Philippines' first peace monument unveiled in Zamboanga City, Mindanao

Individuals, groups and institutions led by Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) and Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRSMP) gathered yesterday infront of Edwin Andrews Air Base in Barangay Sta. Maria, in this city, to unveil a peace monument.

Fr. Angel Calvo, PAZ president, accompanied by Dr. Grace Rebollos, president of Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), and Prof. Ali Yacub, chairman of Golden Crescent Consortium of Peace Builders and Affiliates (GCCPBA) officially unveiled the first ever peace monument in the country.

An indigenous offerings and ceremonial ritual with smoke and incense as well as thanksgiving, flowers offering, and a prayer for peace were also held. Organizers said the offerings were giving themselves to Almighty God as the over all Peace Weaver of our time.

"As we cleanse ourselves, we commit to live in a new space for peace, peace within ourselves, peace among our neighbors, peace with nature and peace with our Great Provider," one of the organizers, Ms. Pangilinan, said in a prepared statement.

The statement further states, "In this symbolic gathering, we share flowers among ourselves to show love and respect of the individual; the smoke and the incense is the symbol of cleansing and driving away negative forces...and salt as it spread around the area drive away negative forces that may cause indiferrence or misunderstanding...let all symbols remind us to preserve and promote peace to all mankind."

Father Calvo told a crowd which included Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP) Secretary Teresita Deles who graced the peace monument unveiling ceremony, Councilors Al Jihan Edding, Myra Paz Abubakar, as well as high ranking military and police officials and PAZ/IRSMP members: "This (monument) is reminder for all of us and the future generation of our aspiration of harmony among the people of Zamboanga."

Calvo said: "This is anchoring the reality of our hands. We proclaim peace in our hands...the mosaic represents the Muslims, Lumads and other tribes of Christians in the area that is our symbol to be a reminder to preserve and a symbol for all for us living in Zamboanga, coming to Zamboanga together or nearby the airbase with our aspiration of peace anchoring with the reality. We hope that the monument will be a monument to remind us all of our common commitment to peace."

The "First Peace Monument" was created by Tausug artist Rameer Tawasil. It is shaped like a peace dove and hand extending peace.

Secretary Deles congratulated and thanked Tawasil for contributing his talent in creating the peace monument that they have unveiled. "I will wish to return to this monument everytime I am in Zamboanga."

She said: "We build monuments and markers of remembrance to maintain to a past that we want future generations remember...we build monuments because remembering is a part of healing and a necessary step for moving on and forward."

She mentioned the "Social Contract with the Filipino People" of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. "It is not called a promise. Of the 16 provisions in the contract, number 14 focuses on the issue of peace in Mindanao. It said from a disjointed, short-sighted Mindanao policy that merely reacts to events and incidents to one that seeks a broadly supported just peace and will redress decades of neglect of the Moro and other peoples of Mindanao." - HG