Simunul

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.^[3] The majority of the people living here are Muslims.

Simunul سيمونول
Municipality
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
OpenStreetMap
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  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Wasilah T. Abdurahman
• Vice Mayor	Ershad T. Abdurahman
• Representative	Dimszar M. Sali
• Municipal Council	Members Shere-Dee T. Pianah Fatima Fayruz L. Manzur Ismael B. Abdulatip Abdurahman C. Idris Jamail I. Elloh Jr. Ismael A. Abdulhamid Elaine S. Junaid Pirza N. Bulante
• Electorate	16,619 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• 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  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	34,245
• Density	200/km2 (530/sq mi)
• Households	6,100
Economy
• Income class	4th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	26.81 % (2021)[4]
• 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	1907004000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)68
Native languages	Sama Tagalog Sabah Malay
Website	www.simunul.gov.ph

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[5]

Demographics

Sheik Karimal Makdum Mosque

Population census of Simunul

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	+1.83%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[6][7][8][9]

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.

Economy

Poverty Incidence of Simunul

10 20 30 40 50 2000 43.59 2003 33.96 2006 32.40 2009 30.38 2012 42.46 2015 21.81 2018 14.64 2021 26.81 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]