Mayor Sitti Djalia is recognized nationally by bridging religious divides, promoting transparent governance, and winning The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS) Award 2025 for Peace Building, Courageous Governance, and Social Economic Development. It is held every three years, the TOWNS Awards honor exceptional Filipino women who have made transformative contributions to the Philippines society through excellence leadership. This converted award was conferred for her significant and key achievements by Madam Patricia Prodigalidad, President of TOWNS Foundation, Inc.
Breaking barriers in leadership as the First Muslim Mayor, she leads Isabela City, a predominantly Christian city in Mindanao, fostering deep unity among Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous Peoples. For National Public Service, she previous served as the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) & as a House Representative (Congresswoman) for the Anak Mindanao (AMIN) part-list. She instituted a local Freedom of Information ordinance & pushed for transparent, data-driven public service during her first 100 days & beyond. Under her leadership, the city earned the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) & Good Financial Housekeeping awards. She helped shift Isabela City's image from a conflict-torn area, into a peaceful, cultural hub.
My wife, Zarina & I have known Sitti Djalia since her days with the Asian Institute of Management, NCMF, the Philippines House of Representatives, and now as Mayor in Isabela City of Basilan Province. She has been involved with the International Council of Islamic Finance Educators (ICIFE) when I was the Project Director. Many of the learnings and best practices she gained from the series of institutional study tours, training programs, and networking.
Mayor Sitti Djalia's primary objective is reaffirming Isabela City's “Good Governance Journey” by establishing real deep-rooted policies. She has explicitly stated that the city's future leadership should rely on the collective strength of the people rather than specific political names, significantly expanding the city's People's Council to actively involve grassroots civil organizations. Her administration is targeting local economic expansion for fiscal sustainability.
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