Unveiled in 2010, this is reported to be the first peace monument in the Philippines. It was an initiative of Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) and Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRSMP). At the dedication, one of the organizers said, “we commit to live in a new space for peace, peace within ourselves, peace among our neighbors, peace with nature & peace with our Great Provider.” The three sides of the base have mosaic representations of the three Zamboangueño cultural influences — the Moros, the Lumads, and the Castillans. The sculpture is a dove extending out as a hand, “like peace on a handshake” according to the artist, Rameer Tawasil.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said at the dedication:
Building a permanent monument to the quiet, conscientious, heroic work of peace-building and peacemaking on the ground undertaken by ordinary people from different backgrounds, faiths, and walks of life.
It is indeed wondrous and inspiring that new rituals, new symbols continue to be created to match the peace community’s fervor and commitment to achieve a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
PAZ was created in 1994 to provide an appropriate sustainable response to the violent events that were gripping Zamboanga City and Western Mindanao in the early 1990s. IRSMP is an intiative of PAZ, which is a Catholic-lead organization.
