Massacre remembered as Maguindanao festivities start

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — The local Moro, Christian and lumad communities on Thursday started celebrating the 41st anniversary of the province, to culminate on November 23 at the site of the infamous Maguindanao Massacre.

The November 23, 2009 massacre, which left 58 people dead, was the country's worst election-related violence and, as a consequence, catapulted to Maguindanao's gubernatorial post then Buluan town mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.

Activities in this year's celebration highlight how the province tries to rise from devastation wrought by armed conflicts in past decades and how local folks are reeling off from the stigma of the massacre.

Mangudadatu, now in his second term as provincial governor, said local government will facilitate on Saturday the release of the stipends of the provincial government's more than 4,000 college scholars as part of the anniversary activities.

Mangudadatu lost his wife, Genalyn, and several relatives in the massacre. More than half of the people that perished in the incident were journalists.

The provincial government has built a shrine on a hill in Masalay District in Ampatuan town, where the victims were killed by partisans with assault rifles and machineguns.

Mangudadatu said they will also disperse pairs of Mallards ducks to a thousand Moro, Christian and lumad peasants from across the 36 towns in the province.

Folk singer Freddie Aguilar will perform at the provincial gymnasium in Buluan town Saturday night as a prelude to Sunday's commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre.