The City of Isabela is the capital of the island province of Basilan.
Isabela, named in honor of Queen Isabel II of Spain, is as unique as the eclectic mix of its populace. Home to both Christians and descendants of various ethnic groups such as the Yakan, Samal Banguingui, Badjao, and Tausug, the city exudes an interesting diversity of culture that is manifested in its daily life. While there is some semblance of modernization, tribal fishermen, farmers and market vendors still favor the traditional native attire.
Men of the Yakan tribe wear the sawal and badyo, a tight-fitting pair of pants and shirt usually black in color, and the kandit, a piece of cloth tied around the head. Yakan women wear tight-sleeved blouses with decorative buttons. Others have blouses with loose hanging sleeves.
Other Muslims wear kantiw, loose cotton pants with a waist string or garter. The Muslim women wear sablay or habol, a large piece of cloth wound around the body, hanging on the shoulder, or a patadyong worn from the waist down.
The Yakans are farmers who dwell in the hinterland; their women are expert in hand-weaving multi-colored cloth. On the other hand, the Samals, Badjaos and Tausugs are mostly fishermen, and have opted to stay along the coastal areas of this enchanting city.
Because of its proximity to the Zamboanga Peninsula, Chavacano, an amusing blend of Spanish and local dialects, is generally spoken. And due to the eclectic mixture of migrants and indigenous folk, Tausog, Cebuano, B’laan, Yakan, Samal, and other dialects are also spoken.
While Isabela is within the geographical boundaries of Basilan, and is in fact the seat of the provincial government, the city itself is administered independently of the province and is officially a part of Region IX ( Zamboanga Peninsula ), not under the jurisdiction of the ARMM ( Bangsamoro Autonomous Region ), to which Basilan is now a part of.
This situation came about during the referendum held in November 1989, formally establishing the ARMM as a separate region. The Isabeleños, who are mostly non-Muslim, overwhelmingly opted to remain under the administration of Region IX.