Basilan Totally Explained

Everything about Basilan totally explained

Basilan is an island province of the Philippines mostly located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Its capital is Isabela City, which is administered as part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region. Basilan is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula. Basilan is the northernmost among the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago.
Isabela inhabitants include Christians and Muslims from tribal groups such as the Tausugs, Samal Bangingis, and Yakans. Tribal fishermen, farmers, small-store and market vendors favor the traditional native attire.
Basilan is seen as one of the strongholds of the Islamic separatist group, the Abu Sayyaf. This group kidnapped a group of tourists from Palawan and brought them to Basilan, including an American Christian missionary couple named Martin Burnham & Gracia Burnham.

Geography

Basilan is one of a system of 7,107 islands that make up the Philippine archipelago. Regionally, Basilan is part of the Sulu Archipelago between the Philippine island of Mindanao and Borneo which includes about 400 islands. The island chain is one of two partial land bridges to Borneo and is an important migration route for birds. Basilan Strait, about 17 miles at its narrowest point, separates Basilan Island from the mainland of Mindanao and the port city of Zamboanga.
Basilan is subdivided into ten municipalities and two cities. Isabela City, located on the northern shore of Basilan Island facing Zamboanga City, is a component city and capital of the province. Isabela City votes for provincial officials, shares its tax revenues with the province, and continues to be under the jurisdiction of Basilan for the administration of provincially-devolved services and functions. But for the administration of regional services, the city is part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region despite the rest of Basilan being under the authority of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Basilan used to be part of Western Mindanao (the former name of Zamboanga Peninsula), but in a recent plebiscite the residents of Basilan opted to join ARMM, with the exception of Isabela City.

Economy

Agriculture is the main source of economic livelihood. Basilan's major products include coconut (primarily copra trading), rubber, coffee, black pepper, and palm oil. Other crops are palay, corn, cacao, cassava, black pepper and African palm oil. The island’s ocean waters produce grouper, tuna, squid, octopus, marlin and fishponds supply milkfish, prawns and shrimps. In addition, seaweed is cultivated along some coastal areas.
   Local products also include weavings by members of the Yakan tribe. Yakans use fibers from plants such as pineapple for their weavings. The weavers traditionally used extracts from leaves, roots and barks to dye their fibers. However, contact with U.S. Peace Corp workers and Christian Filipinos has influenced Yakan textile art. One is influence is the introduction of chemical dyes. The museum of Lamitan displays the colorful and intricate designs of the traditional Yakan textiles and highlights of the traditional Yakan Festival called the Lami-lamihan.
   The Basilan hostage crisis of 2001 raised questions about the economic future of Basilan. Operations by the militant Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf reduced prospects for investment and tourism. However, increased presence by the Philippine and U.S. military in the area and the death of the Abu Sayyaf's leader, Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, in 2006 have been followed by investments by the United States through USAID. Investments reportedly have created 40 new infrastructure projects in the conflict areas of Mindanao as of 2007. Projects include the Basilan Tuburan Road Improvement Project and improvements to Lamitan and Maluso Ports.
   Smaller barangay infrastructure projects intended to help boost economic growth are also under development. For instance, authorities are building farm-to-market roads, community and trade centers, water projects, and pedestrian bridges; according to USAID information.

Education

The Island Province of Basilan has one (1) State College and five (5) private colleges. The Basilan State College is located in Isabela City and has an extension college in Lamitan City.
Among the private higher education institutions in Isabela City, one is Claret College of Isabela formerly Fatima High School, established by the Jesuits as the premier institution for a Catholic education. The Juan S. Alano Memorial School, Inc., offering Midwifery and other health-related courses since 1958, and affiliated with the Juan S. Alano Memorial Hospital, Inc., the first private health care institution in the province, was established as the first secular School of Midwifery in Western Mindanao. Its campus is located at Juan S. Alano Compound, Brgy. Doña Ramona T. Alano. It will soon be opening choice TESDA-accredited courses through a Technical Vocational Department. More recently, the pioneer computer school in Zamboanga Peninsula and the only computer college in Basilan - the Computer Technologies Institute (COMTECH) Inc. was established in 1997, located along N.S. Valderrosa Street.
The schools in Lamitan City are Mindanao Autonomous College and the Mariam School of Nursing.The Mariam School of Nursing was established in 2004 as part of its Chairwoman's educational outreach program and was named MARIAM or Mother Mary - a unifying and guiding figure among the Christians and Muslims. An I.T.-based College of Nursing located in Flores Street corner Rizal Avenue, it envisions to be recognized as a leading center for nursing and allied health education in the province.

History

The island's early settlers were the Orang Dampuans originating from the islands of Eastern Indonesia, who were the ancestors of the Yakan. The Yakans, inhabited the Sulu Archipelago before the Muslims from Sumatra and Borneo gained control of the area in the 14th century.. The legendary Sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao maintained a stronghold in Lamitan until the Spaniards under the command of Governor General Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera crushed it in 1637. Jesuit missionaries arrived a few years later. In anticipation of an invasion from the Chinese pirate-warlord Koxinga, that would devastate Manila, the Spanish authorities withdrew all stations in the south of the country to augment their forces holed up in Intramuros, temporarily freeing Zamboanga and Isabela from Spanish administration in 1663.
   The Spanish eventually returned, and after having established lucrative trading agreements with the native kingdoms that dotted the area, nearby Zamboanga experienced a revival in its economy. The increasingly wealthy Spanish trading post in Zamboanga became an even more sought after prize for the Muslim pirates of the era, so much so that the surrounding islands started to attract the attention of other foreign powers, and chief among these coveted islands was Basilan.
   The Dutch attacked Basilan in 1747 but were repulsed by the natives, who had by then organized a minor, short-lived fiefdom under the Tausug Datu Bantilan. The French under Admiral Cécille then attempted to occupy the island which they called Taguime in 1844, but they, too, failed. Soon thereafter, the Spaniards built a stone fort - Fuerte de Isabela Segunda - named after the Spanish child-queen of the time, Queen Isabela II.
   When the town of Zamboanga became a chartered city in 1936, it included Basilan. In 1942 Japanese soldiers landed in Basilan and occupied it until 1945, when American and Filipino troops and local Moro guerrillas were finally able to liberate the island from the Japanese. On July 1, 1948, by virtue of a bill filed by then congressman Juan S. Alano, Basilan itself became a separate city. The city was converted into a province on December 27, 1973 after incessant rebel fighting forced President Ferdinand E. Marcos to issue a Presidential Decree to the effect. Initially, 10 municipalities were created, and these were: Isabela, Lamitan, Maluso, Lantawan, Sumisip, Tipo-Tipo, Tuburan, Pilas, Tapiantana, and Malamawi. This was eventually reduced to seven municipalities, with the three outlying island-municipalities being merged with their nearest neighbor.

Political divisions

City/Municipality	No. of Barangays	Population (2000)
Akbar	9	10,581
Al-Barka	16	17,189
Hadji Mohammad Ajul	11	14,540
Hadji Muhtamad	10	9,281
Isabela City	45	73,032
Lamitan City	45	58,709
Lantawan	25	18,206
Maluso	20	31,054
Sumisip	41	51,712
Tipo-Tipo	11	15,035
Tuburan	10	17,429
Ungkaya Pukan	12	16,060

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