BEAUTY BEHIND COLD WARS [PART II]

LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY IN MAGUINDANAO

 THE HIDDEN PARADISE

At 5.30 in the morning, I see the sun rays striking the mountains of the vast areas of Maguindanao.

The dews and fogs are mixing creating clouds and skies at the peak of the mountains. The lake is so calm.  The place is so serene like in another country.

It feels so good while the cold wind hits my skin. I feel like in the top of the mountain. It’s so inspiring that behind the cold war that is very evident, there is still paradise in Maguindanao.

There is still a place where the God’s gift of nature can be seen and enjoyed. If there is one important thing that I learn from this experience is that we need to look not only through our eyes but also with our hearts so that we can totally see the beauty even for the simplest things.

THE MAN, THE TWO CHILDREN, AND THE CARABAO

One of a life changing moment that I have experienced was when I saw an old man bringing with him his carabao and the two kids around eight to ten years old walking along the streets under the dangerous storms and heavy rain.

They used the banana leafs as their umbrella. They are very wet. After working hard by planting crops under the scourging heat of the sun for long hours just to earn their living, they still manage to bear the bad weather.

But despite this struggle, I felt the unconditional love and care of that man to protect his kids under the rain. I haven’t asked the name of that man because I was inside the car.

But whoever that man is, I’m very proud of him because I think he knows how to continue to live his life despite any challenges along the way. That’s a very admirable trait I think anyone could possess and live at.

Because of that incident, I totally learn how to value every member of family and my friends. I also learn how to value every bit of food in the table. I learn not to waste it and be grateful enough to thank every farmer who struggles a lot.

People in Maguindanao are not bad at all. I think the misconception by other people who haven’t visited Maguindanao is that the people there are terrorist or rebels or connected to them. But I think that is not true. There are many kind and nice person despite their differences. I know some very nice and good hearted Moslems. It’s very unfair for those good people to be put into that judgment.

I have learned to respect and not to judge other people based on their religions and beliefs. I think everyone is created equally and fairly. Although everyone has different physical appearances from the skin colors and facial features, to the spoken languages and dialects, and to the religious beliefs and ways of living, but I think Allah or whoever our God is, everyone is designed and created in the likeness of our own God.

In our simple way to respecting one each other we can create peace in ourselves. I strongly believe that the solution for these unending conflicts is through peace and harmony within us and not through guns, goons, power and money.

Peace should start within ourselves if we want peace in our community.

Despite these sociocultural and political differences and struggles, there are still many inspiring stories of people and the undiscovered beauty of the nature in Maguindanao.

I hope that other people will not only judge Maguindanao as a very dangerous and risky place to live at, but they will learn how to see the beautiful side of the province; that someday, many tourists will 

visit Maguindanao and see the very beautiful place and heart-warming people.  It’s like looking both sides of a coin.

I hope they will try to understand the hardships and agony of the people in Maguindanao.

But I’m very hopeful that someday, Maguindanao will become totally peaceful. Someday, the war will end. The people will be able to live without fears in their heart. I pray that they could experience how to live in a place where freedom has no price tag and is “ABSOLUTELY” free.

Until now, I always include in my prayer that one day if I could go back again to Maguindanao, I will be able to see that man and the two children (and the Carabao) enjoying the rain and most of all enjoying what life could offer them.

For almost two years of travelling back and forth in Maguindanao, I have realized and learned so many things like how to value and appreciate every moment of my life and to be always grateful to all the blessings in life even the simplest and ugliest ones. And I think my journey to Maguindanao is life-changing. 


Photo credits: 
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