Rekindling Sitangkai, the Venice of the South

By: Becky D. de Asis

The main canal of Sitangkai 

The breathtaking , the well-known “ TheVenice of the South” gathered every day a hundred of tourists visiting here because of its beautiful, bountiful and very progressive municipality in the Southernmost Island of the Philippines..

Sitangkai, a sword shaped island and the home of the stilted houses of the Sama Dilaut and Tausug  and this is labeled by some visitors as “Venice of the South” because of its wide canal as main gateway of this prestigious and enchanted municipality of the province of Tawi - Tawi.

stilted houses and footbridge

Along the main canal, there were smaller channels that leads to the inner communities and footbridges connecting  residents or communities from both sides of the canal.

No cars,  no tricycles, no bicycles that you can encounter anywhere here because only banca ‘s or boats as their major mode of transportation here.

Mayor Serbin C, Ahaja said, his municipality is very rich on seaweeds, crabs and all sea foods that made them as 1st class municipality of the said province.

Mayor Serbin C. Ahaja

Tourism Officer Rowena Kong Ahaja also said that there  were more visitors everyday coming from different countries, cities and provinces of the countries.

They were very happy of  visiting  Sitangkai because of its unique mode of transportation, foods, the hospitality and among others.

Mayor Ahaja also said, that  the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-ARMM) giving them a concrete footbridges in order to connect people, bridging them for their daily needs.

The new concrete footbridge 

On the other hand,  the mayor also asking the President Rodrigo  Duterte to please help them of having a good Hospital in Sitangkai because this is main problem  as of now”, said the mayor.

“Besides, we have our health centers but there were no beds, no medicines and even chairs, there’s none”, Mayor Ahaja said.

The Barangay Poblacion officials and barangay health officer posed inside the newly turned- over health center (Municipal Tourism Officer Rowena Kong Ahaja (2nd from right)

“Mr President Kami po ay humihingi sayo ng tulong para sa mga taga Sitangkai, nahihirapan po ang may sakit rito, dahil wala po kaming maayos na hospital facilities”, kaya kung maari po, sana magkaroon na po kami’, he said. (By Becky D. de Asis)