Tourism promotes "Arkat A Lawanen Marawi Icon dolls for peace"
Manila | February 16, 2018
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| (L-R) Asec Daniel Mercado, DOT Sec. Wanda C. Teo (center holding the Marawi Icon Doll Arkat A Lawanen), ADWE Chairperson A. Limbona; and Mr. Warly Cabarle, Chief of Staff of Asec Mercado pose for a souvenir photo held DOT Central office, Manila. (Supplied) |
The Department of Tourism (DOT) officially endorsed the "Arkat A Lawanen Marawi Icon Dolls for Peace" as a means to strengthen the preservation of the Maranao's culture and heritage.
"Tourism can play role in reconciliation to unite communities that may have been broken or displaced during conflict around common interests and goals, fostering a sense of peace and cooperation which may not otherwise occur," Tourism Secretary Wanda C. Teo said.
"By rebuilding and strengthening culture, economy, and infrastructure, the tourism industry provides the region a chance to make a statement about the future of their region, especially after the Marawi siege," Teo stressed.
Asst secretary Daniel Mercado emphasized that under the administration of President Duterte, tourism is an influential source of capital. It provides economic opportunity through employment, ownership of business, and increased market size. It also perpetuates personal and community empowerment by offering renewed opportunities for self-sustaining business and economic.
Through the promotion of the Marawi Icon Arakat A Lawanen dolls under the leadership of the Alliance Development for Woman Empowerment (ADWE) will pave the way to generate employment and income that will enhance benefit the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) due to
Marawi Siege.
The government and other allied agencies had been serving on the ground for 24 hours,however, Mercado admits that a rehabilitation program and social healing needs ample time for the rehabilitation of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs)
In an interview with Ms Ashlia M. Limbona, chairperson of Alliance Development for Women Empowerment (ADWE) said after they conducted a research and personal interviewed to the heads of IPDs, found out their suffering are not limited to political harrassment some are being denied or not delayed due to past political affiliations, some are still homeless and penniless because they are the least priority of these constituents.
Limbona emphasized that the Task Force Bangon Marawi and present administration are in full action in helping the IDPs. But, the lost of livelihood leaves disappointment, lost of trust of some Marawi IDPs, they needed on immediate and continuous job for survival , despite the government
assistance to them are overflowing.
In view of this research study conducted with the full support and cooperation of the Department of Tourism under the dynamic leadership of Secretary Wanda C. Teo and Asec Daniel Mercado, the ADWE has proposed the Marawi Icon Dolls envisioned to promote and preserved the culture and traditions for Maranao society. An ICE Breaker from war to ICON of peace.
This is designed to rehabilitate the Maranao women IDPs in giving them social interaction with community and the world outside. They will be regarded as WARRIORS FOR PEACE creating the MARAWI ICON ARAKAT A LAWANEN Dolls that will be able to sustain there means of livelihood a decent way of living. They will be trained and develop from their artistic lineage and passion in showing the world. That the Maranao woman can be an epitome of beauty and peace.
CHANGE THE LABEL OF TERRORISM, Limbona pointed out. In fact, the ADWE will conduct its two stages of training of some selected IDPs by special field of skills such as: First training ONE WEEK CAMP OUT. The Marawi IDPs must be uprooted from evacuation centers for 2 days PSYCHO social rehabilitation for motivation and inspiration.
(REFLECTION OF FAITH). Followed by 3 days training. They will be brief on the history and importance of there project. Actual teaching of how to handle and dress a doll. On the 3rd day graduation and shall transfer to a permanent training facility.
On the 2nd and 3rd week of training. 25 participants (group of 4=100 IDPs) They will be classified according to their expertise, like hair dressers (combong making) accessory makers blouse and malong weaving . The artistic section will dress the doll, then final quality control and packaging
We can produce bench mark 500 pieces of dolls preparation celebration of women month.
The ADWE Social Entrepreneurship and Empowerment shall not be limited to ARKAT A LAWANEN and DARANGEN DOLL, there will be more preservation of our Muslim Indigenous arts and masterpiece show cases that shall be introduce to the market. We shall be creating a livelihood center where every Maranao woman can participate in delivering there skills talents to dressing a doll only (e,g, Tugaya Brasswares, Langkit Malong and Inaul. The new awareness that shall be existing in the world of fairies and fantasy is the beautiful epitome of peace, Marawi Icon dolls. Limbona stressed.
Limbona added that the ADWE shall have a vision that group of Maranao woman shall be allowed to stand of there own group allowing them to adapt a Cooperative under the umbrella of ADWE to empower them. That the trained IDPs shall be allowed to produce her own DOLLS after 1 year of service to ADWE training and shall if given the chance to make there cooperatives they must hand in their products to ADWE for quality control and marketing strands. Finally, they shall can make a factory of talented ethnic dolls in the history.
On the other hand, Dr. Ben Kadil, chairperson History department of the College of Social Sciences & Humanities of MSU main campus Marawi City lauded Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo for officially endorsing the Marawi Icon Arkat A Lawanen Dolls under the ADWE which is very timely project to undertake not only to generate income among IDPs affected by the Marawi siege, but to showcase window of the Maranao culture traditions, customs, beliefs in the preservation of their identity.
This move is congruent along with the Master Plan of President Rodrigo Duterte who emphasize on the importance of culture as shown in Chapter 7 of the Philippine Development Plan , which gives attention to the promotion of Philippine Culture and values. The plan emphasizes cultural awareness as a requirement for national inclusion and equity. Better interactions among members of a community require awareness and their diverse cultures and values.
The Philippine Development Plan emphasizes culture and its role in national development that spans over and intersects multiple sectors. Integrating culture in the formulation of policies and in the design of development interventions enhances the effectiveness of programs and projects. The failure to recognize the significance of culture in shaping our society may lead to cultural fragmentations, percieved distrust toward fellow Filipinos, parochialism, perpetuation of historical injustices, and inability to collaborate for national building, Kadil cited.
Kadil added that the Philippine Development Plan for 2017-2022, enumerates the priority concerns of the cultural agenda, which are: (a) safeguarding and enshrining our cultural heritage; (b) achieving equity and inclusion in access to cultural resources and services; and (c) sustaining and enhancing cultural assets to foster creativity and innovation for socio-economic growth.
Dr. Nagasura T, Madale former Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension of MSU main campus Marawi City said that the promotion of Marawi Icon Arakat A Lawanen dolls story can make a big impact to the modern Maranaos this days. This were the Singkil dance immersed . So we stick to the concept or early Maranao culture likes of Malongs landap, and among others.
In another development, the head of the Socio-Cultural working group of BIMP-EAGA Adelina Suemith said they have designed a program for the Maranao youth will take place in a cultural livelihood to make Maranao crafts. This is one way of preserving Maranao culture & arts & crafts at the same time source of income for them.
Engr Marites Maguindra director Bureau on Cultural Heritage of ARMM said that understanding culture is one way to attain peace. Under the administration of ARMM regional governor Hataman, they will establish a cultural center in Marawi. This way, all the craftsmanship of Maranao culture will be displayed in one place enhancing to attract tourists who will visit the ground zero due to Marawi siege. (ATM)
