Marawi City: Boating, Shopping and Kilometer Zero

            Marawi City is the lesser known, obscure city of the South. It is the capital of Lanao del Sur, a province in Central Mindanao Philippines. Only a few people come to this stigmatized city due to the stigma brought about by the real and perceived peace and order situation in the province. While the fear and stigma has obscured the city from the tourism map, it has preserved the place from the pressure of tourism and the negative impacts of commercialism.

            SIGHTS TO SEE. There is the beautiful Lanao Lake that is best viewed from the vantage point among the soft rolling hills of Mindanao State University. The hills that gracefully glides down the waters of the lake is part of MSU Main grounds where students lay with their books under the trees and where visitors relax and view the scenic lake that can sometimes be mistaken as a placid sea because of its size. Visitors can stroll around the campus even at midday because the temperature is relatively cooler than the provinces surrounding the area.

            WHERE TO STAY. There is a pretty hotel located within the campus called the Marawi Resort Hotel. The hotel is actually composed of cottages. But the cottages are unique only to the place. They are built and decorated using the distinct Maranao artistry which gives a real Mindanao-Maranao feel. Inside the cottages are colorful and glittery Maranao art made of their indigenous woven fabrics and sequins lots of sequins! A colorful Maranao banig is used as a carpet. Our beds likewise have trimmings of the Maranao color and sequins that matches with the drapes on the ceiling. On the ceiling is an arrow that says “quibla” which points towards the direction of the bathroom. I thought it refers to the bathroom itself but upon further investigation it can only mean one thing. The arrow points to the Muslim worshipper the direction towards which they will pray.

            FOOD. Marawi Resort Hotel has a restaurant which is a good walk from the cottages. Walking inside the premises is a nice experience if you like walking with nature around you. There are lots of trees and flower-bearing bushes that usually cover the walkway and gives adequate protection from the sun in case it is very warm and sunny. The hotel is semi-outdoorsy type, located in the middle of a garden and overlooking a swimming pool. The menus that are served are delicious Maranao dishes. There is the yellow rice called kiyoning, which is a delicious and nutritious mix of rice, coconut milk and turmeric. There is the spicy beef called the rending, which ups the appetite to more than twice your regular intake.

            SHOPPING. You can visit their ‘padian’. Padian is their local term for a market. I suggest the women wear their scarf around their head as a sign of respect to their culture. You can buy their local handicrafts, malongs, silk clothes and other woven products in the padian. The padian is a unique cultural experience where you will observe how the Maranao’s conduct their commerce and their way of life in the market. It is easier for Tagalog-speaking visitors to interact with the Maranaos because the latter are also more comfortable with the language than the Visayan dialect, although they can also speak both in addition to the Maranao language.

            BOATING. If you have the connections you can sail around the lake to view their way of life and very distinct community perched on the perimeter of dry land and partly lying along the lakeside. Some Maranao’s are fishermen so it is not a surprise to see bancas plying along the lake. There are two islands on the lake the East Balut which is inhabited and where you will see children swimming on the water; and West Balut which houses relics of bunkers and a relic of an old mosque. There are huge tilapias as long as a feet and a half that sails with and against the boat. You can also see a spread of water lilies and their bluish flower beautifully scattered along the lake. There will be large birds preying for fishes on the lake from time to time.

            DUSK AND PRAYERS. What makes staying in Marawi unique is the periodic punctuation of the Muslim prayers that is heard all over the town from the mosque. At dusk you can stroll on top of the hills to glimpse the city and the tips of the mosques called the minarets and view the mountains as it is slowly engulfed with fogs, and finally witness the city as it folds up for a peaceful and mysterious sleep.

            KILOMETER ZERO: Marawi City and Baguio City has a lot of things in common, their topography – they are located on the mountainous portions of the region; their temperature is relatively cooler; both used to be American establishments; and both have the kilometer zero marker. The kilometer zero marker is an important landmark in Marawi City, upon which all the distances of the province in Mindanao are measured.

            HOW TO VISIT MARAWI? I suggest you come along with a person who is familiar with the terrain. Marawi City is accessible from the south through the Malabang area or the north through Iligan City. If you come from Iligan City do not forget to buy your share of marangs that are sold along the streets going to the city. You will know you have reached the area by the number of banners, huge and small celebrating the victories and graduations of the Maranao clan.