FAITH
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” –Aldous Huxley
This is the second article from a 3-part series recounting my experiences, observations and reflections when I visited Sulu last April 13-15 2012 during my 100 Days Journey around the Philippines.
Part 1: FEAR. Part 2: FAITH. Part 3: FUNDS.
I’m publishing what I wrote on my mobile phone’s notepad. I also added some commentary enclosed with parentheses (), for the reader to better understand the situation.
Friday, 13th day of April 2012 (Friday, the sixth day in the Islamic week is the most important day, it is the day of congregation, a day of prayer, a day of worship.)Ferries docked at Jolo Port on silhouette, the orange sky creates a beautiful backdrop
Fear was transformed to faith.(I arrived at Jolo Port being greeted with a beautiful sunrise- the sky was orange then suddenly transformed into a serene blue it was like a painting, it is the most beautiful sunrise I have seen in my entire 100-day journey)
Bud Tumatangis and Jolo Port
Faith in humanity, faith in Muslims, faith in God. (The imam’s call to prayer blasted out from the speakers of the mosques, after some minutes I heard the morning prayer, I took a deep breath and prayed to my God too. I felt Muslim’s spirituality is deeper than mine. The experience was so gripping I almost shed into tears.)
Self-portrait at Jolo Port. You can see the new Masjid Jammi Tulay Central Mosque at the back, which is the biggest mosque in the province of Sulu.
Fear is now gone, gone forever. I realized that the people of Jolo (Locals of Jolo are mostly from the Tausug tribe, they are known to be the bravest of all the Muslim tribes in the Philippines) are as accommodating as others, maybe even more. I was fetched in the ferry boat (my contact fetch us inside the ferry boat, Adzfar Usman is his name, a professor in MSU-Jolo), treated kahawa (local brewed coffee) and given hot breakfast (one of the best and cheapest breakfast I ever ate), brought to our inn (Peace Keeper’s Inn, Camp Asturias, Jolo) and given much respect. Treated as a friend, a kin, a brother, one of their own.
Local Tausug Breakfast in one of the local cafeterias.
After a few hours, I was invited in the inauguration of the new mosques in Patikul, Sulu. I arrived and was welcomed with “salam” (Salam means peace in Islam. They greet their friends with “Asaalamu alaikum” meaning “Peace be with you”) and cakes. All sorts of cakes and sweet goodies I just saw for the first time. I was seated among the leaders of the MNLF and they were proud to have me as one of the honored guests (This was the very first time I felt so honored while having a lunch banquet, I felt like I was the president of the country). So we ate, they gave me the best portions of every food, they let me try everything while Gael aka The Pinay Solo Backpacker found a friend among the ladies.
Lunch Banquet after the Inauguration of the Mosque
Where Muslim and Christian shared the dining table together. A harmonious relationship between them.
A young Tausug and Gael
While sipping a good local Arabica coffee I was listening intently to a discussion of the real situation in “Mindanao.” (Don’t miss the last part of the series, the best of them all)
They are from the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front), my new friends, brothers even if I am a “Christian.” A few minutes later, some from the Philippine National Police arrived, with M16s, hand grenades and long arms. It was a peaceful meeting of different groups, I was dumb-founded, I cannot believe what I was seeing. Why this harmonious relationship among them? Is there something wrong? Yes, there is: I WAS WRONG. (This time I knew that I was wrong, I judged the place and its people from the media’s perspective.) This is not what the media is portraying on TV nor what I read on the dailies; it is far from what the government is trying to relay. So I asked, “what happened along the way?”
Me with MNLF leaders and an AFP soldier
Are the news one-sided? Is this the time where I forget every single news I have seen on TV, I have heard on radio and I have read on the paper? It’s hard to reconcile but I am seeing this first-hand. I think I believe myself, I choose to believe what I just saw and not the second-hand information that is widely available to the blinded public.
I went inside the masjid (mosque) and observed the 12nn prayer
read Part 3 here: Journey to Jolo- Funds
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This is part 2 of a 3-part series recounting my experiences, observations and reflections when I visited Sulu last April 13-15 2012 (Days 73-75) during my 100 Days Journey around the Philippines.
#ISANGDAAN is a personal journey and challenge to backpack around the Philippines the cheapest way possible for 100 days. The book “ISANGDAAN” will be out soon!
If you want to follow my steps, I have an interactive map- ISANGDAAN Journey map.
we share the same sentiments. what we see, hear and read through the media are just fractions of what is really happening and in an effort to sensationalize, the bad tends to overshadow the good. while it was quite chaotic during my visit to Maguindanao, i also found peace amongst the people i was able to interact with. i also witnessed first-hand the faith of the Muslims. i discovered that not all Ampatuans are blood-thirsty, some of them are just simple people who keep to themselves. whew! this is a long comment! LOL.
you said it better adelle, “in an effort to sensationalize, the bad tends to overshadow the good” thanks for sharing your maguindanao experience. i met some Maguindanaos too and they are warm and friendly
Living in a muslim dominated country for more than a year made me more understand why our muslim brothers was longing for bangsamoro. They are entitled the same peace and order we enjoyed in Luzon and Visayas and some parts in Mindanao. You’re right James, people with different beliefs can co exist in peace and harmony.
By the way, we also experience eating with muslims in an unexpected gate crashing on a driver’s friends wedding in Southern Thailand.
wow! that experience was awesome! have you shared that on your blog?
truly Mindanao is peaceful!
great to lived here. ..
i agree mary cris, thanks for using that url on your signature
wow.what a nice experience.
*the media is doing an awful job on this one.
news is being sensationalized.
this happens at the expense these places, our brothers.
which is really sad =(
i wonder why the media cant get good news out of mindanao
It is good you travelled there James. The media only has one interest and that is one of making a story and earning money.
Some journalists are also biased and do what they can to inflame the situation and have even been known to pay kids to throw stones at soldiers so they can take photos of a demonstration and get their story( This happened in the middle east with French journalists )
It is only when normal people like yourself have the courage to see for themselves the situation that the real truth comes out so well done.At least you are now able to form your own opinion and tell the world through your website, which may encourage others to visit too.
I just wonder what would happen if i was to visit there though as i cannot blend in as well as you and Gael did !!!!!!!
i guess not all media
sir, you can actually go there but you have to note that there is this bad history between Americans and tausug because of the “Bud Dajo Massacre”
BTW i have scooped you yet again here.
http://www.scoop.it/t/philippine-travel/p/3064836345/journey-to-jolo-sulu-part-2-of-3
Awesome journey! I’ve been longing to visit the Phils (nvr been there). Am planning to visit Palawan next year (still deciding between El Nido and Coron!), and the southernmost frontiers (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi) have been intriguing me for being so remote and exotic, with a culture that I’m particularly acquainted with since I’m from Malaysia (not a Muslim tho’). It’s definitely great news that the Government of your country and the MILF have finally reached an agreement, and am looking forward to peaceful development in these regions. Waiting for your third instalment!
Great post bai! You are so blessed to experience these things while you’re in Jolo. Hope to experience these too!
sama ka bai when i get back to jolo. let’s hike a mountain there
Thank you for posting this series James.
I was born and raised in Mindanao, and the village I lived in for years had a fairly big Muslim community. It was when I moved to Manila that I saw how Mindanao, in general (and not just certain areas like Sulu and Tawi-tawi) are portrayed as chaotic, etc. I actually think Manila is crazier place than Mindanao!
Some of my friends who never left Manila also have these assumptions that I grew up in a war-torn land. And when I encourage them to visit a few places in Mindanao, they have this fear in their eyes. It’s really difficult. And the media is making it much worse.
I hope that more people visit and post blog entries like this, just like you. Kudos!
yep, manila is way too crazier than mindanao.
thanks again natz, i hope talaga na makita ng mga tao ang ganda ng mindanao
Hands down to you, you braved the place.
the place is one of the most misunderstood in the country along with basilan, zamboanga and tawi-tawi.