Lamitan

Lamitan is derived from the word Lami-Lamihan, which signifies a combination of Merrymaking and Conference. The town was named after the first Spaniards from Isabela who blew up the area. When the Spaniards arrived, the Yakans were celebrating their national holiday. The explorers asked for the name of the place; the Yakans assumed they were asking about the merrymaking and explained that it was the Lami-Lamihan celebration; the Spaniards misunderstood their response and later referred to the location as Lamitan.^[5]

According to the city's earliest recorded historical source, the Tagihamas, also known as the Land Dyaks of Sarawak, were the first known settlers to Basilan, later evolving into the Yakan group. Yakan's home base was in the area that would become known as Lamitan.^[6]

During the Spanish, American, and Japanese occupations, the town was designated as one of Basilan's municipal districts, which were then part of Zamboanga.

Pedro "Datu Kalun" Javier Cuevas is regarded as the founding father of Lamitan. His parents, Sebastian Cuevas and Gregoria Javier, gave birth to him on May 6, 1845, in Bacoor, Cavite. Pedro was a passionate young man who cherished his hometown and was pious. He was sentenced to death at the age of 27 for his anti-Spanish efforts during the Cavite Uprising of 1872, along with two other comrades. They were accused of causing the death of a Spanish Guardia Civil officer. His sentence was reduced to life in prison due to his indirect involvement in the killing.

In June 1886, a man named Pedro Javier Cuevas, also known as Datu Kalun in Basilan history, took over leadership from the native chieftains and founded the settlement of Lamitan. The settlement grew into a town with political boundaries that included the Guiong River in the southeast and the Balagtasan River in the northwest. With the passage of time, an influx of Christian settlers arrived, who, along with their Muslim neighbors, paved the path for agricultural development in the region.^[7]

In 1937, Lamitan became part of Zamboanga City. Basilan became a chartered city on July 1, 1948, as a result of Republic Act No. 288, which was sponsored by Congressman Juan S. Alano.

On December 27, 1973, His Excellency President Ferdinand E. Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 356, which established Basilan Province out of Basilan City and included three municipalities: Lamitan, Isabela and Maluso. The decree reduced Basilan City's territory to less than a square kilometer. On December 2, 1974, Presidential No. 593 revised 356 to increase the territory of Basilan City to nearly three square kilometers and divide the province into ten municipalities: Lamitan, Isabela, Maluso, Sumisip, Lantawan, Tuburan, Tipo-Tipo, Tapiantana, Malamawi, and Pilas.

Col. Tomas G. Naquil, commander of the 2/1 Brigade stationed in Basilan at the time, was named the first Military Governor. After nearly two years, Rear Admiral Romulo Espaldon, commander of the South West Command (SOWESCOM), took over as Military Governor, but the affairs of government were managed by a military caretaker, Col. Florencio E. Magsino, who was succeeded by Col. Alfeo Rillera, all Brigade Commanders. This was the situation before His Excellency President Marcos appointed Hon. Asan Camlian, the then-vice governor, was appointed Governor of Basilan Province.

Basilan City was disbanded on December 11, 1975, by virtue of the Presidential Decree No. 840 reduced the number of municipalities of Basilan Province from ten to seven, removing Tapiantana, Pilas, and Malamawi. Pedro C. Pamaran, a member of the provincial board was appointed in 1975, as Municipal Mayor of Lamitan. Furigay succeeded Pamaran in 1980. Wilfredo C. Furigay was considered the first elected mayor of the municipality of Lamitan.

In 1986, during the EDSA Revolution, Ramon F. Garcia Jr. was appointed as Mayor during the interim government. By 1988, Wilfredo C. Furigay had taken the position of mayor by way of election and was succeeded by Inocente J. Ramos in 1995 for three consecutive terms.

 

In 2004, Roderick H. Furigay, a youthful visionary and dynamic entrepreneur, is the nephew of former mayor Wilfredo C. Furigay. Roderick H. Furigay was elected as the Local Chief Executive and served for two terms. He revived the Lamiteños' desire of converting the municipality into a component city.

On June 18, 2007, electorates in Lamitan ratified Republic Act No. 9393 which seeks to convert the town into a component city. There were a total of 26,636 votes voted yes while only 177 voted against the move.

The Supreme Court declared the cityhood law of Lamitan and 15 other cities unconstitutional after a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines in its ruling on November 18, 2008. On December 22, 2009, the cityhood law of Lamitan and 15 other municipalities regain its status as cities again after the court reversed its ruling on November 18, 2008. On August 23, 2010, the court reinstated its ruling on November 18, 2008, causing Lamitan and 15 cities to become regular municipalities. Finally, on February 15, 2011, Lamitan becomes a city again including the 15 municipalities declaring that the conversion to cityhood met all legal requirements.

After six years of legal battle, in its board resolution, the League of Cities of the Philippines acknowledged and recognized the cityhood of Lamitan and 15 other cities.

In July 2016, the Basilan provincial government broke ground for the construction of the new provincial capitol inside the defunct 4,000-hectare (9,900-acre) University of the Philippines (UP) Land Grant in Barangay Santa Clara.^[8]

In July 2022, Lamitan gained national attention when former mayor Rose Furigay, who had served as the city's mayor from 2013 to June 2022, was assassinated in a mass shooting at the Ateneo de Manila University where two others were killed.^[9]

On June 18, 2024, during the celebration of the city's 17th anniversary, mayor Roderick Furigay highlighted and declared the city free from the dreaded Abu Sayyaf in his State of the City Report (SOCR).^[10] However, several hours after the declaration, a bomb explosion occurred at a gas station located in Barangay Matibay.^[11]

The terrain is relatively plain along the coastal areas and hilly in some areas. The urban area is 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in) above sea level and gently sloping to 300 meters (980 ft) toward the hinterlands.

Lamitan is politically subdivided into 45 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

The climatic condition is the same with other areas in the entire Basilan Island. It has a "D" type of climate and rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.

 

Poverty Incidence of Lamitan

 

• Datu Kalun Shrine – Built as a tribute to a famous Yakan leader and founder of Lamitan. His descendants are the Antonio-Cuevas-Pamaran-Flores clan.
• Museum of Lamitan – Showcases the color and highlights of the Lami-lamihan festival. It also serves as the information center for the development of this town.

Lamitan is home to one state college and three private colleges. The Basilan State College is an extension college of the main SUC in Isabela. The three HEIs are the Mindanao Autonomous College, the Mariam School of Nursing and Furigay Colleges, Inc. (FCI).

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. Also offers 11 Tesda Qualifications for National Certificates.

Lamitan has Seven Secondary Schools: one Private Secondary School; The Claret School of Lamitan, one Laboratory School of Basilan State College and five National High Schools i.e. Lamitan National High School, Look National High School,Colony National High School,Ubit National High School and Parangbasak National High School.

There are five districts that composed of thirty nine elementary schools namely; Lamitan East District, South District, Central District, West I District and West II District. There are four private elementary schools.

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lamitan.

• Lamitan Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Sun Star Zamboanga : Basilan province has two cities now