Nearly every day for the past two months, the Philippine military has pounded the

lakeside town of Marawi with rockets and bombs as it tries to wipe out militants linked to

the Islamic State group in some of the most protracted urban combat to hit this volatile

region in decades (Frantzman, 2017).

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Maute combatants are still dug

in deep in Marawi City. Hundreds of lives have been sacrificed and fear has been

ignited in the minds of every Filipino. Watching a city crumble is a pain to see. In a

matter of days, the Marawi crisis would be finally over and the city will have its new

beginning and bounce back again to the glorious place it once was.

Once enemies were the Christians and Muslims in Mindanao. Theyve been

fighting for supremacy for almost 50 years. But now, Christians and Muslims are helping

and saving each other from the onslaught of this new war. Filipinos understood that to

eliminate this vicious threat, they must work as one.

The cooperation and camaraderie shines as dust clears on the skies of Marawi

City. Not only in fighting where the cooperation and camaraderie can be seen. In the

evacuation centers in the safe zone areas, Christians and Muslims are helping each

other to recover from this ferocious peril. The rehabilitation of the city may take a while

but the people has their head held high and confident that they can recuperate from this

ruthless siege with the help of our government and several charitable institutions.

The crisis in Marawi will have implications in the short term and the long term.

The repercussions of this brutal siege will be felt for years and all over the country. It

affected different sectors and industries. Despite all the damaging effects that the crisis

brought our country, it also had a positive impact that will help our country for the better.

The declaration of Martial law sent shockwaves in the whole country. Martial law

will not solve this recurring and resurgent war and conflict in Muslim Mindanao. It will

only be the learning, awakening and resolve of the Mindanao Muslim population to push
past their unending and fragmented clan politics, the contest for political power and

wealth tramps every other institutional form of arbitration and mediation (Secson, 2017).

As government prepares for the end game, it has also acquired a better view of

the conflict. It now looks like the fighting is not just a response to the attempt by the

military to arrest militant leader Isnilon Hapilon, as earlier claimed, but is a product of

long-drawn planning and preparation. The theory that the siege is an attempt by

militants to seize a territory in Mindanao and build a caliphate has been given credence.

The number of militants involved, the resources and logistics they possessed and

the competence with which they followed their strategy means what they did was not

knee-jerk. No wonder the military found them a hard nut to crack.

But what happened can be beneficial for the Duterte administration and the

government armed forces in that lessons can be learned that would improve their

capability to deal with militants in the future. For example, this is the first time that the

military has been forced to engage in urban warfare with an enemy seemingly well-

versed in it because of their Middle East training.

The high number of military and police casualties showed the government forces

inexperience in this kind of fighting that is being done block by city block, house by

house and even floor by floor. Most of the soldiers sent to Marawi City were trained in

jungle warfare and some have experience battling enemies in that arena. But not with

the way the militants battled in Marawi.

In a way, while the militants did gain prominence in the Marawi siege enough for

them to get global attention, it also could be its undoing. With the experience

government forces gained in Marawi, the way they will battle militants the next time

around would be different (Alberto, 2017).

The violence in Mindanao and the declaration of martial law brought about by the

clash between government forces and the Maute Group in Marawi City will certainly
have a negative impact on the tourism industry. Even if the terror-stricken area is just in

one part of the country, tourists will still view it as the entire Philippines.

The continuing imposition of martial law on the island could scare away potential

tourists, and that perception is its biggest concern right now especially among those

who have yet to visit the country. The mere mention of martial law can scare tourists

away.

Instead of visiting the Philippines, the tourists may find alternatives because of

the ensuing chaos. The sad part is that the alternatives might be a better tourist

destination than the Philippines even without the countrys current peace and order

problems. Countries are now starting to advise their citizens against travelling in the

Mindanao. This is seen to worsen the decline that is already being experienced by the

tourism industry.

Theres no other way to solve this dilemma but for government authorities to

eliminate the terror threats in Mindanao. The crisis in Marawi should end soon and

martial law must be lifted if the Philippines tourism sector is to recover. No amount of

public relations can paper over the protracted fighting between the Philippine military

and the Maute extremists. The only thing the government can do is to solve the problem

as fast as possible. They must assure the people that the threat in Mindanao has been

eradicated. They must restore confidence among the tourists and everybody else that

peace and stability has been restored in Mindanao (Bunachita, 2017).

The Marawi crisis had taught the Filipinos lessons on how to cope up with

different kinds of adversities. The impact that it brought our country is tremendous. The

impact will be felt in the whole country for a couple of years. It changed the vision of the

government in dealing with various terrorist groups. It affected hundreds of thousands of

lives in the Marawi City. The Marawi crisis will be remembered as a traumatic

occurrence that will never be forgotten. The Filipinos are very optimistic and have such

strong character to endure this kind of cold-blooded threats. The Filipinos are hoping for

the best and preparing for the worst.

 Bibliography

Alberto, R. (2017, June 30). Lessons from Marawi Siege. Retrieved from

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2017/06/30/editorial-lessons-marawi-

siege-550472

Bunachita, J. (2017, May 28). Mindanao violence to hurt tourism, says Cebu City exec.

Retrieved from http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/134633/mindanao-violence-hurt-

tourism-says-cebu-city-exec

Frantzman, S (2017, June 11). The Fight for Marawi, and a Painful Window on War.

Retrieved from https://www.voanews.com/a/marawi-philippines-painful-

war/3895615.html

Secson, J. (2017, June 8). The war in Marawi and martial law in Mindanao. Retrieved

from http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/the-war-in-marawi-and-martial-law-in-

mindanao/
 Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science

A. Pablo St., Malinta, Valenzuela City

The Implications of The Marawi Crisis in the Philippines

Jayson Maverick F. Mauricio

12-Locke