Wednesday, October 10, 2007 Filipino Muslims turn lights on for 'Night of Power' By Bong Garcia
SOME 12,000 Filipino Muslim households in seven Mindanao provinces joined the 2nd Light Festival last Monday evening by simultaneously turning on their lights for the observance of Lailatul Qadar or the Night of Power.
Lailatul Qadar is one of the holiest and blessed nights among Muslims, occurring in one of the peculiar nights on the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Those who joined the event that was aimed to foster awareness of the value of light to peace and progress in Mindanao, are from the provinces of Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga.
"This is why we are calling this event the Light Festival. On that night, our communities celebrate all together the coming of light. And just as they believe that on this night, they will receive blessings when the light comes on, the onset of electricity in their villages has rekindled their hopes for development," said Techi Cruz-Capellan, of the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (Amore).
"More than rekindling their hopes, however, electricity has lit up their passion for self-help and self-determination," she added.
Capellan said the event dramatically showcased the growing commitment to peace and unity among the Muslims with Amore's continuing electrification of the region, the least electrified in the country.
Capellan said the simultaneous switching on of lights highlighted the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's (Armm) growing equity with other regions in terms of electrification.
"Thousands of lives were changed in Mindanao. The solar electricity and water provided by Amore to poor Filipino Muslims are important to their spiritual activity, like this month of Ramadan," Capellan said.
She added: "Since we started the program in 2002, we have noticed that people who benefited from the project have a deeper sense of ownership of their own ventures."
Villagers in Kulimpang, Buldon, Maguindanao, a former war-torn lair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), are now enjoying the benefits of light and electricity in their homes.
Capellan said that in 2006, at least 80 households in Kulimpang had been lit up through the Amore program.
A school in the village also benefited from the solar power and with educational tools from ABS-CBN's E-media Today, the community feels a sense of security when they have lights on during their evening community gatherings.
United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney, whose country is responsible for the Amore program, said at least 400 remote villages in Armm have been electrified since United States began the Amore program.
"We hope to add light to a hundred more barangays. As light ushers in enlightenment and blessings during Lailatul Qadar, the American people will continue to work with you to bring light to remote communities, to assure peace and development," Kenney told the Filipino Muslims in the region.
