ZAMBO DAILY WIRE

LAMITAN CITY, Basilan  — The city government has released the schedule of activities for the 43rd Lami-Lamihan Festival, the 19th City Founding Anniversary, and the 90th Parochial Fiesta in honor of St. Peter the Apostle, with festivities set from June 12 to 30. Carrying the theme “Future Woven,” the month-long celebration will feature cultural, religious, tourism and sports activities highlighting the heritage and traditions of the Yakan people. The festivities will open on June 12 with activities marking the 128th Philippine Independence Day, including a community flag-raising ceremony, citywide clean-up and tree-growing activities, and the Mayor Oric Furigay Basketball Tournament Battle of the Champions. Among the major events are the city's 19th founding anniversary on June 18, the opening of the Tourism Trade Fair and Gallery Walk, the Miss Lamitan 2026 Coronation Night, the Grand Festival Parade and Float Competition, and various cultural presentations showcasing Yakan ...

 By: Sumer Ong File photo. Mayor Khymer Olaso (R) with Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown flash sign during the former's visit at the City Hall, Zamboanga City. (RP) ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Mayor Khymer Olaso has requested the local police to submit a comprehensive list of individuals registered under "Oplan Tokhang," the controversial anti-drug campaign initiated by former President Rodrigo Duterte. This initiative aims to assess the current status of those previously targeted in the campaign and determine its effectiveness. "We will review the list of individuals registered in Oplan Tokhang during President Duterte's administration, but this time, our approach will be different," Olaso stated. "Every human being deserves to live, and only God or Allah has the authority to take a life," added the mayor. Olaso emphasized the importance of monitoring the current status of these individuals to understand whether the anti-dru...

By: Roel Pareño  ISABELA CITY, Basilan — Colorfully decorated boats filled the channel between this city and Malamawi Island on Saturday afternoon May 2, 2026 as the Sakayan Festival highlighted the diverse cultural roots of Isabela’s communities.  The fluvial parade, featuring vessels inspired by traditional “sakayan,” capped the weeklong celebration of the city’s silver anniversary of cityhood. City Tourism Officer Claudio Ramos said the annual event continues to grow, with organizers aiming to emphasize the cultural origins of settlers who arrived in Isabela and this province from different parts of the country.  “We want to go back to the cultural communities—who arrived here and what they brought with them,” Ramos said, noting the influence of groups such as Ilocanos, Cebuanos, and other ethnolinguistic communities. Participants decorated their boats with symbols representing their heritage, including windmills associated with Ilocos, the “sarimanok” of the Marana...