Simunul
Municipality in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simunul, officially the Municipality of Simunul (Tagalog: Bayan ng Simunul), is a municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,245 people.[5] The majority of the people living here are Muslims.
Simunul
سيمونول | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Simunul | |
Aerial view of Simunul in 2018 | |
 Flag | |
| Nickname: The Birthplace of Islam in the Philippines | |
 Map of Tawi-Tawi with Simunul highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Simunul | |
.svg)  Simunul Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 4°53′53″N 119°49′17″E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao |
| Province | Tawi-Tawi |
| District | Lone district |
| Barangays | 15 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Wasilah T. Abdurahman |
| • Vice Mayor | Ershad T. Abdurahman |
| • Representative | Dimszar M. Sali |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 16,619 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 167.25 km2 (64.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1.0 m (3.3 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 325 m (1,066 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 35,616 |
| • Density | 212.95/km2 (551.54/sq mi) |
| • Households | 6,100 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 4th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 26.81 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 188.9 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 204.9 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 189.2 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 159.5 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Tawi Tawi Electric Cooperative (TAWELCO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 7505 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)68 |
| Native languages | Sama Tagalog Sabah Malay |
| Website | www |
Geography
The municipality consists of 2 islands: the larger eponymous Simunul Island and Manuk Mangkaw (Manuk Manka) Island, 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) to the south. There are six beaches in Simunul.
Barangays
Simunul is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
- Bagid
- Bakong
- Doh-Tong
- Luuk Datan
- Manuk Mangkaw
- Maruwa
- Mongkay
- Pagasinan
- Panglima Mastul
- Sokah-Bulan
- Tampakan (Poblacion)
- Timundon
- Tonggusong
- Boheh Indangan
- Ubol
The barangays of Timundon, Manuk Mangkaw, and Luuk Datan are located on Manuk Mangkaw Island; the remaining 12 barangays are located on Simunul Island.
Climate
| Climate data for Simunul, Tawi-Tawi | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
30 (85) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 25 (77) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 157 (6.2) |
115 (4.5) |
123 (4.8) |
96 (3.8) |
136 (5.4) |
120 (4.7) |
104 (4.1) |
89 (3.5) |
86 (3.4) |
131 (5.2) |
151 (5.9) |
159 (6.3) |
1,467 (57.8) |
| Average rainy days | 20.4 | 17.5 | 20.4 | 21.1 | 26.7 | 25.7 | 26.0 | 24.5 | 24.0 | 27.7 | 26.3 | 24.7 | 285 |
| Source: Meteoblue[6] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 1,440 | — |
| 1918 | 5,818 | +9.76% |
| 1939 | 4,980 | −0.74% |
| 1948 | 5,413 | +0.93% |
| 1960 | 8,724 | +4.06% |
| 1970 | 12,135 | +3.35% |
| 1975 | 20,218 | +10.78% |
| 1980 | 26,816 | +5.81% |
| 1990 | 26,491 | −0.12% |
| 1995 | 29,254 | +1.88% |
| 2000 | 31,962 | +1.92% |
| 2007 | 38,239 | +2.50% |
| 2010 | 34,538 | −3.64% |
| 2015 | 31,223 | −1.90% |
| 2020 | 34,245 | +1.96% |
| 2024 | 35,616 | +0.95% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[7][8][9][10][11] | ||
The language spoken is Sama, also known as Sinama. The first Muslims in the Philippines are said to have arrived at Simunur. The first mosque in the Philippines was built here by Sheik Karimul Makhdum. This mosque is called the Sheik Karimal Makdum Mosque.