Bongao, Philippines
Bongao is a town of 26,518 people in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Philippines.
Why visit Bongao
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 2 parks and trails, 20 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Mount Kabugan.
Weather in Bongao
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Bongao
Bongao, officially the Municipality of Bongao (Tagalog: Bayan ng Bongao), is a municipality and capital of the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 131,887 people.
From the Wikipedia article Bongao (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Bongao on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do9
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes20
Beach Side Inn Restaurant
Restaurant · Regional · 2.1 km
Brgy. Sowang-Kagang, Bongao
8 more on the map.
History
Evidence of human presence in Bongao was carbon-dated to be 8,810 to 5,190 years old, signifying one of the earliest known evidence of human presence in Southeast Asia. The bones, jars, shells, and other artifacts and fossils were found in the Balobok Rock Shelter Cave Archaeological Site, which has been declared as an Important Cultural Treasure by the government in 2017.
Much of the Bongao area was the center of Bajau culture and arts for hundreds of years. By the 14th century, Muslim missionaries from Arabia arrived and established the first ever mosque in the Philippines. The area was heavily converted to Islam, especially when the Sultanate of Sulu in nearby Sulu province was founded.
The province of Tawi-Tawi was never officially controlled directly by the Spanish as the Sultanate of Sulu was in a perpetual war with Spain, resulting in the preservation of its Muslim and Bajau cultures. However, the sultanate waned and was captured by Spain, only to be handed to American forces after a few years. Sibutu remained under Spanish rule until 1900.
Bongao was formally incorporated as a municipality on July 1, 1958 under Executive Order No. 355 signed by President Carlos P. Garcia.
From the History section of Bongao on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship13
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries72
Healthcare5
Map of Bongao
129 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sanga Sanga Airport (TWT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 km away.
- Sanga-Sanga 5 km north, about 5 min by car
- Ungus-Ungus 8 km east, about 8 min by car
- Tampakan 12 km south, about 12 min by car
- New Batu Batu 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- Kolape 14 km east, about 14 min by car
- Bakung 16 km south, about 16 min by car
- Simunul 17 km southeast, about 17 min by car
- Parangan 19 km east, about 19 min by car
- Balimbing 22 km east, about 22 min by car
- Bankaw 26 km east, about 26 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Coast of Bongao, Tawi Tawi, U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Edward G. Martens, Public domain
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 39, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 38, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market Random Pics 3, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 32, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 35, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market Random Pics 4, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 36, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 41, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 33, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 40, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market Random Pics 7, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market 34, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market Random Pics 6, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao, Tawi-Tawi Public Market Random Pics 5, LuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Busy Waterways on Bongao, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit stand in Bongao, Tawi‑Tawi, 2026, MimiAhid, CC0
- Busy streets of Bongao, Tawi‑Tawi PH, MimiAhid, CC0
- Busy Bongao Rotonda, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao Downtown at Night, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Salamat Street at Bongao, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bud Bongao from Bongao Port, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sikkiat-Pakias Bridge, Bongao Tawi-Tawi, MimiAhid, CC0
- Bongao from Sukkiat Bridge, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bongao by the Sea, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fullmoon captured @Bongao Tawi-Tawi, MimiAhid, CC0
- Sanga-Sanga from Bud Bongao, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bud Bongao, Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Motorboats by the Chinese Pier, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Agents of change in Tawi-Tawi, MimiAhid, CC0
- Maldives of the South, JAcapulco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tawi-Tawi at Dusk, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Traditional Batik Attire, MimiAhid, CC0
- Maldives of the South (50356), JAcapulco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maldives of the South (72733), JAcapulco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maldives of the South (34878), JAcapulco, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Motorlaunch in Tawi-Tawi, MimiAhid, CC0
- Motor Launch and the Mountain, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Masjid Nurul Iman at Night, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tawi-Tawi Regional Agricultural College Administration Building, Crow1997, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Page built November 7, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.