Rebuilding from the ruins

The Filipino nation commemorated yesterday our 127th Independence Day.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

It was a celebration not only of our collective freedom but also the diverse and heroic histories that shaped it. This year's theme, "Kalayaan, Kinabukasan, Kasaysayan," reflected the enduring connection between our past, present and future.

Despite prediction of our state weather forecasters, no rains dampened the spirit of the Independence Day parade. But perhaps for the first time, this year's annual float parade festivities that traditionally cap our Independence Day rites included previously unheard of Battle of Marawi in Lanao del Sur.

The float was not about the Marawi City siege that erupted on May 23, 2017 during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. That bloody and deadly battle went on for five months and left in ruins the once bustling trade and commerce in the city of Marawi. Thousands of the largely Maranao folks evacuated away from harm's way, leaving behind their livelihood and houses. The carpet-bombing and armed skirmishes freed the city from the stranglehold of the murderous Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-influenced Maute bandits.

The historic tribute to the Battle of Marawi pertained to the courage of Maranao warriors led by Amai Pacpac who resisted Spanish colonization in the late 19th century. The Bangsamoro holds this as an important yet often overlooked chapter in the Philippine struggle for independence. The 1895 Battle of Marawi was prominently depicted among the colorful floats in the Parada ng Kalayaan 2025 held yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, still more popularly called Luneta.