The province of Tawi tawi is the southern most group of islands in the Philippine archipelago. The island of Bongao is the political center of this province and it is dominated by Bud Bongao or Bongao Peak (ca 315m asl). Bud Bongao is considered a sacred place for the locals who believe that spirits reside in the mountain.
It is not our intention to climb this mountain since the trip is mainly to survey the province, particularly the main island of Tawi tawi for Odonata (dragonfly and damselfly) fauna. However, its imposing beauty tempted the team to make a few captivating shots of this mountain.
Although no odonata was observed in the island of Bongao except for the resistant Orthetrum sabina sabina and Pantala flavescens, the island of Bongao has 26 recorded species. It is a hope that in the near future an extensive odonata survey can be made around the island and compare it with the data taken over two decades ago. This way we can look at how time and changes in the environment affect odonata diversity in Bud Bongao and its surroundings.
