My early childhood days were filled with good memories of Basilan. My father worked for Peter Murga managing a logging plantation in Mangal in the late 60s and early 70s. My entire family would spend summer at the camp where baby Rhesus monkeys were sold to us for 30 centavos each; where wild boar (puerco'y monte) was the favorite dish each day and lazy afternoons are spent at the big shed where rubber was being processed then pressed and bundled for shipping to Firestone in Zamboanga City.
     Despite Basilan's proximity to Zamboanga City, the beautiful and mineral-rich island remains one of the most underdeveloped in the country today. With Abu Sayyaf in their midst and an ever presence of the Philippine military fighting a protracted war with the Muslim extremist group, Basilan is isolated now more than ever from the rest of the country.
     But I found out during a trip there in May 1995 that for many civilians, life must go on in order for them to survive. 
     Below are some of the images I captured with my camera during my trip to Basilan that year.