Isabela, Basilan

Isabela عيسىبلا
Component city
City of Isabela
Basilan Provincial Capitol Santa Isabel Cathedral Malamawi Island Isabela City Hall Isabela City Riverside Isabela City Poblacion
Flag Seal
Map of Zamboanga Peninsula with Isabela highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Isabela Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 6°42′N 121°58′E / 6.7°N 121.97°E / 6.7; 121.97
Country	Philippines
Region	Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)
Province	Basilan
District	Lone district
Founded	1848
Cityhood	April 25, 2001
Named for	Isabella II of Spain
Barangays	45 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Sitti Djalia Hataman
• Vice Mayor	Jhul Kifli L. Salliman
• Representative	Mujiv S. Hataman
• City Council	Members Candu I. Muarip Jeromy L. Casas Bimbo E. Epping Ar-Jhemar K. Ajibon Alan Ritchie Luis B. Biel Alha-zim S. Akbar James Abner S. Rodriguez Khaleedsher M. Asarul Begang D. Chavs Karel Annjaiza R. Sakkalahul
• Electorate	82,613 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	223.73 km2 (86.38 sq mi)
Elevation	96 m (315 ft)
Highest elevation	999 m (3,278 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	130,379
• Density	580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
• Households	26,649
Economy
• Income class	4th city income class
• Poverty incidence	12.70 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 707.9 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 1,599 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 513.1 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 364.4 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Basilan Electric Cooperative (BASELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	7300
PSGC	099701000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)62
Native languages	Chavacano Yakan Tagalog
Website	www.isabelacity.gov.ph

Isabela, officially the City of Isabela (Chavacano: Ciudad de Isabela; Tausūg: Dāira sin Isabela; Yakan: Siudad Isabelahin; Filipino: Lungsod ng Isabela), is a 4th class component city (separate) and de facto capital of the province of Basilan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 130,379 people.^[3]

It is also colloquially known as Isabela de Basilan to differentiate the city's name from the province of Isabela in Luzon.

While administratively the island province of Basilan is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Isabela, which previously served as its capital since the province's creation, itself is not part of this region, being placed instead under the Zamboanga Peninsula region. While the city is still regulated by the Basilan provincial government and provincial services are provided by Basilan, regional services are provided by the Zamboanga Peninsula regional government. The Philippine Statistics Authority lists Isabela as statistically independent from Basilan. This prompted the provincial government to transfer the capital to Lamitan.

Institutionally, the military has played a major part in Isabela's and Basilan's volatile history, due to the ongoing conflicts borne out of the Moro Secessionist wars of the 1970s, and more recently, by Al Qaeda backed Islamic fundamentalist groups fomenting a running gun-battle with the Philippines' armed forces for more than a decade.

Also exerting great influence in everyday life is the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic mufti and imams, religious scholars and leaders who exercise a moral ascendancy over their respective groups.

Trading and commerce are still predominantly in the hands of the East Asian (Hokkien Chinese), aided more so by a recent influx of immigrants from Taiwan and by Koreans as well.