a tale of the exotic- the Bongao Chinese Pier

With more than 7,000 islands, the Philippines has to be intrinsically linked to the water. It is not even a choice. From ancient history to the present time, the ocean is a lifeline, offering an almost endless source of opportunities, challenges and histories.


the Chinese Pier is the center of commerce of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi (photo taken by my wife)
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/640s, f/4.0, 18.3mm



an interisland passenger boat arriving at the Chinese Pier
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/80s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100


Where people congregated, societies developed. Richness and luxury were not strange concepts in pre-Hispanic times. Records, however sparse, pointed to commercial centers in the Philippines that thrived on the trade of merchandise like gold, silk and spices, with merchants from China, the Middle East and the Malay kingdoms. The common thread among these townships was that they sprung along a coastline, around a bay or even at a river delta. These embankments provided natural and safe harbors for maritime vessels and easy access to the open sea, facilitating the movements and exchanges of people, products and even ideas.


girl flying a kite on top of a boat at the Chinese Pier
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100



the kiteflyer- photographic version by my wife
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/125s, f/2.8, 7.2 mm


Over time, these port towns grew in population and income, becoming major cities in the process. Think of Cebu, Cagayan, or Iloilo in the Visayas or Manila, Batangas and San Fernando in Luzon. In faraway north, the rough currents were no deterrent to the rise of Basco in Batanes where to this date, heavy interactions with Formosan Chinese continue. Down south, in the archipelago of Sulu, important barter hubs like Jolo and Isabela prospered from contacts primarily with the Arabs, the Indonesian and Malaysian people.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/250s, f/3.5, 18mm, ISO 100



the same girl- photographic version of my wife
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/60s, f/2.4, 7.2 mm


For Tawi-Tawi, Philippines' southernmost province, no port has a more prime rank in pre-colonial trade than one in Bongao, the Chinese Pier. Its name alone is a testament to its engagement with foreigners. This group of islands is also where Islam was first introduced by the Sheik Karimul Makdum in 1380. Over the centuries, Arab missionaries integrated themselves in the Tawi-Tawi's communities, ultimately spreading the faith to the rest of Mindanao.


panggi for sale- photo by my wife
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/60s, f/2.4, 7.2 mm


Spending time in the Chinese Pier is an immersion of the Tawi-Tawi way of life. The sea is still their highway and boats their cars. Business is to a significant degree transacted on the temper outriggers by Bajao fishermen bringing their catch of the day, Samal vendors displaying native delicacies like panggi, Tausug traders showing off bartered wares from Malaysia and even Christian farmers seeking exchanges for their vegetables. Aside from being the port of entry of most people, the port is laced by eateries, stores and the public market at the seaside level. Within the wider arc of Chinese Pier, there are the banks, stores, mosques, government offices and schools. In a broad but realistic sense, Bongao rose from this floating market.


Lumber and cassava paste for sale at floating market
Canon PowerShot S40



brisk sales of the panggi, a ground cassava staple of the native Sama and Badjaos
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/1000s, f/2.8, 7.1 mm


Having spent several working visits in Bongao, in 1991, 2005 and 2006, I notice one other thing. The Chinese Pier is used as the point of reference when giving directions. In the rapidly changing modern world that Tawi-Tawi is facing, the pier is a remaining constant. It will always be there.


commoditized vegetables in the wet market by the Chinese Pier
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/60s, f/3.5, 18mm, ISO 100



port arrival- photo by my wife
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/60, f/2.4, 7.2 mm

Bongao eats

Bongao, the capital town of Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines’ southernmost province, is far from your typical urban center in the country. Not at all dense in population, it is a town that is constantly developing and growing. Accommodations are modest and communication facilities are basic.

Food is another matter though. While it does not feature fancy restaurants of high name recall, Bongao is inarguably a haven of fresh seafood that come straight from the boats. From tunas to mackerel and prawns to crabs, the bounty of sea spills in the market.


the catch of the day is paraded in the Chinese Pier, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi (photo taken by my wife)
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/10s, f/2.4, 7.2mm


Whether you have your seafood in the small eateries or cooked in the home of a local, little else matters when they come as fresh as they do in Bongao.


some shellfishes, like the sea urchins above, are available all throughout the island (photo taken by my wife)
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/125s, f/4, 50.8mm


Food seems to be a street affair in Bongao. Ready to eat comestibles are everywhere in the streets, particularly near the Chinese Pier of Bongao which in anytime of the day is filled with the aroma of grilled and fried food.


a typical barbecue stall at Bongao
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/800s, f/2.8, 7.1mm



the ukoy-ukoy or vegetable cakes are commonly cooked and peddled in the streets by the Chinese Pier
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/1000s, f/2.8, 7.1mm


There is a sizeable Christian population in Bongao, estimated to be near 40%, but to skirt Muslim sensibilities, pork consumption is still discreetly done. Most eateries are halal and Christian and Muslim delicacies are normally offered side by side. Nevertheless, the not-so-secret delicacy of Bongao is cured meat from wild boars which roam freely in the hinterlands. I’ve never done this in the three or four times I’ve been to Bongao, but they say that you have to order a day ahead to partake of the gourmet dried tapas.


traditional Muslim and Christian cakes and bread at a carenderia by the Chinese pier, Bongao
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/250s, f/2.8, 7.1mm


Muslims in Bongao are either Tausug, Samal or Badjaos. The predominant group is the Samal, reputed for their peace-loving demeanor. The typical staple is cassava, which they pound and ground and sell as panggi and this starch basic is found everywhere in the Chinese Pier.


the panggi, a ground cassava staple of the native Sama and Badjaos
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/200s, f/4.5, 34mm, ISO 100



a bunch of bianban cassava cake sold at the Sanga-Sanga airport, Bongao
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/125s, f/2.8, 7.1mm


But perhaps the most curious item I remembered so well were the tiny roseapple fruits, or tambis in Cebuano. They were the smallest I have ever seen but they were no less juicy and sweet.


the miniature tambis or roseapple variety in Bongao is the smallest I have ever seen yet
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/40s, f/2.8, 7.1mm


To date, I haven’t seen anything smaller than they were in Bongao. Miniature can occasionally be better than the ordinary.


more roseapples (tambis) but in paler pink, with some green mangoes at Bongao
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/1000s, f/2.8, 7.1 mm

an homage to the apam of Bongao

Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province of the Philippines, boasts of an archipelago of more than 100 islands. It offers fresh seafood, delectable cassava treats and curious delicacies like cured wild boar tapas (dried meat). To me however, the food which I remembered the most is the indulgently delicious apam daub daya or apam, cooked nowhere else but in the streets.


the gloriously delicious apam- photo by my wife
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 3/5s, f/2.8, 10.6mm


I love streetfood and the Bongao apam beats all other Filipino street hotcakes I have tasted so far. The mixture of flour, margarine and eggs is rich. The serving is oversized, thick and fluffy. Add to that the rich sprinkling of ground peanuts and I would be in gustatory heaven.


cooking apam hotcakes at the Chinese Pier, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/500s, f/2.8, 7.1mm



the apam being cooked, up close
Canon PowerShot S40, 1/1000s, f/2.8, 7.1mm

Too bad this type of apam is not available anywhere except Tawi-Tawi. For up to 10 pesos (the price in 2006, the year I last visited Bongao), I could not ask for more!


a lady cooking the apam- photo by my wife
Canon PowerShot Pro1, 1/10s, f/2.4, 7.2mm

the girl with the toy airplane in Simunul

Children, by their preternaturally gregarious nature, play in tandems or in groups. Rarely do they entertain themselves solitarily. Strange was it then, when upon entering by boat into the shallow reef house-on-stilts village of Tubig Indangan in Simunul island, Tawi-Tawi that we met the little girl with the toy airplane.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/5.6, 230mm, ISO 100


Perched on a narrow walkway plank, she was playing by her lonesome self. Her family might not be able to afford plastic toys but she got the next best thing- a hand-carved wooden plane rigged with a broken electric fan blade. It would be safe to assume that it probably was hand-carved lovingly by her father or a close kin.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/5.6, 255mm, ISO 100


The girl raised her home-made toy airplane above her head, cutting a regal figure on the footbridge. The propeller spun rhythmically, spurred by the strong breeze. Even when the drizzle got heavier and the wind grew louder, she remained unperturbed. With a billowing skirt and a deadpan look, she cut a figure.

By the time that we docked, she gave play a rest. The plane was probably getting heavy for her I suppose and her arms sagged.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/5.6, 130mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV


While her play evokes fun, she to me epitomizes resilience and heart. She did not even move when our boat went past by her. She was lost in her own world.

the Samal mats of Tawi-Tawi

Banig or mats are a must in the days before cheap mattresses. In the 80s, when I was growing up, banig used to be the primary domestic bed covers in the Philippines. It is porous, cool and smooth and is made from dried leaves or reed. Traditional materials are the screwpine palm (local terms are pandan, bariw, or romblon), the very thin reed called tikug and the swamp reed called biliran.




The Philippines claims to produce the handsomest mat in Asia. Perhaps the most renowned are those from the Samal weavers of the province of Tawi-Tawi. The Samal mats are the most intricate and one of the finest-grained in the country. Famous among these are the mats of the island of Laminusa. Reputed to be even finer mats are those from the highly inaccessible Unggus Matata in the Tandubas island. Alas, the weavers in this island only make mats for themselves and do not sell them.




The Samal used a tedious process in preparing the screwpine palm leaves. It takes at least one week, with at 2 cycles of boiling, stick-beating, drawing into strips, sun-bleaching and finally dying. Weaving consumes another two to five weeks.




In recognition of the cultural value of these matweavers and of the vanishing status of this specialization, the government has already named one of the Samal weavers as a National Folk Artist.




When in Tawi-Tawi, I always try to bring back some mats. Each is about $4 to $18, depending on the size. They are already expensive in Philippines standards but considering that buying helps the perpetuation of this dying tradition, they are worth every peso.

10 tips in Aerial Photography, part 2

continued from 10 tips in aerial photography, part 1 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com


6. International flights often have TV screens for entertainment. When available, I always set mine to the flight channel which charts the progress of the flight against a map. I regularly take a snapshot of the channel screen so that I can place the location of my photographs at the later time.

7. Use your sharpest lens. Long lens are fine but only if they are sharp, otherwise you have a lot of post-processing to do. My favorite lens in most of my aerial photographs is my 18-55mm kit lens. I have a 70-300mm lens but it is soft and sensitive to camera shake.

8. Photography inside a plane is much like action photography. I often set my camera at the widest aperture or adjust the ISO so that a proper exposure of at 1/500s or faster can be achieved. The plane moves in such speed that is magnified at lower altitudes.

9. When the wide world below becomes your photographic canvas, always remember the fundamentals in composition. Think before you shoot. You may not be able to pass that way again.

10. Cut out glare. Depending on the light conditions, this may mean keeping the lens as close to the window as much as possible. Sometimes the shirt you’re wearing, even when it is all white, could get reflected on the glass and come out in the exposure. A plain dark shirt, especially black, works best for me.


more aerial photographs


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
a highly populated island near Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -2/3EV
an island in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008
an unpopulated island off Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D, 1/640s, f/6.3, 54mm, ISO 100
Tawi-Tawi, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu archipelago, the Philippines, March 27, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 0.005s, f/8, 55mm, ISO100, -1/3EV
Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/800s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200, -1/3EV
Laguna de Bay (?), Manila, the Philippines, September 12, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/10, 55mm, ISO 100
over Myanmar, SE Asia, November 18, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/80s, f/6.3, 55mm, ISO 100
35,000 feet over Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 18, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/11, 55mm, ISO 100
the dunes near Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa, November 10, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 0.031s, f/5.6, 22mm, ISO 100
the desert dunes of Dubai, UAE, November 7, 2005



Canon EOS 350D, 1/160s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100
Lantau Island, Hong Kong, January 8, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100
West Madagascar, East Africa, November 16, 2005

10 tips in Aerial Photography, part 1

I am enamored by aerial photography. The patterns one can see from above are different and mostly are left unknown to the ordinary viewer on the ground. The earth from above takes on a whole new form. No wonder a lot of people attribute to flying as a spiritual experience.

Being a frequent flyer, I always try to get that window seat that provides the best view of the earth down below. But getting that right spot in the plane, away from the obstructing wing, is easier said than done. Luck plays a great deal in getting that enviable seat. Over the years of flying, I’ve learned some tricks of the trade which I am sharing here.

1. Study the flight direction against the map. Is the direction going northeast or directly west? If you’re a sunrise and sunset hound, determine which side of the plane faces west or east. What are the most likely attractions that one can pass? Short of asking the pilot, the actual flight path can only be acquired by experience so if you would take the same flight sometime in the future, check out now what the sights are below.

2. Be conscious of the flying time and the direction of the light. Sometimes, I purposely would sit where the sun is at the other side to get strong backlights against bodies of water. Check the weather too of your port of embarkation and the place of destination. Aerial photography is impossible in bad weather.

3. Be early in the airport. If it is possible to book a seat before the actual flight do so. International carriers allow you to choose a seat online although some of the good seats are often blocked. I have not tried this with domestic Philippines airlines which don't offer this service yet.

4. If you cannot get a window seat at the front, a section often reserved for the business class, settle for a seat at the back. The view of middle seats are blocked by the wing and the engine.

5. Keep a wet tissue. I find it useful in cleaning the windows (yeah, people stare at me).

to be continued

Here are a few samples of my aerial photographs.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200
Laguna de Bay (?), Luzon, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -2/3EV
rice (?) fields at Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/500s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 200
ponds near Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, November 8, 2007



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
ponds in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1500s, f/8, 55mm, ISO 100
salt farms in Madura, East Java, Indonesia, September 13, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/9, 55mm, ISO 100
river tributaries in West Madagascar, East Africa, November 16, 2005



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 200
Biddeford Pool, Portland, Maine, the US, December 18, 2006



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/5.6, 25mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
an unknown development project near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/6.3, 55mm, ISO 100
Tango Island, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines, March 27, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/1000s, f/6.3, 51mm, ISO 100
an islet near Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Sulu archipelago, the Philippines



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/11, 47mm, ISO 100
sanddunes north of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/11, 47mm, ISO 100
sanddunes north of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa


For other aerial photos, check out My Islands of Sulu