There was a lot of excitement and energy as the Hugpong program rolled out its sports for peace activity.  One can feel it and see it from all the boys and girls of Amai Pakpak CES, Bae Inomba Blo Bacarat CES, Abdulazis ES and Sultan Conding ES who participated in the activity.  It was their first time to learn how to play soccer.  We provided them with footballs, and with green and orange reflectorized sports vests.  They excitedly donned their colourful sports vests as soon as the coaches signalled the start of their training activity.  We were lucky to have professional football coaches, 2 of whom coach the national football team popularly-known as Philippine Azkals, who volunteered to teach soccer to the children.  Much appreciation goes to Valenzuela City Councilor Rovin Feliciano who heads the sports program in his city, for helping us bring the coaches to Marawi City.  

Doing sports is a good and proven way to teach about values to children.  Councilor Feliciano started the activity by talking to the children about the value of sportsmanship.  Because soccer is a game, the children could become competitive but they should remember that there are rules of the game and one must play with fairness and with respect for the other team.  It is also important to have team spirit and discipline.  One team may win and another may lose, but winning or losing should be an inspiration to players to even become better. 

In the actual training, the students were grouped into smaller groups and Coach Mark and the other coaches trained each group on the basics of soccer.    They practiced running while holding the hands of their team mates and forming a human chain.  This way, they learned to move as a team.  After much running, Coach  Mark introduced footwork.  They learned   ball   dribbling,  passing, receiving, shooting and  topping  using  foot.     Each  student did  as many ball touches  as  possible  to practice  his/ her  legs  and  feet.  

The students experienced playing an actual game.  The coaches gave final  reminders  to the children on  their  goal, their positions and the  do’s and don’ts.  From the blowing of the whistle to signal the start of the game until its end, there were a lot of running, foot dribbling, shouting and laughter.  The school children watching around were  cheering for their friends  and classmates.  

It was a well-spent day as the dust had finally settled in the school’s outdoor gymnasium.

A seagull, the lapay is a common sight in coastal  areas.  Lapays seem to wait to welcome the fishermen when they arrive with their catch.  Lola Felisa Tupas of Bantigue town in Masbate  was so captivated by the lapays’  graceful movements that she and the fisher folks choreographed a dance that imitated the birds’  movements.  The dance mimicked the fluid flapping of the birds’  wings, their graceful swoop  to kiss the sparkling waves and  their playful  frolicking by the coastline.    Their lapay  dance seemed an engaging portrait of the community’s simple but happy way of life.     

The lapay dance, now recognized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines as onf of the official folk dances of the country,  was brought to Marawi when the USAID Hugpong program and Synergeia rolled out its dance for peace activity.   Members of the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Dance Troupe of the PICC came to teach the children of Marawi the lapay dance.  Five dance  workshops  were  held last December at the Lanao Provincial Capitol, in Matampay ES, Poona Marantao Primary School, Sikap ES and Angoyao ES for 1,005 students.   

The children learned the basic lapay dance steps.   First was   “lupad”  where  arms fluttered in a   graceful fashion as  in  flapping  of wings.   Then  the “tuka”  which is  a pecking motion with back bent moving forward and backward.   Next  is the “kumintang” which entails  rotating  of  hands and wrist while  turning  and  twirling.   Other  steps  required  moving   sideways, forward and backward, stomping,  jumping and  gliding.   

At the start of the workshop, the children  were  quite reserved  with their  movements.  They were not familiar with the dance because it is not of Maranao origin.   But as they learned the steps, they started to enjoy the dance.  They became more expressive with their movements and their steps followed the fast beat of the music.  They were quick to memorize the sequence of the dance steps.  They seemed to be dancing as free as a bird – flapping  wings,   flying forward, backward and sideways,  bending, stomping,  gliding,  jumping,  twirling and turning.   When they learned the entire dance, they became very happy and excited.  They embraced their classmates and smiled at their teachers.

The dance workshops were a joyful learning and bonding experience for the Marawi children.  Dance is truly an effective instrument for healing and for peace. 

Through the USAID’s Hugpong program, we held the first Marawi Children Art Exhibit last December 11, 2019 at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol Building.  We exhibited the art works of children from the healing and art workshops held over the past year. 

The children created art to express what is in their hearts.  It helped in their journey towards healing.  They drew about their longing for peace, their love for country and for their family, their dreams, their favorite things.   It was now time to open their hearts and share their drawings with their teachers, their parents, their friends.   The hall became festive as beautiful, colourful drawings of children were pasted on dividers, clipped on makeshift easels, hanged on strings and spread on tables all around the hall. 

The occasion was graced by the Lanao Vice Governor, the Board Member and Head of the Education Committee of the Provincial Sanggunian, the DepEd Superintendent and her Assistant Superintendent who cut the ribbon to open the exhibit.  The guests went around the hall to view the art works, including children who looked for the drawings of their classmates.    

Select students explained their drawings in front of the audience.  The student from Caloocan ES said “Nakikiisa ako sa paggawa ng kapayapaan, paggalang sa kapwa tao at pagsunod sa batas.”  The student from Amai Pakpak said “Ang turo sa Islam ay magmahalan at magkaisa.  Hindi tayo dapat mawalan ng pag-asa.  Tayo ay babangon, parang magkapamilya.”   Peace and hope – – this was a recurring theme of their drawings, a common longing in the hearts of Marawi children.