I RETURNED from Isabela de Basilan in mid-May after nearly two weeks of research, immersion and community engagement. I came away changed.
It was my first time in Isabela. Arriving felt like stepping into another world — not because it was alien, but because it was deeply, unmistakably Filipino in a way many of us who have lived in cities, or in the West, have forgotten how to recognize.
Isabela is home to 13 languages, one of them Chavacano. To hear Spanish words woven into everyday speech is to encounter a living reminder of 333 years of colonization — a past that ended more than a century ago yet still lingers in cadence, memory and identity.
Geographically, Isabela is closer to parts of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia than many in Manila realize, and that proximity shows in its cultural affinities, maritime character and sense of history.
Fuego Fuego Beach was an official stopover during the Magellan-Elcano expedition’s Philippine voyage, marking Isabela’s place in the story of the first global circumnavigation — a reminder that this part of the country has long been connected to wider regional and global currents.
In those two weeks, I often felt as if I had stepped into an older Philippine memory. This is a world shaped by the sea, by island movement, by ancestors who navigated with stars and instinct.
In Mindanao, that truth feels especially alive. I saw the stilt houses of the Badjao, a people whose deep relationship with the sea reflects a way of life many of us can barely imagine. I visited Malamawi Island, sat in nipa huts, breathed fresh air and drank Isabela coffee — among the best I have tasted, and I say that after having tried South American coffees. What stayed with me most, though, was not the beauty of the place, but the depth of human generosity.
The Lab
The trip also marked my first experience doing community development work under The Lab, the Philippines’ pioneering smart city management firm, which recently partnered with Isabela to help the city become more data-driven.
The Lab was built on the vision of Dr. Sixto K. Roxas, who dreamed of a Philippines where opportunity is accessible to all, and developed frameworks for data-driven communities that create economic opportunity while remaining sustainable, culturally respectful and people-centered. That mission is now carried forward by his son, Vinci Roxas, with the same sense of national purpose.
And yet, no matter how visionary the framework, meaningful community work requires something deeper than systems and strategy. It requires humility. I realized in Isabela that my assumptions needed reprogramming.
Having spent much of my life in urban centers and in the Western world, Isabela at first seemed slow — no city rush, no traffic we often mistake for productivity, just one familiar fast-food chain to anchor me to old habits of mind.
Within days, that logic fell away.
I began to see a different kind of wealth: people deeply in touch with one another, rooted in place and generous in spirit. Their dreams for themselves included dreams for others.
One of the trip’s most memorable moments came when we hiked into the mountains of Masola to interview women farmers. At the barangay hall, open courts and schools stood quietly at elevation — reminders that aspiration endures even in the most remote places.
At the farm, we gathered in a small nipa hut to conduct interviews when the rain came — sudden, strong and relentless. My colleague Nisha Alicer, one of the most dedicated researchers I have met, continued asking questions as the women farmers held torn rice sacks over us for shelter.
Nearly 15 people huddled in a space barely two by three meters, held together by bamboo posts, makeshift tarpaulin, stories and a meal the farmers had prepared despite not expecting our arrival. They gave what they had.
That moment embodied what our expedition leader, Dr. KM Magtubo, called pakikipamuhay — becoming one with the people by living as they live. For nearly two weeks, we lived that way. It opened me to their desire for progress, their hopes for their children, their longing for safe and prosperous communities, and their commitment to preserving culture even as they aspire to grow.
We were received by Jamju Rivera of the Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (Ledipo), whose work bridges local potential and outside opportunity.
I also witnessed the leadership of Mayor Sitti Djalia “Dadah” Turabin-Hataman, whose HAPIsabela campaign reflects a clear commitment to making progress tangible and shared.
Challenges remain. But they are not insurmountable. What I saw in Isabela was a community that refuses to surrender to the status quo. My fellow travelers — Kham, Dru, CJ, Laine, Kaye and our fearless leader Titos Ortigas — carried that same passion.
It is a dream within reach. One I believe I will witness in my lifetime.
To quote Ayn Rand: “Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists... it is real... it is possible... it’s yours.”
Mary Lou Cunanan advises organizations on leadership development, international partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and cross-cultural collaboration.
