In a land where bad news is the norm, perhaps the occasional story of progress and peace-making is the more significant story. When my family learned that I would be going to Mindanao, their reaction was : Bako kaya delikado duman ? ("Is it not dangerous there ? ). Well , I just want to prove that you can visit any place in Mindanao and have no problem as long as you respect the people and their cultures. Wherever you chose to visit just smile and show respect. If you do that you would be guaranteed to leave with a friend.There is no doubt in the air, but whatever happens I still believe that Mindanao is relatively a safe place. A very safe place to live, work and invest despite what you hear on the news. Everything went well during my trip. I could not hoard all the beauty the place offers. It was Mindanao that got me to appreciate our multi-cultural heritage even more. And what shocks my senses is the knowledge that there will be no victors only victims in this war and the victims are all of us. I wish others will know how much pain these biases had caused the people of Mindanao.
Differences are not intended to separate , to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another. – Desmond Tutu
0 comments:
Post a Comment