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The Bangsamoro Ministry of Transportation and Communications turned over the newly rehabilitated Bongao Port passenger terminal in Tawi-Tawi and formally broke ground for the port’s expansion on January 21
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The P70-million expansion and rehabilitation project is part of MOTC’s Modernization of Infrastructure and Facility initiative
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It aims to attract more investors and open potential shipping routes to Davao, Cebu, and Manila
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The P20-million passenger terminal renovation features a prayer room, comfort rooms, a breastfeeding room, an immigration desk, and can accommodate up to 250 passengers
The Bangsamoro Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) turned over the newly rehabilitated Bongao Port passenger terminal in Tawi-Tawi and formally broke ground for the port’s expansion on January 21, 2026.
The passenger terminal renovation, funded with P20 million from the 2023 General Appropriations Act of the Bangsamoro region, features a prayer room, comfort rooms, a breastfeeding room, an immigration desk, and can accommodate up to 250 passengers, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government said in a statement.
The P70-million expansion and rehabilitation project, meanwhile, is part of MOTC’s Modernization of Infrastructure and Facility initiative. Officials said the improvements aim to attract more investors and open potential shipping routes to Davao, Cebu, and Manila.
MOTC minister Termizie Masahud said there are several other proposals lined up for the port.
“We want to make Tawi-Tawi a center for commerce. With the exit of Sulu, the Bongao port could be the main port in BARMM,” he said.
Sulu, located north of Tawi-Tawi, is no longer part of the BARMM after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of its petition recognizing that voted against inclusion in the region.
Bongao port terminal supervisor Alkamar Ladja said they have long been waiting for the improved passenger terminal.
Ladja noted that the port handles both domestic and international passengers, particularly from neighboring Lahad Datu, Malaysia.
In 2023, the Bangsamoro Ministry of Public Works also turned over to Bangsamoro Ports Management Authority the completed roll-on/roll-off facilities of Bongo port.
BARMM, the only region with an autonomous government, consists of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Tawi-Tawi.
