jolo

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Best Beach...

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Sulu is known as the Island country of Southeast Asia. The white powder-like sands are exactly overwhelming and much better than other beaches in the Southeast Asia as I see. It is comparable to Sipadan Island and Mabul Island beaches as well as Boracay beach and Sulu Sunset sugar beach resort at Sipalay in the Philippines.

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http://www.pbase.com/van9338/jolobasilantawitawi

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The name Igasan was derived from the name of the community leader around this area during the reign of the Sultanate of Sulu era.I remember in 2006, in a boat bound to Jolo from Bongao, there was a group of travelers and mountaineers who wanted to visit Igasan beach. I got befriend to one of them name Mikki then told me that they wanted to drop by Jolo and visit the beach.

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They were actually looking for someone who was endorsed to them by their Tausug friend in Manila, Philippines. We walk through the streets in Jolo. I took them to round the town reaching as far as Capitol Hill, the administrative center of Sulu and the Jolo Airport.

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Igasan beach is one of the popular beaches in Sulu. It is also known as Quezon beach in honor to the Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon when he swam here during his visit to the country around 1930’s. That is how Tausug honoring visitor when reaching their country.

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Igasan beach is about 25 minutes from the town of Jolo in Sulu. It is found in Patikul [Patik All] town. People can hire a motorcab or Jeepney for a minimal and very affordable charge, especially to the backpackers. Igasan beach is far from being commercialized. People can simply relax here to experience the whispering breeze and the magnificent crystalline water.

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If I remember right, one of them name Gio Sabio shouted, “Wonderful!” when he touches the sand and took pictures of the views here. And one of them, Angie Tan said “this is among the best beaches I had visited, I will tell my friends to come here, and hopefully I could come back”. A guest of Gio Sabio’s photo galleries commented that “this was the beach I was looking for!!!”

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Way to reach...

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All of the way from any countries for now to reach Sulu should pass by Philippines or Sabah, state of Malaysia.

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From the Philippines...

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Do book your ticket at any airline agencies or take any available sea route from different places in the Philippines, like Cebu, Palawan, Iloilo, Bohol and Manila. Upon reaching Zamboanga City you can easily get the schedule of the trips to Sulu. You can go by air or by sea. In sea route from Zamboanga City takes 6 hours to reach port of Jolo when you take the regular boat.

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If you want to reach Jolo early, you can either take the fast craft in a day for a few hours, that is fastest than the regular trip at night. Boat for Siasi Island and Bongao Island as well as Sitangkai Island is also available in a regular trip.

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From Sabah State of Malaysia...

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Do book ticket from any agencies to reach Sandakan from any places in Malaysia, like Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Sarawak. There is no passenger trip by sea route for Sandakan. From Sandakan purchase a ticket bound for Zamboanga City. The trip will take around 15 hours to reach Zamboanga City port, that is twice a week, every Monday and Thursday at around 4 PM.

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There is also a trip of fast craft that is direct to Sulu if you wish. The fast craft will pass by Bongao to Jolo. You can take any motor cab for a minimal charge here to bring you to the affordable hotels and inns in the country. You do island hopping, mountain climbing and many more. The trip is also Monday and Thursday but early morning, around 7 AM. The port is in Karamunting, Leila Road, Sandakan.

RECOMMENDED TO VISIT!

Neldy Jolo

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Sulu has been part of international turmoil. Thus needs help to bring back the peak of calmness. When I was in Jolo, I told myself that I am one of the luckiest men in the world. Sulu is bitterly known as the “Island of No Return” and “No Man's Island”.

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Many people wanted to visit Sulu, especially Jolo because of the reputation as centre for international pearl trading it has for centuries. I am proud that somehow Jolo still lingered in the mind of the international community.

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Asreesulu or Asreemoro contacted me then that he wanted to visit Sulu for sometimes because his ancestor was originated from here. I told him that “I can guarantee your safety” when will visit Jolo soon. I was actually afraid of what I told him because I cannot be sure of my words to him that “he is safe to visit Jolo.”

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Still my trust and confidence to let him visit Jolo was surrendered to God. I knew that Tausug people are not that bad as ever known to the people who hate them. Tausug people are just wanted to be given justice but some are not doing good things and let their people be part of the criticism of others as “uncivilized people”.

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I am strongly recommending Jolo, Sulu and other islands around it to be visited, not to give damn of the kidnapping here for I believe it is not the real natives here who facilitated this business. The Tausug people are just victim of the situation of the political, social, economical and cultural chaos. The Tausug people became the collateral of the Sulu people elite to serve the interest to own Sulu as their business assets.

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What Tausug people are waiting for now is the shining armour that could serve as the buffer of evil that strikes Sulu for so long. Bring back the glorified memories of Sulu from the cradle of peaceful end to the present conflict and dilemma..As I heard from a Tausug elder, he said “as long as the Bud Tumantangis still standing erect, no evil traits that can destroy and drown Sulu.” Thus Sulu’s memory of the past shall become the glory of the future!

Please visit http://theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com/2009/06/glory-of-memory.html

SULU MOST BRIEF HISTORY

Neldy Jolo

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Sulu is basically known as archipelagic and volcanic part of the Southeast Asian Nations. In the present era when we say Sulu, it is a province after illegally annexed to Philippines when Spanish ceded Philippines to American through Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1899.

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Bud tumantangis, highest peak in Sulu Archipelago

Sulu actually is a nation and a state since 1390 when following the anniversary of the Sulu Public Administration that is done every September of the year. Some historians claim Sulu officially became nation-state started in 1401 or 1405.

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Sulu was internationally recognized as a nation-state and never subjugated and conquered for 321 years (1578-1899) by the Spanish, 47 years by the Americans (1899-1946), 4 years by the Japanese (1942-1945) and 62 years by Filipinos (Protégé of King Philip II of Spain) (1946-2008).

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Sulu is called Sug or Lupa’ Sug by its populace, translated into ‘Land of the sea current’ from the word ‘sug’ means current in the Bahasa Sug or Sinug (Tausug Language). According to the Tausug mystic knowledge there was a mystical piece of land called Lupa’ Sug which is usually can be seen only by pious men if he is fortunate.

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Sayyeda Rukaya Alfad enumerated in her article “Sulu, the Land of Mysticism” published in Hangadhulat, MSU-Sulu Student Publication in 2005 that says “among us in the Far East [Sulu], there are four hidden things, such as; the Hidden Knowledge, the Hidden Wealth, the Hidden City and the Hidden Power [Islamic Sultanate Government]” therefore this is the Sulu Hidden Kingdom or the Sulu Stolen Kingdom. Only God Knows.

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Calliter wrote in his article “The Journey of a Tausug” that Tausug are generally refers to Sug as the Way. If he says ‘makusug in sug‘, he actually meant ‘it is hard to cross the way.’ If he says ‘dih masangsang in sug‘, he is actually saying ‘the flow, the force or the way of the current is unstoppable‘. Tausugs call themselves ‘People of the Way or Ahlus Suluk.’ We redefined the Way further as the Living Current where all life flows, and Lupah Sug as “The Land of the Living Current.”

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Indeed, Sulu archipelago is “the tip of the east” and “the hidden treasure in the east”. Tagalog phrase “saan man sulok ng mundo” (wherever in the tip of the world) might be influenced by word Suluk. People who practiced Suluk usually did it at the corner and the tip of the Mosque. Tagalog word “Sulok” could mean as “tip” or “corner”.

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Sulu is famous for its pearls and Pearl Farm in Marunggas Island as well its white sand beaches like Igasan Beach (Quezon Beach) and Bangas Beach (Ramos Beach), coral reefs and exotic fruits that suggests to tag Sulu as “Land of Exotic Fruits”. These possessions might be portrayal of the idea to the character of Sulu archipelago as a “Beautiful Woman” or “Queen” of world’s archipelagos.

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Excerpt from the manuscript: Sulu Archipelago: The Islands of Pearls and the Wisdom behind it written by Neldy Jolo and edited by Yazz Abdurajim