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The Island of Simunul is only 39 square kilometers, but has a total of 15 barangays. The municipality is underdeveloped but it is well suited for eco-tourism and is a pilgrimage site for Filipino Muslims. The people are dependent on the sea for its livelihood, food and transport. But the island itself has become a playground for many species of animal life, especially the wild pigs, since these animals are not hunted down. The pigs are never slaughtered for food since most of the inhabitants are Muslims.
The most significant piece of architecture in the island is the Sheik Makdum Mosque. This mosque in Simunul is the oldest found in the Philippines. Although it has been worn by the ravages of time, its pillars still stand to this day.
In 1380, the first Mohammedan missionary in the country and a noted Arabian judge, Karimul Makdum, arrived in Simunul and introduced Islam to a large number of the local inhabitants. He was responsible for founding the first Mosque in the Philippines in Tubig-Indangan.
The Governor of the Muslim Autonomous Region declared November 7 as a special holiday in honor of Sheik Makdum.s contribution to the propagation of the Muslim faith in the region.
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