A new museum preserves Marawi traditions in the wake of the 2017 siege
The cultural hub in the capital of Lanao del Sur is "a foundation of resilience, culture, and hope.” An entire digital section is dedicated to the battle between Islamist militias and the government that lasted five months. “It is our own Hiroshima Shrine,” says a Bangsamoro official. “Endurance itself is the basis of peace,” says curator Marian Roces-Pastor. Now “Marawi is springing back to life.”
Marawi (AsiaNews) – The Tales of Marawi Museum officially opened on 23 January, six years almost to the day of the establishment of the Muslim Autonomous Region (BARMM) in 2019, on the island of Mindanao.
The structure is located at Kilometre Zero, the point of origin for Mindanao’s roads, in Marawi, the city that fell in 2017 into the hands of local Islamist militias who proclaimed it the capital of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia.
Speaking on this occasion, Bangsamoro Trade, Investments, and Tourism Minister Abuamri Taddik, said “We stand on a foundation of resilience, culture, and hope,” in a place that is a hub of culture and tradition, but also “a beacon of hope for the future.”
The main goal of the new museum promoted by Taddik's ministry is to reclaim Marawi’s narrative. The city suffered from the cultural damage inflicted by Islamist militias, who not only displaced more than 120,000 residents with 1,100 people dead, but left much of it destroyed.
Damage to the capital of the Philippine province of Lanao del Sur was so extensive that it was compared to that of Aleppo (Syria); the local Cathedral of Santa Maria was wrecked and the vicar general, Fr Chito Suganob, taken hostage.
Since then, the feeling of neglect is still painful, caused by the silence of the international community and the government, which promised reconstruction.
Now culture, community, and cuisine can help revitalise the devastated city and its people. Renowned art critic Marian Roces-Pastor curated The Tales of Ranaw, working with local tourism and culture officials, offering a journey through the history of the Marawi people.
“There is no peace without moving away from narratives of victimhood. Endurance itself is the basis of peace. And it has to be an honor. And you can see that in the seven years since the siege, how Marawi is springing back to life,” said Pastor-Roces, quoted in Rappler.
The museum's collection offers pictures, artistry, skill, and resilience, like the lakub, an ancient carved bamboo container, and an ancient tobacco container, taken as souvenirs by American soldiers in 1900, and then returned.
But there is a section that includes a digital exhibition entirely dedicated to the 2017 siege, with images and stories of resilience under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The battle between government forces and Islamist militias lasted five months.
“The Tales of Ranaw Hub, while reminding us of the scourge of war, also narrates the story of survival, resilience, and patience of the Meranaw (Maranao) people. It is our own Hiroshima Shrine,” said Robert Maulana Alonto, commissioner of the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH).
In addition, the new hub represents the province's efforts to rebuild, revive and sustain the city’s economic recovery, noted Lanao del Sur Vice Governor Mohammad Khalid “Mujam” Adiong.
At present, a culinary festival dedicated to local specialities is underway on Heaven Road, in the popular Soti Food District. Here, visitors can enjoy the stunning vistas on Lake Lanao and Iligan Bay, sampling everything from Marawi delicacies to international dishes and drinks.
The atmosphere of lightness that reigns represents a new beginning for many merchants, displaced by the siege. They benefit from subsidies and commercial activities have increased threefold.
“We want people to understand that they are not just buying a cup of coffee or brownies. They are actually helping families recover from the Marawi siege,” a local official said.
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