Tawi-Tawi Province, Philippines Genealogy

Guide to Province of Tawi-Tawi family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

History
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, separate from Sulu. The seat of the provincial government was established in Bongao.

Below is an article about the history of Tawi-Tawi from the Government of Tawi-Tawi The folklore of the Tawi-Tawi Samals holds that the seafaring people came from the Malay Peninsula. The links with the rest of Southeast Asia are very strong and these contacts have helped shape the culture and the history of the islands.

Tawi-Tawi claims the distinction of being the earliest home of Islam in the country. In 1380, Sheik Karim ul-Makhdum established the first mosque on Philippine territory, in Simunul. Makhdum’s tomb in Sibutu continues to be revered by Philippine Muslims. From the time of the Sulu Sultanate’s inception in the 14th century, Tawi-Tawi had traditionally been part of its realm.

During most of the Spanish period in the Philippines, Tawi-Tawi remained free of western intervention. In 1882, the Spaniards made their first attempt to control the island group by establishing a garrison on the island. They withdrew from the islands at the close of the century as a result of the Philippine Revolution.

The Americans established control over the islands and incorporated Tawi-tawi into the province of Sulu in 1914. Parts of the Tawi-Tawi islands were repurchased from Spain as a consequence of omissions in the Treaty of Paris. Sibutu and Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi were bought for an additional $100,000.

In 1948, when the Turtle Islands were returned to the Philippines by Great Britain, they were constituted as part of the island group. The islands remained part of Sulu until 1973 when the province of Tawi-Tawi was created through Presidential Decree No. 302.

Tawi-Tawi was incorporated into an autonomous regional government for Western Mindanao in 1979 following agreements with the Moro secessionist movement. In 1989, the province voted overwhelmingly to become part of an Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Source: http://www.zamboanga.com

Research Methods
'''The vast majority of your family research will be in civil registration and church records. This article explains different methods for obtaining these records.'''

Civil Registration (Registros Civiles)

 * The recording births, marriages and deaths, provides important information of events in a person's life and required valid evidence, making these records very important.
 * Most vital records from before 1889 come from Catholic parish and diocesan archives.
 * In 1889, the Spanish government created the Central Office of Statistics, which required each parish priest to give the government a detailed list of the births, marriages, and deaths in his area.
 * After the Philippine Revolution of 1898, the church and state became separate. Within the first few years, officials responsible for civil registration were appointed in each municipality.
 * In 1930, civil registration became mandatory and, in 1932, the Bureau of Census and Statistics was created to oversee all civil registration in the Philippines. It was not until 1940 that most registrations began to be recorded.
 * Contents:
 * Births: Child’s name, birth date and place; parents’ names, residence, and occupation; witnesses’ ages, relationships, residences.
 * Marriages: Bride and groom names, ages, residences, occupations, marriage date and place; sometimes ages and/or birth dates and places; parents' names;  residences, occupations; witnesses and officer who performed ceremony; former spouses.
 * Death registers: Name of deceased, age, death date and place, occupation, name of surviving spouse, informant’s name and residence, cause of death, sometimes birth date and place, parents’ names, children’s names.
 * Fetal deaths: Record of all stillbirths, includes information similar to birth and death data shown above.
 * Population coverage: Before 1922, 20%; after 1922, 90%.

1. Online Civil Registration Records
Your search should start with several online collections of civil registration records:
 * 1706-1911 - Sulu, Philippines Civil Registration (Spanish Period), 1706-1911, images, incomplete. During this period Tawi-Tawi was part of Sulu.
 * 1888-1986 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1888-1984 - at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
 * 1902-1945 - Sulu, Philippines Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-1945 at FamilySearch — images, incomplete. During this period Tawi-Tawi was part of Sulu.
 * 1945-1984 -  at FamilySearch — index, incomplete.
 * 1945-1984 - Sulu, Philippines Civil Registration (National), 1945-1984 at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.
 * 1945-1984 - Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Civil Registration (National), 1945-1984 at FamilySearch — images, incomplete.

2. Microfilm Copies of Civil Registration Records Searched at a Family History Center
You can also search microfilmed copies of available civil registration records. If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines, Tawi-Tawi.
 * b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Tawi-Tawi" and a list of towns and cities will open.
 * c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
 * d. Click on "Civil Registration" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3.Writing for Records

 * Civil registry documents that can be obtained from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Click here for detailed instructions for requesting certificates by mail.  Click here to order records online.
 * A copy of the records have been retained in local civil registry offices. Because many records were lost or damaged in the war, checking both the national office and local office might help find a surviving record. To write to them, address your letter to:

City Civil Registry (postal code--find it here) (City) Tawi-Tawi, Philippines

For other religions, Google the denomination and the location. Many churches maintain websites.

Write, call, or personally visit the parish or church. Ask for permission to study their records or make arrangements for them to search for you. It is usual to pay for their help in the form of a donation to the church. When you write, send the following:


 * Full name and the gender of the person sought.
 * Names of the parents, if known.
 * Approximate date and place of the event.
 * Your relationship to the person.
 * Reason for the request (family history, medical, etc.).
 * Request for a photocopy of the complete original record.
 * Check or cash for the search fee (usually about $10.00).

English is the official language of the Philippines. This Letter Writing Guide will help you with organizing your letter and phrasing your requests.

Church Records
Church records are very important for family research. Civil authorities did not consistently register vital events in the Philippines until the nineteenth century. Church records, on the other hand, were well kept from 1569 (in accordance with the directives of the Council of Trent), with some records dating even earlier. They are generally an excellent source—and many times the only source—of names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Key records are baptisms/christenings, marriages, and deaths/burials.

Generally registers exist for the following denominations: Other religious groups in the Philippines:

Contents:
 * Islam (Muslim immigrants and converts 11th-15th centuries, also called Moros)
 * Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian (Some Chinese immigrants arrived in the 16th-19th centuries, but many more arrived in the 20th century)
 * Hindu (East Indian immigrants arrived in the 20th century)
 * Jews (Arrived in the 20th century)
 * Baptismal records: Baptism dates; children’s names; parents’ residence and names (sometimes mother's maiden name is given); witnesses’ and godparents’ names, and sometimes their residence and relationship to infants; sometimes grandparents’ names.
 * Marriage records: Candidates’ names; marriage and/or proclamation dates; often birth places, residence, witnesses, former spouses and parents’ names.
 * Death/burial records: Name of deceased; burial date; often age and cause of death; residence; spouse’s name, especially for women; parents’ names for deceased children.

1. Online Church Records
These very limited collections include some church records:


 * 1642-1994 -, index, incomplete.
 * 1723-1957 -, index, incomplete.
 * 1726-1957 -, index, incomplete.

These Ancestry.com collections are much larger:
 * 1642-1994 - Philippines, Select Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1723-1957 - Philippines, Select Marriages, 1723-1957, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1726-1957 - Philippines, Select Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957, index, incomplete, ($).

A similar collection at MyHeritage should also be checked. This collection shows even larger statistics. Also, frequently, the search engines at these partner sites bring up slightly different results. Your ancestor may show up on one but not the other:
 * 1642-1994 - Philippines, Births and Baptisms, 1642-1994, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1723-1957 - Philippines, Marriages, 1723-1957, index, incomplete, ($).
 * 1726-1957 - Philippines Deaths and Burials, 1726-1957, index, incomplete, ($).

Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local Family History Center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. ''.

2. Microfilm Copies of Church Records Searched at a Family History Center
You can also search microfilmed copies of available church records. If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to try to find them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. Currently, they are being digitized, and plans are to complete that project by 2020. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a Family History Center near you. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on this link to see a list of records for Philippines, Tawi-Tawi.
 * b. Click on "Places within Philippines, Tawi-Tawi" and a list of towns and cities will open.
 * c. Click on the town or city you wish to search.
 * d. Click on "Church Records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct event and time period for your ancestor. "Bautismos" are baptisms. Matrimônios and "Casamentos" are marriages.  "Óbitos"  and Defunciones are deaths.  "Índice" is the index.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3. Writing to Request Records
Unless you know your ancestor was of another religion, begin by searching Catholic records. Tawi-Tawi Province is in the Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo. Write or telephone to inquire whether the diocese holds the parish records:

Apostolic Vicariate of Jolo Bishop's Residence Gandasuli Road Jolo 7400 Sulu Province, Philippines

Telephone: (085)341.8911

Or write directly or call the parish. Click here for addresses and telephone numbers for parishes in Tawi-Tawi.

For other religions, Google the denomination and the location. Many churches maintain websites.

Write, call, or personally visit the parish or church. Ask for permission to study their records or make arrangements for them to search for you. It is usual to pay for their help in the form of a donation to the church. When you write, send the following:


 * Full name and the gender of the person sought.
 * Names of the parents, if known.
 * Approximate date and place of the event.
 * Your relationship to the person.
 * Reason for the request (family history, medical, etc.).
 * Request for a photocopy of the complete original record.
 * Check or cash for the search fee (usually about $10.00).

English is the official language of the Philippines. This Letter Writing Guide will help you with organizing your letter and phrasing your requests.

Reading the Records

 * Many records are written in Spanish. You do not have to be fluent in Spanish to read your documents. Genealogical records usually contain a limited vocabulary. Use this Spanish Genealogical Word List to translate the important points in the document. Handwriting skills are taught in BYU Spanish Script Tutorial.


 * Online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:


 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 3

Detailed instructions for reading Spanish records, examples of common documents, and practice exercises for developing skills in translating them can be found in the Spanish Records Extraction Manual.

Tips for finding your ancestor in the records
Effective use of church records includes the following strategies.


 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
 * Then repeat the process for both the father and the mother.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.

Cemeteries

 * Find A Grave

Websites

 * Tawi-Tawi Wikipedia
 * Tawi-Tawi Province, Philippines
 * Tawi-tawi
 * Tawi-Tawi, Province of, Philippines
 * Province of Tawi-Tawi Google Map
 * ZIP Codes & Phone Area Code of Tawi Tawi, Philippines