By Samira Gutoc
September is somewhat representative of martial law. It calls to mind the distant dark years, disappearances, dissent, and protests. Whenever there is uncertainty, jitters affect the market; the economy itself. We remember, so we may not forget who we are and value the freedoms we now have.
Let me say that our memories in Marawi of that martial law are harsher. The first shot that led to martial law in all of Mindanao, they say, came from here. There were bloody battles between Ilaga and Moros in nearby Lanao del Norte; and massacres in other places that have yet to find space in our history, books, or narratives. Unfortunately, media takes the first beating when it is incapable of documenting many of the stories of trauma.
The same stories hold true for Marawi half a century later in 2017. Many of the missing and dead of the Marawi siege are not remembered. There are no museum spaces or written text, framed names, or testimonies about them. Many from Marawi have to find redress in agencies that could not trace many of the victims or their survivors.
We urge the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) and Bangsamoro Government to allocate funding for a memorial for the dead. Even the Macbara Cemetery in Marawi, where some of the 1,000 dead are, needs maintenance assistance. It is chilling to see that many here are identified by numbers, not names.
Not being able to identify the dead partly finds explanation in the religious rites. In Islam, one has to bury the body within one day. Majority, if not all, do not want any autopsy done on bodies. There is no clear way to investigate what happened to the dead. Their survivors do not contribute to writing of memories. There are not many photos available.
It is also unfortunate that we do not have video or other information, education, communication (IEC) materials that can remind the Filipino about Mindanao’s experiences under martial law.
Last year, one Department of Education (DepEd) executive asked for resource persons on massacres so that this can get incorporated in the history books. We have urged such remembrance through videos that were taken by filmmakers on the side during an activity by the Human Rights Violations Claims Board.
One debate about Marawi years back was whether or not “Ground Zero” of the Marawi Siege could be preserved as a tourist spot. Many natives were adamant and objected to even filming a movie about the siege. In other countries, I have seen the war experiences in the littlest details as booths in the Vietnam and Cambodia Museums. They continue to be resourceful and resilient, telling their survival stories with pride.
I am praying we get to uncover the many stories in villages so that the young may not forget.
The way to support evacuees is to help them rebuild their lives through livelihood support. May I invite all to watch and share the video on Mindanao and Marawi products (organic, crochet, native coffee, brassware, malong, etc.) taken during the September 9-10 staging of the MindaNow Trade Fair and Gallery. We thank the support of The Asia Foundation, Nature’s Spring, Christian Horizon School, TESDA, Landbank, Max , Department of Trade and Industry and Robinsons. For contacts of designers and sellers, please order from the Facebook page to be set up or pm us.
I am also at SM Mall of Asia on October 16 for the launching of ZIYA ARTISAN, a weaving display that showcases langkit accent on blouses and modern wear.
