Walls of peace

MANILA, Philippines - At first glance, there’s nothing extraordinary about the mural surrounding the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) headquarters in Zamboanga City.

A similar and much wider mural was painted by about 1,500 soldiers and volunteers on the walls surrounding Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City last year.

The motifs of the two artworks are identical – different sectors working together to promote peace and development.

The idea behind the two murals is also the same – transform the dusty walls of a military camp into an artwork that will reflect the collective desire for unity and progress.

But considering the security demands being faced by Wesmincom, one will realize that the Zamboanga peace mural is more than just a combination of images.

Wesmincom chief Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, whose area of responsibility includes the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, believes that the mural is “symbolic.”

He explains: “Symbolic in the sense that everyone here in Mindanao, even kids, aspire and dream of achieving a lasting peace and normal lives.”

“The command likewise realized that this art activity can also be an effective tool to express ones’ aspirations of genuine peace,” he tells STARweek.

Perhaps no other group of people in the country has a stronger yearning for peace than those in Western Mindanao.

The volatile region is still facing threats from Islamic extremists that have links with international terror cells.

Recently, terrorist group Abu Sayyaf kidnapped a Chinese female tourist and a Filipina resort employee in Sabah and brought their victims to an undisclosed location in Mindanao.

Days after the kidnapping incident, Army troops launched an offensive against the bandits in Basilan, resulting in clashes that left at least 10 Abu Sayyaf militants and two soldiers dead and 29 military personnel wounded.

Last year, Wesmincom had to deal with a 20-day crisis after Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members tried to hoist their flag at the Zamboanga City hall and held hostage several civilians.

A total of 208 MNLF members and 20 soldiers were killed during the crisis, which happened last September, ironically dubbed as “National Peace Consciousness Month.”

The region is also grappling with communist rebels, which usually target mining firms in Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.

Despite the security challenges confronting Wesmincom, Guerrero remains optimistic that the region will achieve peace.

“The peace and order concerns really pose a challenge not only to the security sector but also to the community and the rest of the peace-loving and law-abiding Muslims, Christians and Lumads,” the Wesmincom chief says. “On a positive note, it is not impossible to achieve peace for as long as there is a unified effort from all stakeholders.”

Guerrero says the challenge is “not insurmountable” because there is already “a considerable cooperation” among the military, police local governments, government agencies, civil society and local communities.

The unity between Wesmincom and its private partners is reflected in the peace mural, which is part of the unit’s efforts to reach out to its constituents.

The peace mural is painted on 148 blocks of the perimeter wall of the Wesmincom headquarters along the Limpapa to Labuan road in Zamboanga City.

The mural has a total length of 422 meters, making it one of the longest if not the longest in Western Mindanao.

Guerrero says they were inspired by the 3.2-kilometer peace mural of Camp Aguinaldo and the peace walls painted in several areas in Mindanao.

“We asked ourselves: ‘Why don’t we do it right here, at the headquarters of the Western Mindanao Command, the primary military unit involved in this peace effort?’” he says.

“The outright positive response of the participants made it easy for us to collaborate and execute the activity.”


Soldiers, civilian government officials and artists started painting on the walls last March 19. The final painting session was held last March 29.

More than 400 individuals from various sectors participated in the activity, which coincided with the signing of the final peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“The painting was conceptualized prior to the signing of the peace deal,” Guerrero says. “It was actually based on the availability of the lead artists and the participants. However, we may say it is very related since it tackles one common goal, which is peace.”

Other government entities and private groups that took part in the painting sessions include the Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, Task Force Zamboanga, Naval Forces Western Mindanao, 3rd Air Division, TEN (The Entire Nation) Moves, Klasrum ng Pag-asa, Dolphin Loves Freedom Network, Yellow Boat Foundation, Tibuuk Lupah Sug, Peace Advocate of Zamboanga and Davies Paints.

The painting of the mural ended with a boodle fight for participants, who are surely longing for a day when they will eat together in an environment free from violence.

Guerrero says the mural depicts Filipino culture, nature and environment, nationalism and unity.

“This also portrays the full support given by the Western Mindanao Command to all peace and development activities,” he adds.

Cpt. Maria Rowena Muyuela, public information officer of the Wesmincom, was one of the soldiers who joined the painting sessions.

“I painted the Kapayapaan (peace) word. For me, this is very symbolic and a direct message that can be easily understood by thousands of people traversing the road where the mural can be viewed,” she says. “I joined the painting session not just because we are required to take part in it, but I looked at it as an opportunity to be an emissary of peace.”

Muyuela also worked behind the scenes, facilitating interviews with artists involved in the work plan and attending meetings with key players.

She says she felt a sense of joy and fulfillment being part of an effort to raise awareness on the need to work together to attain peace.

“If the participation of the young and old, people from different religions, tribes, work and even the American soldiers would be the gauge, then there is no reason we could not embark on other equally worthwhile multi-stakeholder activities,” Muyuela says.
“I am very positive that sooner or later we will achieve lasting peace.”

Guerrero, for his part, hopes that the unity among stakeholders will go beyond the peace mural. “We can achieve a lasting peace in Mindanao and the entire country as well if all of us commit to our social responsibility and move as one united nation.”

Guerrero believes “an empowered, responsible and united community” is necessary to make the images in the mural come to life.


“When everyone is focused and working on the same goal, much can be achieved,” he says.