Have you ever been to Mindanao? Well, I just did and I am very grateful to experience how it is in this part of our country, Philippines.
Other parts in the Philippines excluding Mindanao might have wondered and were even reacting violently to Mindanao's current situation which is under Martial Law. It has been declared by our current Philippine President (Rodrigo Duterte) since May 23, 2017, up until now.
I had the opportunity to travel in Mindanao last December 27, 2017 to January 4, 2018. It was my first time to set foot in this place where I spent my Post-Christmas Vacation and New Year. I visited Zamboanga del Norte specifically in Dapitan and Dipolog, and also visited Zamboanga City too after a few days. In Dapitan and Dipolog, there were no militaries roaming around and also no checkpoints. You will just experience almost the same rural to a suburban range of atmosphere like the other parts of Philippine provinces.
After spending a few days in Zamboanga del Norte, we traveled more or less than ten hours riding a bus heading to Zamboanga City. Yes, I repeat, more or less than ten hours because of certain bus stops where the driver and commuters had to get a chance to go to the restroom or buy some snacks. In their bus stations, there were policemen and military men on the watch while assisting people lining up for their turn to ride the bus. On central high-ways, there were some checkpoints which sometimes the military men would go up inside the bus and ask for your I.D. According to the local citizens, if you can’t present an I.D., you have to undergo pictorials for their own records.
When we arrived in Zamboanga City, it was around ten in the evening but it felt like it's already midnight because the mini-stores were already closed, very few people still awake, and very few vehicles running too. The next day, my friends showed me around some few places. There, I saw more checkpoints in few areas in the city. Some lanes are divided into two: one lane for private vehicles and another lane for public vehicles. The military men won't always require you to stop and present your I.D. though it’s necessary to bring it always in case they will as you won’t have any idea when unless you want to have free pictorials and a little chitchat with the assigned military men ;)
I was amazed when I get to see some of the crowded places or most visited places in the city like Paseo del Mar: it's like a Manila Bay or a Park by the sea with a few small to medium-sized restaurants, and Fort Pilar where you can attend a mass, say a little prayer or light a candle. Nearby, you can also do bird feeding which I obviously enjoyed doing. (See the first photo below). And what a beauty to see, their City Hall building designed with colorful Christmas lights (see the second photo below). And hey! there were bomb squads on standby and other armed forces of the Philippines roaming around.
Lastly, in my own opinion, there’s nothing wrong with the Martial Law in Mindanao but I understand that some people are against it especially to those who experienced the Martial Law declared by our late Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos during his term. The kind of Martial Law that I experienced in Mindanao was kind of terrifying particularly seeing some military men around but in some way it made me felt secure as well. Yes, their presence might not guarantee my safety but at least they could give an immediate action whenever there would be an attack.
Sharing lots of love and peace to you,
kheralei/ Lei Travels