Kumalarang (21st Century Crisis)

Isabela, officially the City of Isabela (Malay: Kota Isabela also Kota Pasalan, Jawi: كوتا عيسىبلا, Chavacano Zamboangueño: Ciudad de Isabela; Filipino: Lungsod ng Isabela), and often referred to as Isabela City, is a 2nd class city and the capital of the province of Basilan, Philippines. It is also colloquially known as Isabela de Basilan in Chavacano, or Isabela dan Basilan in Malay, to differentiate the city's name from the province of Isabela in Luzon island.

Institutionally, the military has played a major part in Isabela City's and Basilan's volatile history, due to the ongoing conflicts borne out of the Moro secessionist wars of the from 1949 to 1967. More recently, the military has been involving in fighting both anti-Moro Catholic extremists from harrassing the locales, as well as fighting any possible Islamic extremists living in Isabela City.

In 1949, Isabela City became the capital of the de facto and unrecognized Kingdom of Sulu, before joining the Republic of Mindanao in 1955. As the capital of Sulu and a city in Mindanao, it was designated as "Kota Pasalan", though modern-day and official Malay-language documents in the Philippines designate it by "Kota Isabela", the direct Malay transliteration of "Isabela City".

Also exerting great influence in everyday life is the Islamic mufti and imams and Roman Catholic Church, religious scholars and leaders who exercise a moral ascendancy over their respective groups. About 82% of the city is Muslim, about 15% Christian (mostly Roman Catholic with Protestant and non-denominational minorities) and there are 3% of others, which include Buddhists.

Isabela City, like the rest of many cities in the southern Philippines, is very diverse, and a cultural center in the Sulu Archipelago - with almost every native Sulu language, from Tausūg, Mapun, Sama-Bajau and Yakan being natively spoken in the city. These groups often speak either Malay varieties, creoles and dialects or Zamboangueño Chavacano, to a lesser extent, Filipino, as lingua francas as the latter mentioned is normally spoken as a lingua franca for speakers of non-Sulu languages, such as Cebuano, Tagalog and Kapampangan.

Despite the violotile history of Isabela City, life is generally in the city is known to be generally laid-back, and civil cooperation between both Muslim and Christian locals is well-known. The city is known for its white-sand beaches, historical forts, temples, and other means of tourist attractions.