Lamitan City, Basilan

History

 

Lamitan City - PhilippinesLamitan’s earliest historical account happened during the immigration to the town by the Yakans. The area was later known as Lamitan when as man named as Pedro Javier Cuevas, known in Basilan history as Datu Kalun, fought with the natives. When he won, he established a settlement there, thus calling it as Lamitan. The area developed into a town with political boundaries reaching the Guiong River in the southeast and Balagtasan River in the northeast.

The town became known during the Spanish, American and Japanese occupation as one of the minucipal districts of Basilan, then part of Zamboanga Province.

And as history went on, the Lamitan continued to be a progressing town. June 18, 2007, voters in Lamitan converted the town from being a province of Basilan into a component city to be known as City of Lamitan. Though it was passed and the town became a city, it still underwent lost of its cityhood for two times as the Supreme Court granted a petition to cut Lamitan’s and other cities name as a city due to not meeting the cityhood’s qualifications. It was then restored almost four years after.

Now, Lamitan City is a 5th Class city in the province of Basilan, Mindanao, Philippines.

Population/ Language/ Area

 

Lamitan City is bounded on the east by the municipality of Tuburan, on the south by Tipo-Tipo, on the west by Isabela City and on the north by Basilan Strait.

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

The city has three main ethnic groups: the Yakans, Tausugs and the Chavacanos. The Yakans and Tausugs are mostly Muslim while the Chavacanos are mostly Christians. The main dialect spolen is Chavacano.

Products and Services

Lamitan’s economy is based primarily in agriculture, producing rice, tobacco, and garlic as economic staples. The region is renowned for pottery, blacksmithing, furniture-making, and weaving. Its major agricultural products are copra, rubber, coffee and fruits such as lanzones, marang and banana.

Tourist Spots

 

  • Lami-Lamihan Festival – highlights the preservation of Yakan cultural heritage, historical customs, traditions, and showcases the unique and colorful Yakan clothes and presentations.Lami Lamihan Festival - Lamihan City
    • Bulingan Falls – located some 9.5 kilometers southwest of Lamitan. This falls serves as the major tourist attraction due to its cold and clear water that provides a refreshing summer splash for visitors. It also boasts a clear stream of water cascading 21 feet high into its irregular block rocks formations through the rock pool surrounded by pristine forests where colorful flora and fauna dwell.

Lamitan Falls Philippines

 

Aside from those listed above, the city also takes pride of their unexplored fine sand beaches of Palm Beach, Malo-ong Canal and their corresponding lush underwater world.