Growing up, I was sure of three things: One, that peace is worth fighting for. Two, that the Filipino people are worth protecting. And three, that it was my father’s duty to fight for them and protect them.

On the last night of the Bayani Challenge in Lantawan, Basilan, I stood in a hall with a bright yellow ḥijāb covering my head. The lights were so bright I could only see the first few rows, but I knew there were hundreds of people there, waiting expectantly for me to start. I looked closer and saw the brave soldiers who built homes with us and protected us during our stay. I also saw the youth of Basilan, whose eyes sparkled with idealism. Up to that point, I didn’t know exactly what to say to them. But I suddenly remembered the three things I was sure of as I was growing up. And that’s when I knew.

Sharing my story during the last night of the Bayani Challenge in Lantawan, Basilan

When I was young, my father was rarely home. We would visit him in his camps when we could, and I remember being fascinated by the military tanks, guns and camouflage uniforms, having little knowledge of the dangers of his job. I thought it was normal to see my dad only once every few months, because this was part of his duty to protect the Filipino people. Growing up with more than a handful of family members in the military, I somehow just accepted that the Philippines always came first.

Only when I was old enough did I realize the extraordinary dedication and courage it took to live a life like my dad’s, not only for fellow soldiers on the field but also for the loved ones who are left behind. I saw firsthand how difficult it was for my mom, and I could only imagine how much harder it was for my lola, who was a soldier’s wife at a time without cell phones and the internet.

That night, as I stood there looking at the soldiers, I knew they were thinking of their families back home. I wanted to tell them that maybe, just like me, their children perfectly understand why they couldn’t be home that night. That their families are proud of them. That they had nothing to worry about because while they’re in Basilan doing the very duty they swore to do, our Father in Heaven is with their families making sure everything’s okay.

Soldiers going beyond the call of duty to protect the Filipino people

I wanted to thank them too, especially Col. Charlie Galvez, Commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan. He is also a father, and like my dad, it was his duty to protect the Filipino people. During the Bayani Challenge, he and his men were doing just that, but they were also sweating alongside us as we piled hollow block upon hollow block to build homes for the poor. They transported everything in the military trucks – from volunteers to construction materials to our much-needed water supply. More than just making sure we were safe, these soldiers built with us, laughed with us, danced the Unity Dance with us, and dreamed with us for a better Basilan. Many years ago when Col. Galvez was a young lieutenant, he and his men had an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf in Brgy. Pamucalin, near the very site where we were building a new Gawad Kalinga community. The battle they fought during the Bayani Challenge may have been different from the one they fought back then, but both are for a more peaceful Basilan.

When I decided to go to Basilan for the Bayani Challenge, some of the people closest to me thought I was out of my mind. Basilan is dangerous, they said. But I was determined to go, and when I was finally there, Basilan took my breath away. From the time the boat docked on the port to the time we were sent off, we felt nothing but the beauty of the Philippines and the kindness of the Filipino people.

In Basilan, you can't tell who's Muslim and who's Christian. We wanted to wear our own hijabs as a sign of respect and solidarity during our stay, and our fellow GK worker Ate Bai (second from left) became our personal hijab stylist. :) Kaka Tahira (in green hijab) cared for us as she did her own children. We were also warmly welcomed by Ate Myra Abdulmajid (in pink hijab), wife of Hon. Anwar M. Abdulmajid, Municipal Mayor of Hadji Muhtamad.

I remember Basilan Provincial Administrator Tahira Ismael-Sansawi, fondly known as Kaka (elder sister) Tahira. With sleeping bags and mats, we stayed with her and her children in one of the classrooms in Concepcion Elementary School. There were about 20 of us sharing the classroom’s only CR, and water had to be fetched in pails from a nearby source. Every morning, Kaka Tahira would have sinangag and freshly brewed Basilan coffee ready for us. She would prepare this herself and care for us as she did her own children. On our last day, she thanked us and said that by working together and treating each other like family, we were able to show not just the whole world but the very community of Lantawan what it means to be Filipino. She vows to continue what we started “upang hindi na maranasan ng aming mga anak ang mga dinanas namin noon (so that our children won’t have to go through what our generation went through).”

Kaka Tahira’s commitment to the Bayani Challenge and a more peaceful Basilan is a battle that of a mother’s trying to protect her children. Many years ago as mayor of Lantawan, she used to be in the front lines with the military (and then Lt. Charlie Galvez), fighting the Abu Sayyaf together. The battle Kaka Tahira fought during the Bayani Challenge may have been different from the one she fought back then, but again, both are for a more peaceful Basilan.

The empowered youth of Basilan joining the commitment to fight for peace

I also remember Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman Cedric Perez, who is also part of the Core Group of the Lantawan Youth Assembly (LaYA). When he introduced himself as a Basileño during his freshman year in a Davao university, some of his classmates asked, mockingly, if he had a gun and if he was “an Abu Sayyaf.” He battled with feelings of hurt and shame, because of the labels that being from Basilan automatically generated. But after seeing so many people commit to fight for peace during the Bayani Challenge, after seeing how empowered the youth could be, Cedric no longer feels this shame. Now Cedric can lead the young people of Basilan with more confidence – young people who fought a different kind of battle during the Bayani Challenge, young people whose idealism needs to be protected.

The dreams and idealism of the youth of Basilan are worth protecting

As I stood there facing them that night, I told them that initially, I did fear the “dangers” I could possibly encounter in Basilan. But spending time with them made me realize there was nothing to fear. Except perhaps prejudice. Because the only danger I saw, really, was this wall full of the many misconceptions people have about Mindanao, Basilan, and our Muslim brothers and sisters. And we need to protect them–and ourselves–from the dangers that these prejudices create. Because if this wall of prejudice remains, voices won’t be heard and dreams can’t take flight. And these dreams Kaka Tahira has for her children, the dreams Cedric and the other youth of Basilan have for themselves – these dreams are worth protecting.

That night, I looked at the starry-eyed youth of Basilan and saw myself. Being a “General’s daughter” with a dad, a lolo and other family members who are all willing to die for the country and who literally put their lives on the line, I have my fair share of pressure and labels to live up to. I constantly ask myself what I am willing to do. How far am I willing to go for God and country?

In Basilan I realized that one of the reasons I’m with Gawad Kalinga, helping build peaceful and productive communities all over the country, is the fact that peace shouldn’t just be the burden of the Armed Forces. It’s not just the duty of my father, of Col. Galvez, and of all the other soldiers who were there. Peace shouldn’t just be the burden of the people in Basilan either – people like Kaka Tahira, Cedric Perez, and all those in other conflict areas. Peace is a burden all Filipinos should carry in their hearts. And until we get to that beautiful, poverty-free Philippines that each and every Filipino can be proud of, until we wake up to that peaceful Philippines where each and every Filipino is free to speak, to dream and where no one is left behind, we shouldn’t stop.

Peace is a burden all Filipinos should carry in their hearts

More importantly, I realized that every Filipino I met in Basilan had a story to share. Basilan itself is a story that cannot wait to be told. But because Basilan is so far away, not only from the rest of the Philippines but from the consciousness of the majority, these stories and these voices are often not heard. That night, I stood there telling them my story. Today, I tell you theirs.

As I write this, I am sure of three things: One, that peace is worth fighting for. Two, that the Filipino people are worth protecting. And three, that it is ALSO my duty to fight for them and protect them. It may be a different kind of battle, but this is my fight too.

This school year, join us in helping the children of Basilan build their dreams. Your Php1,200 can help rebuild classrooms and bring quality education for the next generation of peace-builders. Click here to learn more about the "No Child Left Behind" campaign for the children of Basilan.

Gawad Kalinga is not a charity, rather, it's an organization that aims to end poverty by building sustainable communities. By empowering residents to build dignified and empowered communities and strategically building these abodes of peace at the heart of conflict areas, peace becomes one of the most valuable results in our journey to rebuild the nation.