SUMISIP, BASILAN –— The Basilan Provincial government on March 4, 2023, unveils Kasanyangan peace monument in Barangay Mahatallang, Sumisip town, Basilan. Â
Top national and local officials led the event at the heart of the Sampinit Complex, an area which even the most grizzled soldiers feared to tread in this once conflict-ridden town.
The unveiling of the monument is among the highlights of the week-long celebration of Basilan’s 49th founding anniversary.
Decommissioned firearms were used as a testament to the people’s commitment to shun armed violence struggle, and walk the path of peace.
The decommissioned firearms were collected through the efforts of the Small Arms and Light Weapons of the Joint Normalization Committee, a peace mechanism that was created under the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Basilan Governor Jim Hataman said that the “Kasanyangan” (Peace) Monument will serve as a memoir of the decades of conflict when the all-out war against peace and development spoilers ensued the dawning of peace in the island province.
“Sumisip, as we all know, has been one of the municipalities in Basilan where there was a tremendous challenge in terms of peace and security,” Hataman said.
Sumisip town mayor Jul Adnan Hataman said the town earned notorious monikers such as “Abu Sayyaf nest, never-ending Ridoh, or beheading capital.”
“Those were the terms used to describe Sumisip before,” Jul Hataman said.
“For decades, we have endured the bitter taste of terrorism, people lost lives and properties, some [were] forced to leave their home and be displaced, and for many years, and lived in fear during those times,” Jul Hataman added.
According to Governor Hataman, the peace monument is a visual narrative of the province’s remarkable transformation over the years – from a battlezone into an emerging trade, investment and tourism hub in Western Mindanao.
“It also serves as a reminder for every Basileño to take an active part in sustaining the dividends of peace in Basilan,” Governor Hataman said.
Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez recalled the times when he was assigned in Basilan as a junior military officer when he and his team shed sweat, blood, and tears to fight against the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group and rescue kidnap victims.
“There is no development if there is no peace. I would like to profoundly congratulate everyone who worked hard for the realization of our goal which is to attain lasting peace here in Basilan,” Galvez said.
“This Kasangyangan monument, we will show to the whole world, to the whole Philippines that this is where real peace began- in Basilan. We in the national government, this is our commitment and aspiration,” Galvez said.
