A winning campus journalist’s vision of peace

“I want a Mindanao where people are not judged by their religion or group, but by the kind of lives they live based on righteousness and truce. Thus no discrimination arises, leading to animosity—a Mindanao which serves as a haven for one people, the Filipinos—whoever they may be and wherever they are from.”

This is the vision of 15-year old Raiza Jumdani Estino, a senior high school student of Pilar College, who walked home on Tuesday evening with a gold medallion, a certificate of participation, educational supplies, and P8000.00 cash prize for winning first place in the city-wide 2008 Concurso de Escrito.

Raiza’s entry will represent Zamboanga City in the Mindanao-wide feature writing competition, the awarding of which is within the 2008 Mindanao Week of Peace on November 27 to December 3.

Raiza is the daughter of Adzhar Albani and Hja. Zorhaida Jumdani-Albani, of Rio Hondo, Zamboanga City. She is the editor-in-chief of Sigaw, a school paper, and a contributor of The Pillar. Being a campus writer, she has completed a short elective course on News Writing at the Mein College Language Center in 2007, and has joined the Philippine Schools Debate Championships in 2006 and 2007. Raiza is also the 2006 Crimson Debate Cup Grand Champion.

Bagging the silver medallion is Aime Blancar of Ayala National High School. Aime is 16, and now in her senior year.

Conferring the awards to the winners as well as awards of appreciation and participation to participating schools and students were Commission on Higher Education (CHED) 9 Regional Director Dr. Emmylou Yanga and Department of Education (DepEd) City Division Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dolores Alcantara. Assistant Regional Director Nilda Espiritu Santo of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) came on behalf of Regional Director Zeus Ampuyas.

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat and Maj. Michael Yeager, Information Director of the Information Support Team of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, presented gift packs earlier to all participants. The awarding ceremony was held at The Courtyard of The National Museum in Fort Pilar.

The 46 entries from sixteen schools in Zamboanga City were adjudged by Peace and Conflict Journalism Network Regional Coordinator Marlon Simbajon, Zamboanga Today editor-in-chief Frencie Carreon, and Michelle Pascua of the US Military Information Support Team.

Concurso de Escrito is a feature writing competition organized jointly by the Voice of Mindanao and the Mein College Language Center, with the support of the City Government of Zamboanga, through the City Mayor’s Office and the City Tourism Office, CHED, DepEd, TESDA, and Call for Peace.

“Martin Luther King, Jr., in his I Have A Dream, speech, said, “I have a dream that my four little children will someday live in a nation whether they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’ Those were one of the most powerful words in history. In the same way, I would like to someday live in a Mindanao where people will not be judged by their group or religion, but by the kind of lives they live based on righteousness and truce—a Mindanao bounded by friendship and trust, where people understand and accept one another, wherever he is from. A place where tourists can freely roam the magnificent spots we can offer, without the fear of kidnappers. And lastly, a Mindanao which serves as a haven for one people, the Filipinos, whoever they may be,” Raiza said. (Frencie L. Carreon)

MINDANAO: A LAND ENOUGH FOR THREE OR MORE
By Raiza J. Estino
Pilar College
First Place
Concurso de Escrito

I am a Muslim. Islam is my religion, and it is supposedly nothing less but a religion of peace.

It is a known fact that Muslim communities were already in Mindanao in as early as 1280, particularly in Sulu where Arabian tradespeople and missionaries first set foot. The first sultan or Muslim sovereign in Sulu then conquered neighboring provinces Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga.

The Spaniards first came to the Philippines in1521, but their mission to conquer the whole of the archipelago failed. Many other expeditions were sent, but all of the whole of the archipelago failed. Many other expeditions were sent, but all of them failed. Only until another one in 1565 was sent that the Philippines first became a Spanish colony. But they failed to conquer the last frontier. A Spanish Mission sailed into the southern part of the country and after about 90 years. It was successful.

For the past years, we have shared this land as one people, despite our many cultural differences and growing divergence of opinion, we have strived to become what we were supposed to become—people hemmed in values. The undiminishing values of our forefathers, which made them possible to claim our rights over this land, from aliens. And now that we have these rights and we are free from them, what do we do? We use violence on our own trying to destroy what they have tried so hard to establish.

Today, approximately 55% of Mindanao’s population is composed of native Christians and other aliens, 40% are Muslims, and 5% belong to the indigenous Lumad people. Three people with their own history, culture and identity now share Mindanao. There are three groups of people, but there are only two voices. Since in everything lie both and a detriment, the way I’d like to put it, one voice is of those who are benefited and the other is of the prejudiced. The former is of those who want to remain, who wish to stay as what they are now. The latter is of those who want change, those who are not found in favor of some laws, thus wanting change.

Belonging to the youth of the Islamic religion, I barely know some of my people those of them who appear in television and newspapers because of mischief. But I do know that our battle has lasted for decades, if not centuries—and still ongoing. We continue to fight for our rights, for what we are deprived of. Although I must say that some are war freaks, I must also say that we not all are. The cognition of many people when faced with the word ‘Muslims’ is terrorism. They label anything connected to Islam as terrorism. We are branded ‘terrorists. We are feared—and that is rather inequitable for many of us who want to live lives of peace. Not lives dividing us from countrymen because of the mere fact that we are Muslims. Discrimination thus arises, and brings along with it some spiteful things for us. That is the worst part we have to go through in this battle. And branding us doesn’t make the situation any easier; rather, it creates animosity furthermore. Muslims are a peace-loving people. It’s what our religion advocates.

For me, the main reason in this battle is misunderstanding. Misunderstanding the common good, and misunderstanding clean motives as malicious, misinterpreting them for motives to conquer or to destroy. It is undoubtedly inevitable that people think maliciously, but to act upon something unsure of is just plain dim. There isn’t any instant way to resolve the wars. But a good start does wonders. And the best ways to start closing up the gap are to think, reconsider, and compromise. For violence doesn’t solve anything, and when violence is fought with evidence, other than destroying lives, nothing significant happens.

Dwight Eisenhower said it best, “Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration, and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace.” The two Mindanaos must learn that, and hopefully the future Mindanaoans, who are us, will as well. And then one day, with anticipation, there will be no two Mindanaos. Instead, only one, which will hold three, or maybe more, groups of people, peacefully. (Frencie L. Carreon)

(Published in Zamboanga Today on Documented Features, 08 October 2008.)