Duyog Marawi

The task of reigniting the peace process among Maranaos and Christians in Marawi temporarily halted but not defeated must begin even if the war is still going on. We couldnt wait for the Maute group to be defeated before we begin the process of healing peoples and communities, bridging the gaps, sharing our dreams, and reconstructing our lives. The... se processes have to begin now before the reconstruction begins and before people will go back to the city. The Marawi Siege that began on May 23, 2017 has ended but the suffering of the Meranaw and their hunger for peace and justice continue. The Prelature of St. Mary in Marawi is one with the people particularly the Meranaw in their loss and suffering. Our key personnel are still held under hostage, our Cathedral was reduced to rubbles after being looted and desecrated, and our own Christian community of 20,000 individuals are in diaspora. All our heritage, collections, church records, and structures were damaged or burned. But we remain ONE with the people of Marawi in their hopes and desires to begin the long journey towards recovering and rebuilding their city and the essential tasks of healing, reconciliation and peace-building. Already, we have heard signs of dissonance and seeds of discord even before the blueprints and roadmaps for reconstruction are being designed. It will be easier to invest billions in building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, but the real foundation of this city must be built in the hearts of its people. That is where we want to invest. That is where we hope you can join us. To begin this journey, Most Rev. Edwin dela Peña, D.D. assembled a group of priests and lay missionaries from all over the country in partnership with the Redemptorist Missionaries to form a social action center to plan and implement a both short-term and long-term church-based response to this crisis. After consultation with major stakeholders in this crisis IDPs, LGUs, military, CSOs, Maranao leaders, and church organizations we crafted a program called ...Read More