Philippines set to inaugurate Longest Peace Mural in the World

 

After weeks of transforming the walls along the most historic avenue in the country with shapes and color, the Philippines is now ready to reveal its people’s masterpiece that earned another slot in international history this coming July 27, 2013.

 

The Longest Peace Mural in the world situated along the historic Epifanio Delos Santos (EDSA) Avenue, a product of combined efforts by around 3,000 people coming from different walks of life in the community spirit of Bayanihan initiated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines with partners, is set to be formally presented to the public this coming Saturday morning.

 

The event will start with the Bayanihan Peace Mural Tour which is a fun bike and run with a motorcade at around 6 a.m.  Personnel from the AFP will be joined by Philippine National Police, government agencies and civilians who were directly and indirectly involved in the creation of the peace mural.

Ceremonial painting of the last murals and the ribbon cutting of the Peace Mural Marker at the People Power Monument of EDSA will follow at around 8:30 a.m.

 

AFP Chief-of-Staff General Emmanuel Bautista, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Secretary Teresita 'Ging' Deles, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista are expected to grace the event to show their support and pride at the latest achievement of the Filipino in an effort to show the world that peace-building is a shared objective in the Philippines.

 

The Bayanihan Peace Mural is a product of collaboration of representatives from different sectors and stakeholders in our society and based on the three themes of: "Bayanihan” (unity); Nationalism and Patriotism; and the Call for Peace.

Despite having a vast array of images, the paintings on its walls are interrelated as each end is the beginning of the story on the next wall.  It presents a continuous flow of imagery which recounts the history of the Philippines and the triumph of the Filipino spirit over modern problems of conflict and chaos set in the rich backdrop of Philippine countryside and scenery adorned by symbols from our own culture. 

The creation of this masterpiece was formally started on May 26, 2013 at the eastern walls (EDSA side) of Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo. The northern and southern walls of Camp Aguinaldo were painted respectively on the succeeding Saturdays.

 

More or less 550 gallons of paint were used in this project which spans 3.7 kilometers. 

 

It is due to its dimensions that it is now considered internationally as the longest peace mural in the world, smashing the record set by Chile which hosts the 900-meter long peace mural since 2009. 

 

AFP Chief-of-Staff among nominees for N-Peace Awards

His sensitivity regarding gender issues and equality and his reputation for being a “soldier of peace” gained General Emmanuel Bautista, Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a slot among the nominees in the international N-Peace Awards for peace-builders and advocates all over the world.

Gen. Bautista is among those who were nominated to the category of Men Who Advocate For Equality which features male national leaders who champion women's rights in their respective organizations and workplaces.

In his usual serious and leveled voice, General Bautista said that he believes that the cohesiveness of the Armed Forces as an organization lies in mainstreaming gender issues among its employees.

“Making each employee in the Armed Forces part of gender mainstreaming is a good way to ensure better performance in the future,” he said in a phone interview.

True to his word, he is closely monitoring the gender mainstreaming of training programs in the AFP and is making sure that top military officers under him are properly trained on women, peace and security.

He is also an advocate of the Magna Carta for Women. Among his contributions is the development of the AFP into a more welcoming place for women to work in. He also continuously campaigns for the increase of recruitment of women into the AFP.

He has also fostered the inclusion of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 into the training program for peacekeepers. The additional training on the UN resolution makes peacekeepers aware of the strategies on how women can be included at all levels related to peace and security.

Due to this effort, more women peacekeepers are sent to the UN Peacekeeping Operations during the past few years.

He said that he hopes that if he wins the award, his subordinates and the Filipinos would take it as their source of pride.

“It will further motivate me to advance more causes for the men and women of AFP,” he said.

Bautista is one of the men behind the formulation of the Internal Peace and Security Plan (Bayanihan) which encouraged and directed the AFP to create partnerships with other sectors of Philippine society in securing peace and development especially in the conflicted and remote areas of the country where insurgency is still a problem.

As a soldier serious in his career, he was decorated seven times in combat before receiving his fourth star this year.

He had also received seven Distinguished Service Stars, a Gold Cross Medal for gallantry in action, and a Bronze Cross Medal for bravery. He also received three Outstanding Achievement Medals, 29 Military Merit Medals, several Military Commendation Medals and various military campaign medals and ribbons.

He was a recipient of a distinguished alumni award from Philippine Military Academy and University of the Philippines College of Business Administration.

The list of awardees in the N-Peace Awards categories will be revealed on the N-Peace website www.n-peace.net at the end of the month of July after online voting closes. The awarding ceremony will be on October 2013.

Guardians of Burias-Ticao Pass: The Ligao, Albay Task Force

The long strip of blue sea between the islands of Ticao and Burias in Masbate Province is recognized by the Bureau of Fish and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Greenpeace as one of the Philippine water which has the most diverse marine ecosystem.  Sad to say, it is also in danger from over-fishing and abuse by big commercial fishing boats.

Vince Cinches, Ocean Campaigner for Greenpeace, said that the Burias-Ticao Pass is under threat of losing its rich diversity of tropical and commercial fish if the local government and the communities around it would not make the effort to protect it from ‘superlights’, large commercial fishing vessels that catch fish by the hundred tons for every time they venture out of the sea.

These large fishing vessels are prohibited by local laws and ordinances from fishing within municipal waters because they rob local small fishermen aside from endangering the population of fish their every year.

Being one with the people in protecting Mother Nature and the livelihood of local fishermen, the Spear Troopers organized the Ligao, Albay Task Force to guard the municipal waters within and around the Burias-TicaoPass from unreported and unregulated fishing.

The Task Force, composed by residents and fishermen trained to become Cafgus under the 21^st Infantry Battalion, works closely with BFAR and the local governments of Albay and Masbate in patrolling the Pass and apprehending illegal fishermen who should fish only in the high seas.

Francisco Ombao of BFAR said that this combined effort with the military is the only one of its kind in the Philippines.

“The Task Force has caught the largest percentage of the illegal fishers we have apprehended this year,” he said.  He also said that the Task Force is very effective in catching superlights.

He added that he is glad that the military has gone the extra mile of training the members to become Cafgus as it gave them the permission to carry firearms in the exercise of their duties.  He said it became necessary to deputize the members and allow them to have their own arms because some of the crew members of the commercial fishing vessels were also armed.

The Task Force is also responsible for apprehending fishermen that use illegal fishing measures like dynamite fishing or using nets with very small holes that catch even the fingerlings.

Protecting the Burias-Ticao Pass is in line with the efforts of the Army in alleviating poverty in the countryside by ensuring and securing the livelihood of the community.  Without big competition, the fishermen will be able to catch enough fish for their own needs and the community market.

Aside from this, the biodiversity of the Pass is also protected from abuse because regulating fishing ensures that only the mature fish are caught while leaving the fingerlings enough time to grow, mature and reproduce, thereby replenishing the population.

Mga 'Shooting Generals' sasali sa CSAFP Cup 2013

 

CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City- Nagpahayag ng kanilang kagustuhang sumabak sa CSAFP Cup 2013 ang mga kalahok sa Games of the Generals, ang patimpalak sa pagtudla ng mga star-ranked officers ng iba't-ibang armed services sa ating bansa.

 

Ito ay pagkatapos na inanyayahan ni AFP Chief of Staff Lt General Emmanuel Bautista ang mga heneral na lumahok sa Games of the Generals na pinangasiwaan ng Philippine Coast Guard noong nakaraang linggo, ika-14 ng Hulyo 2013.

 

Ayon kay Bautista, apat na shooting stages lamang mula sa 10 stages ng CSAFP Cup ang sasalihan ng mga 'Shooting Generals' para ma-sigurado na matapos ng mga kalahok ang laro sa loob ng isang araw.

"Ang mga heneral ay lalahok lamang sa Stage 1-4 ng CSAFP Cup 2013, nang matapos nila ito sakaling puputok sila sa huling araw ng naturang competition na magaganap sa ika-11 ng Agosto 2013," ani Bautista.

 

"Paghandaan naming mabuti ang palaro na yan. Magsimula agad ang aming shooting practices tuwing bakante ang aming oras," sabi ni Major General Benito De Leon, ang pinuno ng Training and Doctrine Command ng Philippine Army na nagwagi ng medalya at tropeo sa katatapos na Games of the Generals.

 

Ayon naman ng Match Director ng CSAFP Cup 2013 na si Lt Col Harold Cabunoc, pwedeng gamitin ng mga heneral ang nakasanayang mga competition pistols kahit ano pa man ang kalibre nito.

"Hindi na isaalang-alang sa chrono test ang mga 'Shooting Generals' dahil hindi sila kasali sa regular shooters ng naturang palaro. Ngunit, parehas na shooting stages 1-4 ang madadaanan ng mga regular shooters at mga heneral," sabi ni Cabunoc.

 

Ang CSAFP Cup 2013 ay isang patimpalak na layuning magkalap ng pondo para sa mga kabataang naulila ng Typhoon Pablo sa Compostela Valley noong nakaraang taon.

 

Labing-lima sa mga kabataan ay pinag-aaral na ng mga miyembro ng Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981 na kinabibilangan ni General Bautista.

 

"Nais ng butihing AFP Chief na si General Bautista na mapatapos ng kolehiyo ang mga beneficiaries ng naturang proyekto," sabi ni Cabunoc.

 

Ang CSAFP Cup ay gaganapin sa ARMSCOR Shooting Center Firing Ranges sa Marikina City sa darating na 9-11 Agosto 2013.

 

Tinatatayang aabot sa 500 na sundalo, pulis at mga sibilyan ang lalahok sa CSAFP Cup.

 

 

 

Team Albay Countryside Development Caravan benefits 500

LEGAZPI CITY – A total of five hundred fifty-four beneficiaries were served in the recently concluded first installment of the Team Albay Countryside Development Caravan in Albay last Friday, July 12.

The Philippine Army, through the soldiers of 901^st Infantry Brigade, 9^th Infantry Division, in partnership with other agencies of government brought basic services to constituents who need it most in conflicted areas in Daraga City, Albay.

The project dubbed Team Albay Countryside Development Caravan benefited at around 400 patients in its medical and dental services and 154 students in Alobo Barangay Elementary School in Alobo, Daraga City, Albay.

The event involved giving of t-shirts, school bags and supplies, a read-along program and feeding for pupils.

There was also a free veterinary service for pets, livelihood skills demonstrations, distribution of planting materials and information drives from the different government agencies and provincial offices which joined in the activity which was expanded by Albay Governor Joey Salceda from the original concept created by the leadership of 901^st IB Colonel Raul M. Farnacio.

Also included in the highlights of the event was the giving of tools and equipment for disaster risk reduction operation (DRRO) purposes by Office of Civil Defense 5 and distribution of trash cans by Tactical Operations Group 5 of Philippine Air Force.

There was also a Palaro ng Lahi to amuse the children conducted by the Philippine Navy.

The primary feature of the event was the Consultation and Dialogue with the affected residents of the Southern Luzon Int'l Airport Project which were the original beneficiaries of the concept by 901^st IB.

The event sought to bring the various offices of the local government of Albay together in one place to cater to the various needs of constituents in conflicted areas or places where there are frequent reports of insurgent activities or influence.

CSAFP Cup 2013 Course of Fire

Note:  The 'Shooting Generals' will shoot only Stage 1-4 while the Mini-Rifle shooters will shoot only Stage 6-10.

Team Albay Countryside Development Caravan to bring people closer to help

LEGAZPI CITY – Those who have more are burdened with the obligation to share what they have with those who have less.

Moving closer to the shared goal of eliminating poverty as the root of insurgency and social unrest, the Philippine Army through the soldiers of 901^st Infantry Brigade in Albay has created a partnership with other agencies of government to bring basic services to constituents who need it most.

The project dubbed Albay Countryside Development Caravan, slated to be launched this July 12, is the brainchild of the leadership of 901^st IB Colonel Raul M. Farnacio, expanded further by Albay Governor Joey Salceda.

The Caravan seeks to bring the various offices of the local government of Albay together in one place to cater to the various needs of constituents in conflicted areas or places where there are frequent reports of insurgent activities or influence.

The first leg of the project will be at Alobo Barangay Elementary School in Alobo, Daraga City, Albay which will gather representatives from proponent organizations Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 5 and Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) beside LGUs and the Army.

It all started with a simple concept of giving immediate assistance to the residents who were displaced from their homes to give way to the construction of Southern Luzon International Airport (SLIA) in Daraga, Albay which widened into a full-blown larger scale of community outreach project.

From simple activities of read-along programs, distribution of school bags and school supplies, t-shirts, slippers, repair of school facilities and info drives by partners and stakeholders from the private sector, particularly Junior Chamber International (JCI) Daraga Chapter and other non-government organizations, it has expanded to include government offices involved in the protection and preservation of lives during natural calamities.

  

Pagkapaslang ng walong NPA sa Sorsogon, hindi masaker

Gamit ang kagalingan sa taktika ng pakidigma, nagapi ng mga sundalong pinamunuan ni 2nd Lt Alfie Ayo ang mga bandido na nakasagupa sa Bgy Calmayon, Juban Sorsogon noong umaga ng Hulyo 6, 2013. (Larawan ni Kawal Pinoy)

LEGASPI CITY----Mariing pinabulaanan ng pamunuan ng Philippine Army sa Bicol ang paratang ng mga CPP-NPA-NDF na masaker ang pagkapaslang sa walong mga kasapi nito sa Juban, Sorsogon. 

Ayon kay Colonel Joselito Kakilala, ang pinuno ng 903rd Brigade na syang nangangasiwa sa buong lalawigan ng Sorsogon at islang lalawigan ng Masbate, isang lehitimong engkwentro ang naganap noong nakaraang Sabado ng umaga, ika-6 ng Hunyo 2013. 

"Nagkaroon ng palitan ng putok at ang mga bandido pa ang naunang nagpaputok nang makita ang papalapit na sundalo na gumapang papalapit sa kanila," sabi ni Kakilala. 

Sabi pa ni Kakilala, umabot sa humigit kumulang sa kalahating oras ang palitan ng putok ng magkabilang panig ngunit nanaig ang kagalingan ng mga sundalo sa pakikidigma. 

Nasamsam mula sa mga bandido ang pitong matataas na kalibre ng baril kasama na ang limang M16 Rifles at  dalawang M203 Grenade Launchers. 

Nabawi rin mula sa mga bandido ang dalawang improvised bombs na ginagamit ng mga bandido sa pang-aambush ng mga sundalo at kapulisan. 

Hindi rin aniya totoo na nakakumpiska ng perang umabot sa P300,000.00 ayon sa isinawalat ng CPP-NPA-NDF.

"Kung totoong me pera silang ganon kalaki, maaaring dala-dala ito ng mga nakaeskapong mga kasamahan nila. Nananawagan ako sa bandidong me hawak nito na gawin na lamang itong abuloy para sa mga kapamilya ng mga nasawing bandido," dagdag ni Kakilala.

Hindi na nakapagtatakang naghuhumiyaw ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao at International Humanitarian Law ang mga bandido tuwing nalalagasan sila sa mga bakbakan laban sa militar. 

Ngunit kung susuriin ang kanilang mga proklamasyon sa kanilang mga websites, walang habas naman ang kanilang pagpatay ng mga inosenteng sibilyan na pinagbibintangan nilang mga espiya ng militar. 

Matatandaang umabot sa humigit kumulang na 50 ka tao ang pinaslang ng mga bandidong NPA sa Kabikolan simula noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010. 

Kasama sa mga biktima ay mga sundalo at CAFGU na nakabakasyon, pati mga pulis at mga sibilyang napagbibintangan ng mga bandidong NPA ng kung anu-anong mga kasalanan kagaya ni Jason Nierbesa ng Camalig, Albay na pinatay dahil sa akusasyong ito ay isang holdaper. 

Pitong matataas na kalibre ng baril at mga ipinagbabawal na bomba (landmine) ang nasamsam ng militar mula sa walong bandidong nasawi sa engkwentro. Ang mga naturang armas ay ginamit ng mga bandido sa pakikipagpalitan ng putok sa mga magigiting na mga sundalo ng 31st Infantry Battalion (Larawan mula sa 31st Infantry Battalion). 

Army not after NDF-Bicol Spokesman’s death in Sorsogon

QUEZON CITY – Family members of National Democratic Front (NDF) spokesman in Bicol who died in an encounter in Sorsogon last Thursday, July 4, came to claim his body to give him a proper burial in his own hometown.

The death of Ka Greg Bañares (Frankie Joe Soriano), NDF Bicol spokesman, was a tragedy that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) do not relish despite the fact that it might be taken as a victory on our part as media and the public would see it.

Celso Minguez Command (New People’s Army -Sorsogon) admitted on its official blog statement that Ka Greg Bañares was among the eight casualties in the 35-minute firefight between Army’s 31^st Infantry Battalion, 9^th Infantry Division and an NPA unit in Barangay Upper Calmayon, Juban, Sorsogon last Thursday morning.

Captain Mardjorie Paimela Panesa, Acting Chief of 9ID’s Public Affairs Office, said personnel from 31^st IB verified that among those dead was Franky Soriano (listed Frankie Joe Soriano in Celso Minguez Command blog), aka Samuel Guerero/Ka Greg Bañares.

She said that his body was claimed by a family member who confirmed that he was from San Roque, Nabua, Camarines Sur and a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. His wake is currently held in the house of his relatives in Bgy Bonot, Legaspi City. 

She verified that the troops in Sorsogon, who were performing security operations, were not after his death and that his presence there was unknown to them.

Lieutenant Colonel Medel Aguilar, acting spokesman of 9^th Infantry Division, Philippine Army in Bicol, said that most of dead there were high-ranking officials of NPA Sorsogon.  He specifically identified Ka Miloy aka Dado as political instructor of the provincial guerilla unit (PGU).

Among those listed by 9ID but were not accounted by Celso Minguez Command on its blog were Arnel Estiller, aka Ariston, leader of the small NPA unit encountered in Juban, a certain Alicia, aka Ja/Jackelyn/Manay, of the regional guerilla unit (RGU) and Abby, RGU staff and video editor of Dagundong ng Bikol (DnB), the regular video broadcast of the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA in the Bicol Region airing via video compact disks (CDs) distributed here.

Army also listed a certain David Lunar, a resident of Barangay Gabao, Irosin, Sorsogon, who might be the same person as Ka Rey (David Llunar) listed by Celso Minguez Command.

The NPA Command also named in its blog Ka Miloy (Pehing Hipa), Ka Nel (Christine Puche), Ka Gary (Ted Palacio), Ka Rey (David Llunar), Ka Nene (Romero Añonuevo), Ka Jay (William Villanueva, Jr), at Ka Kevin (Ailyn Calma) as those 'martyred' among their ranks in the same encounter.

NPA couple

Soriano,40, died in the company of his 'party wife', Christine Puche who is known as Ka Nel in the communist movement. Puche was said to be a graduate from the University of the Philippines.

A relative who requested anonymity said that Soriano met Puche sometime in 2000 when he was actively involved in protest rallies against former President Joseph Estrada.

The duo married later and had two young children who were left to the care of Puche's parents in Legaspi City. 

Born in San Isidro village, Libmanan town in Camarines Sur, Soriano was raised by his parents who are both public school teachers. He was the eldest among three siblings, one of whom is also a public school teacher like his parents. 

Since 2008, Soriano disappeared and was never heard of by his closest relatives. 

Most of his friends and relatives were surprised that he was the voice of the NPA in Bicol under the nom de guerre  Greg Banares. They only learned about this fact when the CPP-NPA-NDF published his real name on its website after his death.

Abandon armed struggle

Col Joey Kakilala, 53,  the Commander of the Army's 903rd Infantry Brigade based in Castilla town in Sorsogon said that the people in the community are already fed up by the oppressive collection of extortion money by the CPP-NPA-NDF. 

"We receive complaints from the civilian residents about these extortion activities carried out by heavily-armed members of the NPA. It is our constitutional mandate to protect the people from any armed threats," said Kakilala, an awardee of the prestigious Presidential Lingkod Bayan and Metrobank Foundation's The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS).

Kakila said that his troops have continued its focused-military operations against NPA extortionists in his area of responsibility. 

He said that it is high time that the remnants of the bandit group think about their options.

"We are not rejoicing over the deaths of these fellow kababayans but we have a mandate to perform. The NPA has to abandon the use of armed struggle and instead, join us in solving our common problems," he said.

Civilian Lives Over Ours

Whenever news of encounters between elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and local rebels in hinterlands on the countryside reach the ears and eyes of audience, they are seldom told of the dilemmas that soldiers have to face in protecting every civilian who is caught in the crossfire.

Just last June 23, government forces and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) clashed in Camarines Norte, Bicol Region in a short firefight in near a residential area.

Our soldiers triumphed in making the enemies flee, recovering an M16 rifle and three one-way radios from the rebels without shedding blood Barangay Sta. Rosa, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte, Lieutenant Colonel Medel M. Aguilar, acting spokesman of Army’s 9^th Infantry Division in Bicol said.

Aguilar added that the Army unit, the 49^th Infantry Battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel Michael Buhat received information about the presence of an armed group in a civilian community there which prompted them to conduct patrol over the area.

He also said that the situation was complicated by the presence of civilians within the encounter site.  A scenario which had always been one of the greatest challenges that soldiers have to face.

“Our troops could not just engage them because of the presence of innocent civilians,” he said.  “Our troops waited for the right time to fire back and this opportunity came when the armed men, more or less 15 of them, were already on the run.”

Human Rights Above Glory

When news of two members of New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to Army after a firefight on May 1 in Sorsogon, people did not see the real drama behind it.

All they knew from tv and newspapers was that the rebels, Judy Torres aka Ka Roy, 33, from Barangay Dolos, Bulan, Sorsogon and Jomar Gracilla, aka Ka Marvin, 19, from Barangay Pili, Magallanes, Sorsogon, gave themselves up to military when their companions left them at the clash site in Barangay Siuton, Magallanes, Sorsogon at around 5:20 p.m. 

Former 9^th Infantry Division spokesman Major Angelo Guzman gave the details that told of the struggle of soldiers protecting civilians despite the fact that viewers and readers only look for body count and damages in news items like these.

The planning that Army unit leader Captain Christopher Santander and his companions under the 31^st Infantry Battalion undertook in order to save three households from the firefight that lasted for ten minutes in the quaint barangay went unnoticed.

Santander, a firm believer in the respect for human rights, said that it was an easy task to separate the civilians from the rebels who were concealing themselves among the village dwellers.  But, keeping them safe from gunfire was not as easy to execute as they planned.

Santander is just one of the leaders of the Army who were schooled and continually reminded of the protection of the lives and safety of the civilian during incidents like the encounter in Sorsogon.

His unit received from the residents themselves reports of the presence of the rebels.  Deciding to act early, he divided his men into two groups: one to walk casually through the village while the other group is concealed nearby to watch the reactions of the people at the sight of the uniformed soldiers.

Seeing the suspicious reactions of some of the people around the three houses, Santander wasted no time and gave a signal to his troops to assume their positions to prepare for a possible firefight.

He immediately gave an express order to his men to mind the civilians over returning the gunfire.  The soldiers obliged by pushing the civilians, mostly children and women, down to the ground while the rebels fired away.

Santander said that they secured the civilians at the safe portions of the village, away from the firefight before they were able to retaliate.

He said that the protection of the civilians was foremost on his mind.

The soldiers encountered more or less ten armed persons believed to be members of Front Committee 80 of NPA.

The rebels were immediately taken into custody after they raised their hands in surrender while their companions withdrew towards the southeast of Magallanes.

They were given warm food, which they ate hungrily, at the headquarters of 31^st IB in Barangay Rangas in Juban, Sorsogon.  They were also treated well and given time to rest under custody in accordance with the Human Rights Law of the Philippines.

Santander said that this is also because they wanted to show to the rebels that the rumors they heard regarding abuses done by the military are untrue.

He hoped that whatever good treatment that the rebels received would be enough to encourage their fellows to surrender and come back to mainstream society.

The Montage of Peace in EDSA

By the historic concrete road of Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Metro Manila, a 3.8 kilometer long masterpiece is set to be unveiled on July 6, 2013.

Completed by various sectors of society in the community spirit or bayanihan, the Peace Mural is slated to become yet another source of Filipino pride as the “Longest Mural in the World”

From the combined efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with Asia America Initiative (AAI), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Dolphins Love Freedom Movement, Metro Manila Development of Development (MMDA) and various local artists, the Peace Mural Project will stand as an enduring reminder that unity can be achieved under a single goal, Capt. Gene Gabrido, Deputy Commander of the 7^th Civil Relations Group, AFP, said.  

AG Saño, the artist responsible for designing the masterpiece, said that the mural is basically “an editorial of many concepts of peace, a comics version of reality, a colorful montage of images that shows how peace can be achieved in our daily lives.”

He said that he believes that the use of a mural as a medium of passing on the message of peace and unity among Filipinos is a good decision by the organizers.

He said that murals literally stand out among other forms of paintings because they get to have a larger and continuous flow of audience, particularly those motorists and pedestrians who use the street.

“…and until the paint fades, the message will be there for people to see,” he said.  “The art attack concept where we allow the community to paint the mural with us gives the chance to volunteers to have an ownership of the art work therefore letting them in on an opportunity to be part of the advocacy.”

Saño explained that the design is actually a marriage of different concepts that were raised as a result of a multi-sectoral workshop conducted earlier.

“We had representatives from NGOs, the AFP, the academe, the youth, the government, etc. who gave inputs on issues on peace building.  An AAI volunteer from MSU-Marawi shared his idea on how to show peace building efforts by employing the concept of cultural integration to be represented by the different weaving cultures of different regions in the Philippines,” he said.

Yet, despite the various symbols covering the vast wall, one can never miss the fact how the different concepts like bayanihan and nationalism is weaved together into one symbol which is the Philippine flag, Saño said.

“The central message of this artwork is that peace can be achieved by digging into the Filipino character and letting it blossom by highlighting its goodness, which is an everyday thing for us,” he mused.  “The simple everyday acts of goodness can lead to a world of peace. The Filipino concept of bayanihan is our culture, and I would like to think that conflicts and wars can never be possible with such a culture.”