MAASIM, Sarangani – Thousands of people from various sectors and local government units kicked off Thursday the festivities for the 37th Foundation Anniversary and 2nd Kestebeng Festival in Maasim with a five-kilometer Walk for Peace.

Two groups assembled in the opposite barangays of Malbang and Kablacan as starting points and later converged at the municipal hall in poblacion.

View photos of anti-Charter change rally from around the country
For minute updates follow Sun.Star on Twitter

Governor Miguel Dominguez, along with Lieutenant Colonel Edgardo de Leon, battalion commander of the 73rd Infantry Battalion (IB), and heads of the different departments from the provincial Capitol joined the group from Malbang, while Mayor Aniceto Lopez led the group from Kablacan.

Walk for Peace, organized by the 73rd IB stationed in Maasim, is a symbolic event to show the "unity of the tri-people, not only of Maasim, but of Sarangani," said De Leon.

"Ang mensahe kasi natin dito pagkatapos ng mga hindi magagandang pangyayari, gusto natin ipakita ang mga tao ng Maasim, kahit dito nangyari ang kaguluhan, ay nangunguna sa pagtataguyod ng pagmamahalan at kapayapaan. (The message we are trying to impart is even though there have been many problems in this area, the people in Maasim are
still promoting love and peace)," De Leon added.

Walk for Peace opened the town's festivities which highlighted the ground-breaking ceremony for a Peace Monument.

The monument expected to be inaugurated next year would serve as a venue for a yearly peace covenant of the tri-people. A time capsule which contained the names of the people who attended the Walk for Peace was lowered in the area.

The Kestebeng Festival is an annual event that showcases the continuing advocacy for peace endeavors contributed by individuals and organizations. It also serves as a commemorative celebration of the achievement of peace for future generations.

Kestebeng is a B’laan word for unity or peace which is the theme of this yearly event.