82-536: Tawitawi Island (also spelled Tawi Tawi or Tawi-Tawi ) is a Philippine island in the Sulu Archipelago between the Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea , about 64 kilometres (40 mi) east of Borneo . It is the main island of Tawi-Tawi Province, with a little more than half the province's 1,087.40 km (419.85 sq mi) land area. Tawitawi has an area of 580.5 square kilometres (224.1 sq mi), making it
164-691: A " Kingdom of Kumalarang " (from the Yakan "kumalang" or "to sing", owing to the location being a place for celebrations and gatherings) during the Ming Dynasty , believed to be the island which now has a barangay of the same name on its northwestern shores. Basilan was seen and mentioned by the remnants of the Ferdinand Magellan expedition in 1521. The earliest map of the Philippines which made reference to an island labeled "Taguima"
246-514: A cavalry unit with its own lieutenant commander, were garrisoned within the protective walls. In 1880 Colonel Rafael Gonzales de Rivera, who was appointed by the Governor General, dispatched the 6th Regiment to Siasi and Bongao Islands. The Spaniards' stronghold was sporadically attacked. On 22 July 1883, it was reported that three unnamed men had succeeded in penetrating Jolo's town plaza and killed three Spaniards. The word “Ajuramentado”
328-596: A grid of streets and blocks—characteristics of Spanish urbanism applied with a military rigidity. In the postwar years the walls degraded. Jolo suffered major destruction due to bombardment and fire during the military operations against the Moro Islamic independence forces in Jolo in 1973. As of 2013 , short stretches of degraded perimeter wall still exist, but are covered by buildings or are partially demolished to less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height. The archipelago
410-459: A land area of 132,723 hectares (327,970 acres) under its jurisdiction. Basilan Island itself has an area of 1,265.5 square kilometres (488.6 sq mi) and a shoreline of 169.8 kilometres (105.5 mi). Basilan National Park is at the eastern portion of the remaining public forest between the city of Isabela and the municipalities of Lamitan, Tipo-Tipo and Sumisip. The park has an elevation of 971 metres (3,186 ft) above sea level, and
492-519: A mountain farther to the east of the island. These names were presumably used by the Maguindanao traders from mainland Mindanao , using these mountains as navigation landmarks when sailing the Celebes Sea . Other names romantically given were "Puh Gulangan" or "island of forests", "Umus Tambun" or "fertile land", "Kumalarang" after the westward flowing river on the island's western half which
574-547: A nod to the Tausugs' former naval prowess. Catholic fiestas are almost always related to good harvests on the farms, as well as saintly miracles against natural calamities and victories against Moro attacks in the past. Yakan festivals, meanwhile, are rooted in older, pre-Islamic rituals such as warrior dances, colorful wedding pageants, and harvest rituals. Culturally, therefore, the Chavacanos, Cebuanos, and Tausugs have had
656-416: A poverty incidence of 44.24%.) The gap between Basilan's rich and poor residents are among the narrowest in the country (ranked 3rd nationwide), pointing to one of the most equitable distributions of wealth anywhere in the country ( Gini coefficient 0.2826, which is slightly better than the provinces of Pampanga , Bulacan , Nueva Ecija , Tarlac , Cavite , Batanes and Batangas ). Antonio Pigafetta of
738-607: A serious epidemic of tropical disease and he and his chieftains sought refuge in the Dungun area of Tawi-Tawi . The Spanish Army easily occupied Jolo, and a small garrison was left there to control the area. The garrison was withered away by frequent raids launched by Sultan Wasit, and by 1645, this garrison had been wasted away. This was the first time that Jolo had been occupied by the Spaniards for an appreciable length of time. From 1663 to 1718, an interregnum of peace occurred because
820-474: Is 77%. Basilan is subdivided into 11 municipalities and two cities . There are 255 barangays. Basilan used to be part of Western Mindanao (former name for Zamboanga Peninsula), but, across the two plebiscites, the majority of the province's residents Basilan opted to join ARMM in 2001 , and Bangsamoro, which superseded ARMM, in 2019 . However, the city of Isabela has consistently voted against its inclusion to
902-522: Is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean , in the southwestern Philippines . The archipelago forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea and southern limit of the Sulu Sea . The Sulu Archipelago islands are within the Mindanao island group, consisting of the Philippines provinces of Basilan , Sulu , and Tawi-Tawi ; hence the archipelago is sometimes referred to as Basulta , derived from
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#1732775929292984-529: Is classified as a tropical wet and dry climate or Aw using the Köppen climate classification system. Basilan is outside the typhoon belt. Prevailing winds are from the southwest with a speed of 4 knots (7.4 km/h). March to May is hot and dry, with temperature averaging 22 °C (72 °F). June to October is rainy. November to February is cool, with temperatures ranging from 22 °C (72 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F). Average humidity year-round
1066-449: Is hilly and heavily wooded, with splashes of white sandy beaches and rock-bound coasts. The island is subdivided into 4 municipalities ( Bongao , Languyan , Panglima Sugala , and Tandubas ). The inhabitants are mostly Sama people , speaking Sama–Bajaw languages and of Muslim conviction. Sulu Archipelago The Sulu Archipelago ( Tausug : سُوگْ , Jawi : كڤولاوان سولو , Filipino : Kapuluan ng Sulu )
1148-431: Is its popular name today), and inaugurated on 16 April. Three years later in 1722, the Spaniards launched another expedition against Jolo led by Andrés García; this expedition failed. In 1731, General Ignacio Iriberri lead a force of 1000 to Jolo and captured it after a lengthy siege, but the Spaniards again left after a few days. In 1755, a force of 1,900 Spanish soldiers led by the captains Simeón Valdez and Pedro Gastambide
1230-591: Is more or less evenly distributed throughout. The province encompasses Basilan Island and all nearby offshore islands, together with the Pilas Island group (now Hadji Muhtamad Municipality ) west of the island, and the Bubuan and Tapiantana Island group (now Tabuan-Lasa Municipality ) in the south. These are listed among the Philippine islands with a moderate risk of getting hit by tsunamis . The province has
1312-416: Is otherwise called Baunuh Peggesan. In the order of tens of thousands of years ago, Melanesians arrived in the Philippines travelling down to Mindanao. Several thousands of years ago, Austronesians arrived in the Philippines, also travelling down to Mindanao. The Yakan people arrived in the area of the Sulu Archipelago , of which Basilan is a part, around 300 BCE to 200 BCE. Little is known of them before
1394-676: Is spoken mainly in Basilan Island . Numerous dialects of Sinama are spoken throughout the archipelago, from the Tawi-Tawi Island group, to the Mapun island group (Mapun), to the coast of Mindanao and beyond. The archipelago is geographically subdivided into several groups, most significantly those around the main islands Basilan , Jolo and Tawi-Tawi . There are, however, other groups containing mostly small islands; not all of these are inhabited: The Sulu Archipelago
1476-719: The 1898 Treaty of Paris ended the war. The Philippine–American War followed in 1898 for three months, during which the American military fought and defeated the Philippine forces under Emilio Aguinaldo for control of the Philippines. After the Philippine–American War, the Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) independence movement continued the Spanish–Moro conflict , now against the United States occupation of
1558-477: The 21st largest island of the Philippines , and the 3rd largest island in the Sulu Archipelago (after Basilan and Jolo ). It has a shoreline length of 152.2 kilometres (94.6 mi), and a maximum elevation of 549 metres (1,801 ft). Tawitawi Island is of volcanic origin and irregular in shape, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) long and between 10 and 23 kilometres (6.2 and 14.3 mi) wide. It
1640-615: The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2001, it was last province to do so. Its former capital, Isabela City, opted out and remains a part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region (formerly Western Mindanao, Region 9). The capital town Lamitan became a component city by virtue of Republic Act No. 9393 which sought to convert the town into a city. The law was ratified on June 18, 2007. However,
1722-587: The Bourbons (1700–present). This particular map of Mindanao, apparently copied from the Nicolaus Bellinn map of 1752, was published by Nicolas Norton Nicols in 1757, featuring "Basilan" and bearing the royal stamp of Spanish Bourbon King Ferdinand VI . It has been called "Isla de Basilan" (Basilan Island) ever since. It was eventually colonized by the Spanish as early as 1636 and was formally ceded by
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#17327759292921804-622: The British Army withdrew to the south and established trading alliances between the Sulu Sultanate and the British East India Company . During that time, Sulu Sultanate surrendered Basilan to Spain in 1762. Spanish attacks on Jolo were now directed at weakening British trading interests in the south. In 1784, Aguilar conducted a series of unsuccessful assaults against Jolo and in 1796, Spanish admiral José Alava
1886-549: The Magellan Expedition , records the name of Basilan as "Taghima", and was variously spelled in other early European maps as "Tanguima", "Taglima", "Tagimar", "Tagema", and "Tagyto". The first record of it being called "Basilan" is by a Jesuit historian, Fr. Colin. Oral traditions of the local Yakan people include several names for pre-historic Basilan: "Uleyan", which is derived from the present-named Basilan Peak (Puno Mahaji), and later changed to "Matangal" after
1968-733: The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government. Basilan Basilan , officially the Province of Basilan ( Chavacano : Provincia de Basilan ; Yakan : Wilayah Basilanin ; Tausug : Wilaya' sin Basilan ; Filipino : Lalawigan ng Basilan ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region . Basilan Island is
2050-766: The Spanish–Moro conflict met firm and organised resistance from the Sultanate of Sulu. Miguel López de Legazpi had established a colony in Cebu in May 1565, however the initial focus of the Spanish conquest to establish the Spanish East Indies was northwards. In June 1578 Francisco de Sande, Governor-General of the Spanish East Indies , dispatched captain Esteban Rodríguez de Figueroa and
2132-505: The regional legislature of the ARMM : The new municipalities were created without the consent of the Philippine Congress . According to some accounts, said municipalities do not reach the basic requirements for the creation of a separate municipality (50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) area, P2.5 million income, and 25,000 population) under the Philippines' Local Government Code. (Recent Supreme Court rulings nullified
2214-465: The thalassocratic Sultanate of Sulu . The archipelago is the home of the indigenous Tausug people; various group of Samal (or Sama ) people including the semi-nomadic Badjaw ; the land-based Sama; the related Yakan people ; and the Jama Mapun people. The Tausug language is spoken widely in the Sulu Archipelago as both first and second languages throughout these islands. The Yakan language
2296-647: The "Lumad" (albeit lately most Yakans have since converted to Islam) or indigenous peoples of Basilan, while the Tausugs, the Samal and the Bajao are regarded as the "original Muslims", and the Chavacano , Cebuano and Ilonggo are the "Cristianos". The rest, a mixture of Ilocanos, Waray, Bicolanos, Maranaos, Iranuns and Maguindanaos, are more recent migrants permanently residing in the region, itinerant merchants or government workers. This mix of ethnicities, forged first by
2378-565: The Basilan island's northeastern coast. Most Bangsamoro regional offices that serve the province are located in the city. Lamitan was proclaimed as the new capital of Basilan since 2017. The locality derives its name from Sultan Kudarat's capital town in the Mindanao mainland — Ramitan. The Iranun Sultan built a fortified base in the area to serve as a staging ground for raids on Spanish Zamboanga. The native Yakans regarded this as "a place where people from Ramitan stayed" or Kuta Ramitan. Eventually,
2460-463: The City of Isabela in 2001. Isabela 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. However, for regional and statistical purposes, Isabela is grouped under Zamboanga Peninsula. Lamitan is the capital, as well as a component city, of Basilan, located on
2542-605: The Islamic Moro conflict, against the United States occupation in areas of the Moro people in the archipelago and southwestern Philippines. The Sulu Archipelago was part of the Islamic Sultanate of Sulu , founded in 1405 by Shari’ful Hashem Syed Abu Bak’r . The sultanate also included portions of Borneo , Mindanao , Palawan , and other islands in the region. From the first Spanish encounters with Jolo island,
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2624-533: The Japanese occupation began with the Battle of Leyte Gulf . Allied forces eventually drove the Japanese from the islands. On 4 July 1946, the Philippines became an independent nation . The fortifications of Jolo remained in good state during the American occupation when its walls, gates, and the buildings within it were photographed. Early 20th century photographs of Jolo show a well-ordered town, neatly laid out in
2706-549: The Japanese occupation of the country during World War II, in 1946, the Philippines gained its independence. Beginning around 1970, heavy fighting broke out between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front , which was determined to secede and form a new country. In 1973, Basilan officially became a province carved out in the Province of Zamboanga del Sur . The province joined
2788-634: The Jesuit priest Juan del Campo and the coadjutor Gaspar Gómez to Jolo, resulting in a negotiated compromise where the Sulu sultan paid a regular tribute in pearls. The following year, Figueroa was awarded the sole right to colonise Mindanao. In 1587, during a campaign against Borneo launched by Sande, Figueroa attacked and burned down Jolo. The Spaniards left Jolo after a few days. The Joloanos resolved to resist Spanish intrusions. In response to attacks, Joloanos raided Spanish settlements and reducciones . In 1593,
2870-531: The Jesuit printing press at Manila in 1749. It featured a map of the Philippines with the unofficial "I. Basilan". The map was re-published by Leipzig map-maker Nicolaus Bellinn for general European circulation in 1752. Finally, to represent a clear break from the Habsburg Dynasty (which had ruled Spain for 184 years from 1516 to 1700), the first officially sanctioned Spanish maps of its colonies, including "Las Islas de Mindanao", were commissioned by
2952-830: The Philippine Islands were administered directly from Madrid , rather than via the Viceroy of Mexico , since Mexico and its southern neighbours had won their independence from Spain. The Spanish Empire sought to end the "Moro threat". In 1824, the Marina Sutil, a light and manoeuvrable naval force under Capitan Alonso Morgado was sent to confront the slave raiders in the Sulu Sea. In 1844, Governor General Narciso Claveria led yet another expedition against Jolo and in 1848, Claveria with powerful gunboats Magallanes, El Cano, and Reina de Castilla brought from Europe supervised
3034-460: The Philippines. The Sulu Archipelago was considered part of Islamic Moroland by the movement. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States in the Philippines and at Pearl Harbor , and the United States declared war on Japan as part of World War II . Japan conquered the Philippines in 1942, in the Philippines campaign (1941–1942) . In 1944 the Allies' Philippines Campaign (1944–45) against
3116-835: The Spaniards assembled the largest contingent against Jolo, consisting of 9,000 soldiers in 11 transports, 11 gunboats, and 11 steamboats. Headed by Admiral Jose Malcampo, they captured Jolo and established a Spanish settlement. Captain Pascual Cervera was appointed to set up a garrison and serve as military governor; he served from March 1876 to December 1876 followed by Jose Paulin (December 1876 – April 1877), Carlos Martinez (Sept 1877 – Feb 1880), Rafael de Rivera (1880–81), Isidro G. Soto (1881–82), Eduardo Bremon, (1882), Julian Parrado (1882–84), Francisco Castilla (1884–86), Juan Arolas (1886–93), Caesar Mattos (1893), Venancio Hernandez (1893–96), and Luis Huerta (1896–99). The Spaniards were never secured in Jolo, and by 1878 they had fortified
3198-441: The Spanish again failed to take Jolo. Again on 17 March 1630, a large Spanish force of 2,500 soldiers attacked Jolo but to no avail. When its commander Lorenzo de Olazo was wounded, the Spaniards retreated. On 4 January 1638, Governor Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera led a naval and military expedition of about 80 ships and 2,000 troops to attack Jolo, but Sultan Wasit put up stiff resistance. However, Sultan Wasit's kuta army suffered
3280-473: The Spanish launched a campaign to occupy Jolo. Spurred by their need to curb slave raiding, and concerned about other European colonial efforts in the region, the Spanish made a final bid to consolidate their rule in their southern frontier. The British had established trading centres in Jolo by the 19th century and the French were offering to purchase Basilan Island from the Spanish government. On 21 February 1876,
3362-493: The Spanish practice of establishing re-settlements or reducciones , as well as the multinational plantations' importation of skilled Christian farm workers and laborers from the Visayas and Luzon, gives Basilan a distinct culture in the Philippines. It is the only predominantly Muslim province that is governed primarily by its indigenous population and whose most commonly spoken language is Chavacano . The Tausugs and Samals, for
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3444-654: The Spanish troops were ordered to abandon the Zamboanga Peninsula, and forts south of that—and regroup in Manila to prepare for the impending attack of Koxinga —which never happened. Hostilities resumed in the 18th century, triggered by the 1718 decision by governor Gen Juan Antonio dela Torre Bustamante to reconstruct the fort Real Fuerza de San José in Bagumbayan, Zamboanga. The fort was completed in 1719, renamed Real Fuerza del Pilar de Zaragosa ( Fort Pilar
3526-595: The Sulu Sultanate to Spain in 1726. The withdrawal of the Yakans inland was hastened by Spanish establishment of advance bases on the island's northwestern coast, bringing in Christianized 'indios' and Latin Americans from Zamboanga , as well as Visayans and Tagalogs, from the Visayas and Luzon . By then, even the Yakan communities of Lamitan were completely overrun. Jesuit missionaries brought Catholicism to
3608-612: The Tausug-dominated coasts and the Yakan-dominated hinterlands. They make up the bulk of the island's professionals, entrepreneurs, and lowland farmers. The Christians, however, own most of the arable land, as well as nearly all of the businesses and occupy most of the professions. Tausug/Samal festivals are usually connected to the sea, celebrating the bounty of the seas, even staging dazzling fluvial wedding parades on colorfully bedecked vintas and paraws ,
3690-646: The area. Although the majority of the Yakans are Muslims, a significant number conform to traditional local beliefs, traditions and rituals, while a few have likewise opted to be baptized Catholics. Along with a majority of the Chavacano, the Cebuano and the Ilonggo/Hiligaynon Bisaya are also Catholics. Culturally, the Yakan and the Tausug are distinct ethnolinguistic nations; the Yakan represent
3772-575: The atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum by Christophe Plantin in Antwerp . As late as 1719, a map titled "Die philippinische Inseln - Isle Brneo" by Allain Manesson Mallet of Frankfurt , Germany featured an island labeled "Tagyma I." The process by which all these names became "Basilan" is almost certainly due to miscommunication between the natives and the Spanish, as well as the penchant to engage in editorial license by European map-makers of
3854-634: The attack on the Balangingi stronghold in Tungkil. The raid resulted in the capture of many Sama Balangingi and the exile of many to the tobacco fields of Cagayan Valley. The leader of the Sama, Paglima Taupan, was not captured. With the fall of the Balangingi, a powerful ally of the Sulu Sultanate was decimated, beginning the decline of the sultanate's maritime sea power. In 1850, Governor General Juan Urbiztondo continued with Claveria's campaign and annihilated
3936-517: The cityhood status was lost twice in the years 2008 and 2010 after the LCP questioned the validity of the cityhood law. The cityhood status was reaffirmed after the court finalized its ruling on February 15, 2011 which declared the cityhood law constitutional. Basilan is located between latitudes 6°15' and 7°00' and longitudes 121°15' and 122°30'. The island is bordered by the Basilan Strait to
4018-495: The coastal communities along the island's southern, western and northwestern shores were primarily inhabited by Tausugs and their vassal tribes, the Samals and Bajaus (Tau-Laut). The only exception was the relatively prosperous Yakan communities of Lamitan. Documents from the royal archives of the Sulu Sultanate referred to the northernmost island of the Sulu Archipelago as Taguima, from the Yakan who were called "Tagihamas" (people of
4100-508: The creation of Shariff Kabunsuan Province, created by the same ARMM Regional Assembly, reverting it to the 1st District of Maguindanao Province.) As a result, four of the six new municipalities have not been included in the government's annual budget as approved by Congress and have not received any nationally funded Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) since their creation. These are Hadji Muhtamad, Hadji Mohammad Ajul, Al Barka and Akbar municipalities. The biggest cultural influences on
4182-533: The era of Spanish colonization, but they still make up the largest ethnic group on the main island of Basilan. It is believed that the Yakan people of Basilan made contact with the Kingdom of Champa in present-day Vietnam, and many of them have ancestries from Champa settlers, who later integrated with the Yakan. As the Tausug Sultanate of Sulu grew in power, the Yakans withdrew inland, until most of
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#17327759292924264-414: The era. Basilan's name may also derive from its iron ore deposits. Tausug warriors and slave-traders from Sulu came to Taguima to purchase high-quality magnetic iron ores, which they used for swords, knives and other blades. This profitable trade, helped in large measure by the establishment of Maluso as a major military-naval base of the Sulu Sultanate, eventually gave the island the distinction of being
4346-415: The executive departments and line agencies as well as most of the municipal offices of its neighboring municipalities. In 1848, it was officially renamed Isabela de Basilan, derived from the Spanish fort built on the area where the present Provincial Capitol now stands — Fort Isabella Segunda — which, in turn, was named after Spanish Queen Isabella II. It was renamed Isabela Municipality in 1973 and formally as
4428-549: The first permanent Roman Catholic mission was established on the Zamboanga Peninsula, and three years later, the Spanish Army launched another attack on Jolo, which was repelled by the army of Rajah Bongsu. In November 1593, the Spanish Empire sent Juan Ronquillo to Tampakan to thwart the slave raiders. The following year, the Spanish Army troops relocated to Caldera Bay (Recodo), Mindanao. In 1598, another expedition
4510-399: The first syllables of the three provinces. The archipelago is not, as is often supposed, the remains of a land bridge between Borneo and the Philippines. Rather, it is the exposed edge of small submarine ridges produced by tectonic tilting of the sea bottom. Basilan , Jolo , Tawi-Tawi and other islands in the group are extinct volcanic cones rising from the southernmost ridge. Tawi-Tawi,
4592-400: The independent Sultanate of Sulu , founded in 1405. The arrival of Western powers later became a conflict when the Spanish start to impose the rule of Spanish East Indies over the Sulu Archipelago. Spanish military expeditions against the sultanate were launched over the centuries of the colonial Philippines period (1565–1946). The Moro Rebellion (1899–1913) independence movement continued
4674-424: The interior or hinterlands) by the Tausug and Samal peoples who came and settled in numerous scattered communities along Basilan's western and southwestern shores and outlying islets and island groups. Later references mentioned "Bantilan", probably referring to Maluso, which was established as a major Tausug base by Sulu Sultan Muizz ud-Din (whose princely name was Datu Bantilan). Imperial Chinese texts mention
4756-423: The island derive from Basilan's tri-ethnolingusitic community: the native Yakan , Tausug , and Chavacano peoples. The Yakans and Tausugs are predominantly Muslim, while the Chavacano are primarily Catholic. Among the Tausugs and Samals, the phrase " mag-tausug na kaw " means "become a Muslim", instead of the more literal translation, "become a Tausug", as the Tausug ethnic is regarded as the "original Muslims" of
4838-426: The island. The Yakans, on the other hand, having been driven far inland, are scattered throughout the island's interior, in similar raised houses usually made of light materials, but separated from each other. Yakans control nearly all Local Government Units, and since the late 80s have found employment in Government jobs. The Christians are mostly found in the plains, the cities and in the plantations, squeezed between
4920-463: The largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago . It is just off the southern coast of the geographic Zamboanga Peninsula . Isabela , the most populous city and the former capital, is a component city under the provincial government of Basilan but is administered as part of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region and is listed statistically independent. The provincial capital has since been transferred to Lamitan . Despite this,
5002-424: The main native language is Yakan and lingua franca is Chavacano . Other languages include Tausug, Cebuano, and Sama. Basilan, although classified as a 3rd-class province in terms of gross provincial income, has one of the lowest incidences of poverty in the Philippines (26.19% of the general population), ranked 20 among the Philippines' 80 provinces. (In comparison, Maguindanao which is ranked last at number 80 has
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#17327759292925084-400: The mainland of Mindanao and the port city of Zamboanga. The terrain of the island is simple, with several undulating slopes concentrated around Isabela City along the coastal areas and hilly towards the interior. Urban areas are usually 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) above sea level and gently sloping to 300 metres (980 ft) towards the hinterlands. The stand of timber and forest vegetation
5166-401: The most part having been denied ownership of land, and owing to their primary livelihood of fishing, live along the coastlines, constructing their houses on stilts at the water's edge near population centers. Their houses are, for the most part, outside of the municipal water and sewerage systems of the urban centers. This group controls nearly 100% of the bountiful aquatic resources that surround
5248-416: The north, the Sulu Sea to the northwest and west, the Moro Gulf to the northeast, and the Celebes Sea to the south, southeast and east. Basilan is the largest and northernmost island of the Sulu Archipelago between the Philippine islands of Mindanao and Borneo which includes about 400 islands. Basilan Strait, about 17 nautical miles (31 km) at its narrowest point, separates Basilan Island from
5330-411: The provincial Capitol and government offices are still located at Isabela. Basilan is home to three main ethnolinguistic groups: the indigenous Yakans , and the later-arriving Tausugs and Chavacanos . The Yakans and Tausugs are predominantly Muslim, while the Chavacano are mainly Christian. There are also a number of smaller ethnic groups. Although the official languages are Filipino and English ,
5412-482: The ramparts of the Spanish commandery at the Fuerza del Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza ( Fort Pilar ), the warriors supposedly pointed to the island visible across today's Basilan Strait, and said, simply, "ha basih-lan". Reports from the Jesuit reducciones in Zamboanga and Pasangen (Isabela) were relayed to Manila , where Spanish cartographer Pedro Murillo de Velarde published Historia de la Provincia de Philipinas de la Compañia de Jesvs. Segvnda parte using
5494-420: The region, so the city remains a part of Zamboanga Peninsula . Isabela , on the northern shore of Basilan Island facing Zamboanga City , is a component city of the province, formerly serving as its capital from 1975 to 2017. Originally called Pasangen (rough English translation for "town") by natives, it still hosts the Basilan Provincial Capitol, the Governor's Executive Residence, the provincial offices of
5576-411: The region. Fighting with the Sultanate, the Dutch East India Company , Moro Pirates , and the French figured in Basilan's history over the years. With its victory in the 1898 Spanish–American War , the United States gained possession of the Philippines. Americans proceeded to 'pacify' Basilan, cleared large expanses of land, and established plantations, mainly to produce rubber and copra . Following
5658-413: The remaining Balangingi strongholds at Tungkil. A raid on Jolo that year was a failure. On 28 February 1851, Urbiztondo launched another campaign against Jolo, razed the whole town and confiscated 112 pieces of artillery. The Spanish troops later withdrew. Also, in 1851, a peace treaty was signed between the Sulu Sultanate and the Spanish, though the terms were understood differently by each party. In 1876,
5740-439: The resulting outpost lasted only until 1806. By 1895, the Great Britain had withdrawn its army and navy from the Sulu Sea. In 1815, the galleon trade across the Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and Mexico ended, since Mexico had declared its independence in 1810, and an extended war of independence was in progress. Most of the other Spanish-ruled areas of the Americas had also rebelled against their colonial masters. In 1821,
5822-494: The source of basih-balan , the Tausug word for magnetic iron. Roughly translated and abbreviated, however, basih-lan means "the iron ( magnet ) trail" or "the iron way". When several Tausug warriors were caught by the Spanish in one of their numerous raids on the Zamboanga settlement, Spanish officials supposedly admired the artistry and skill that went into making the warriors' elaborately decorated swords, knives and blades. They asked where these weapons could be bought. From atop
5904-443: The southernmost island of the group, has a serpentine basement-complex core with a limestone covering. This island chain is an important migration route for birds. The largest municipalities in the area are on the island of Jolo . The larger island of Palawan to its north, the coastal regions of the westward-extending Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao , and the north-eastern part of the island of Borneo were formerly parts of
5986-489: The tallest peak, Puno Mahaji or Basilan Peak, dominates the park's landscape. The climate is similar to other areas in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The annual average rainfall is 1,100 millimetres (43 in) and the mean annual temperature is 26.6 °C (79.9 °F). The source of the rainfall is the southwest monsoon and the island's location in the Intertropical Convergence Zone . The climate
6068-497: The town with a perimeter wall and tower gates, built inner forts called Puerta Blockaus, Puerta España, and Puerta Alfonso XII, and two outer fortifications named Princesa de Asturias and Torre de la Reina when Sultanate of Sulu formally recognised Spanish sovereignty on Sulu and Tawi-tawi in middle of 19th century, but these areas remained partially ruled by the Spanish as their sovereignty was limited to military stations and garrisons and pockets of civilian settlements. Troops, including
6150-571: The wooden fortress was razed to the ground by Gov. Gen. Corcuera in 1637. Natives just called the place "Ramitan", and substituting 'R' with 'L', the place gradually became known as simply Lamitan. In 2007, its status was elevated from a municipality to a city, but was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2008, reverting it to being a municipality, until the court overturned its decision in 2011. The other five original municipalities are: The latest six municipalities are creations of
6232-465: Was coined by the Spanish colonel Juan Arolas after witnessing several such raids while serving with the Jolo garrison. In 1898, the war between Spain and America broke out. Commodore George Dewey of the US Navy defeated the Spanish fleet in the Battle of Manila Bay , following which the American army occupied Manila. The United States took possession of the Philippines under international law after
6314-594: Was launched against Jolo, but was repelled by the Joloanos. In late 1600, Captain Juan Gallinato with a group of about 200 Spanish soldiers attacked Jolo but were unsuccessful. By 1601, after three months of heavy fighting, the Spanish troops retreated. In 1628, a larger raiding force of about 200 Spanish army officers and 1,600 soldiers was organised to attack Jolo to defeat the Moslem slave raiders and traders, but
6396-620: Was once part of Majapahit Empire and mentioned in the Old Javanese eulogy of Nagarakretagama by the name "Solot". After that, it became part of the Bruneian Empire before gaining its own independence on 1578. Many Tausugs and other native Muslims of Sulu Archipelago already interacted with Kapampangan and Tagalog Muslims called Luzones based in Brunei, and there were intermarriages between them. The region then became part of
6478-602: Was part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from 2006 until its abolition in 2008. Bangsamoro , officially known as the Autonomous Government of Bangsamoro (Filipino: Nagsasariling Pamahalan ng Bangsamoro), is a proposed autonomous political entity within the Philippines. The proposal is part of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro , a preliminary peace agreement signed between
6560-471: Was produced by Giacomo Gastaldi , through woodblock prints in 1548. It was subsequently included in the influential travel book of Giovanni Battista Ramusio , the Della Navigatione e Viaggi , which was published between 1556 and 1583 in three volumes. This was followed by Abraham Ortelius 's work Indiae Orientalis Insularumque Adiacientium Typus , published in 1573 in a German text edition of
6642-618: Was sent from Madrid with a powerful naval fleet to stop the slave-raiding attacks from the Sulu Sea. The British presence was signalled when in 1798, the British Royal Navy , which had established a base in Sulu, bombarded Fort Pilar in Zamboanga. In 1803, Lord Richard Wellesley , the Governor-General of India , ordered Robert J. Farquhar to transfer trading and military operations to Balambangan island near Borneo;
6724-558: Was sent to Jolo in revenge for the raids by Sultan Muiz ud-Din, but the Spaniards were defeated. In 1775, after a Moro raid on Zamboanga, Captain Vargas led a punitive expedition against Jolo, but his force was repulsed. In the second half of the 18th century, Great Britain became a new player in the archipelago After occupying Manila from 1762 to 1764, during the Seven Years' War between Spain, Great Britain and other European powers,
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