Basilan turns 14

From the Manila Standard Today (Mar 16): Basilan turns 14

The  island province of Basilan marked its 14th founding anniversary  which was preceded by week-long activities with native Yakans, and Christians and Tausug settlers taking part.

Gov. Jum Akbar said the celebration, focused on the theme “Many Cultures, One Basilan—Diverse Tribes in Harmony, Moving Forward with One Goal”, was joined by thousands of  residents from 10 municipalities at the capitol grounds in this capital city.

Akbar said the turtle-shaped  province, where the Abu Sayyaf Group is based, was originally an island city headed by the late mayor Leroy Brown. It was created in early 1992 through a legislative measure authored by then Congressman Juan Alano.

The occasion was ushered in  by  week-long activities including  an agro-industrial fair which  displayed the area’s prominent local  farm, marine and trade products as well as traditional  events such as cultural presentation and civic-military parade of local  government officials, employees, educators and students, police and military personnel, and leaders of non-government organizations.  
          
Akbar, widow of the late Rep. Wahab Akbar, who was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in front of the House of Representatives building in Quezon City some six years ago, urged local government leaders and their respective constituents to continue supporting their provincial and municipal officials who are exerting their best to deliver islanders’ basic services.

Basilan is the largest among the islands in the Sulu Archipelago comprising also Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It now has two chartered cities – Isabela, its capital, which administratively belongs to Zamboanga Peninsula (it having rejected to join the Autonomous Region in Muslim  Mindanao in  two previous plebiscites) and Lamitan City. Both cities were created through legislative measures authored by former Basilan congressman Hadji Salapuddin.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/03/16/basilan-turns-14/