New Specie of Owl Discovered in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines

A photo taken in February and released by the Biodiversity Conservation Programme (BCP) shows one of the ten new species of owl -- Ninox-Reyi -- found in Tawi-Tawi, on the southern island of Mindanao. Scientists and birdwatchers discovered the ten new owl species in the Philippines, using advanced recording equipment that can distinguish between their hoots. - (photo courtesy of AFP with the following news article @ http://www.afp.com/en/news/topstories/new-owl-species-discovered-philippines )

Tawi-Tawi's geographical location makes it difficult for local and foreign tourists alike to experience and explore.  It being located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, makes it even harder to be considered a vacation destination because of the rampant news of aggression and security issues.  Unknown to many, however, is the fact that Tawi-Tawi is an untamed group of paradise islands. 

Dr. Filemon G. Romero, Tawi-Tawi's very own environmental scientist said in a statement, "It is not only our marine waters that contain new records in science. We are also proud to be the home of the Sulu bleeding-heart (Gallicolumba menagei), Blue-winged racquet-tail (Prioniturus verticali Strigidae), Mantanani scops-owl (Otus mantananensis), Sulu hornbill (Anthracoceros montani), Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), rufous-lored kingfisher (Todirhamphus winchelli) and the Tawitawi brown-dove (Phapitreron cinereiceps). We also have the endemic species of rat (meaning only found in Tawi-Tawi (Muridae Rattus tawitawiensis) and new species of pig (Sus spp. nov.). Tawi-Tawi Island also supports a population of slow loris (Nycticebus coucang) - Kokam, a Sundaic primate that is not found elsewhere in the Philippines (Heaney 1986). We also have the critically endangered Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) in Languyan and Panglima Sugala."

 

About Tawi-Tawi

HISTORICALLY, Tawi-Tawi was previously part of the province of Sulu. On September 11, 1973, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 302, the new province of Tawi-Tawi was officially created, separating from Sulu. The seat of the provincial government was established in Bongao, the capital Municipality of the Province.



Tawi-Tawi occupies the Southernmost frontier of the Philippines bounded on the northwest part by Sulu Sea, and on the south is the eastern part of Celebes Sea.  Tawi-Tawi is peopled by 4 Cultural Communities: Tausug, Sama, Bajau and Jama Mapun. The Capital town is Bongao (pronounced Bung-gao).  The name of Tawi-Tawi is a projection of the Malay word "jauh" meaning "far." Prehistoric travelers from the Asian mainland would repeat the word as "jaui-jaui" to mean "far away" because of the distance of the islands from the continent of Asia. The word "Tawi-Tawi" was picked up to later become the official name of the province.