‘People of Marawi left out in rehabilitation plans’

Dear President Duterte,

We, the people of Marawi City and those who are one with us, would like to appeal to your kind office to intervene in the planned rebuilding of our beloved city and to stop a planned economic zone that was presented to us by Mr. Eduardo del Rosario, chairperson of Task Force Bangon Marawi, and Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Adoracion M. Navarro, during the multisectoral consultation on Marawi’s rehabilitation last March 21 to 22.

We are Maranao, the people of the lake. Allah has given us this land, this lake, long before the Spaniards and the Americans came. Long before the establishment of the Republic of the Philippines, we were and have always been the people of the lake. We determine our fate since our ancestors first settled in this land guided by our leaders, the will of our people and the guidance of Allah.

Under the eyes of He who is the giver of life, we lived and built our community. In peace. In harmony. In freedom! A freedom we so loved that we resisted those who dared deprive us of this freedom. We resisted Spain. We resisted the United States. We resisted all invaders with our blood, our lives and our fierce determination to keep our people free and dignified.

With the same determination, we built Marawi. Slowly. Gradually. One house at a time. One masjid (mosque) at a time. One village at a time. We built this city of our dreams and aspirations with the embodiment of our culture and identity and expression of our faith. Through the years, Marawi stood fast, thrived and flourished.

Marawi was, is, and will always be our pride and our symbol. Marawi that is now in shambles, devastated, ravaged by a war we never wanted. Forced upon us by the exigencies of these times and historical imperatives.

Mr. President, we understand the urgencies that led to the war. We may not all agree to the manner it was waged and won. What we can do now is to face the future and do what is best to be done.

Right now, the future seems threatening. Forces are moving that threaten to do far greater damage to our people than what the war has done. The bullet-riddled, crumbling remains of the Grand Masjid in our beloved Marawi, silent as it is now and absent of prayers, cries out.

For in the guise of rebuilding our home and laying down the foundations for a better, progressive and modern city, the will and vision of those who live far are being imposed upon us. This is an invasion of a different kind. This one threatens to rob our soul.

Plans have been made without our participation. Plans that neither bear the stamp of our will nor reflect our culture. Plans whose mechanics and implementation are not clear to us. But one thing is clear: The people of Marawi are largely left out. Those who came to present the plan dismissed our comments, recommendations, and protestations as though we knew nothing and have no business getting involved in rebuilding our very own city.

Mr. President, as former mayor of Davao City, you must know that a city is not merely the sum of its buildings nor merely an occasion for economic gain. It is not merely a blueprint of a well-laid-out interconnection of industrial, commercial, entertainment parks, however grand.

A city symbolizes its people. Built upon the aspirations and dreams of its people, nurtured by and reflective of their identity. We are not building a city from debris. We are rebuilding a city from history and from memory.

The blueprint of this city is in the hearts and minds of the Maranao and not in the drawing boards of urban architects and master planners.

Mr. President, you belong to our people. You know we will not keep quiet and simply accept this. We cannot accept that those who know so little of us would map out how to rebuild our city, our home since time immemorial.

We appeal to you, Mr. President, to grant us, the people of the lake, the rightful heirs to this land, our right to rebuild this city with your guidance, support and protection. We welcome those who are willing to help us in this endeavor, for the challenges are daunting and the costs are high. We appeal to please help us rebuild according to our will and in pursuit of the will of Allah.

RANAO MULTISECTORAL MOVEMENT