Esau and Jacob

Arnold Garbanzos

ILIGAN City–Marawi and Iligan are basically twins. Marawi is Esau; Iligan is Jacob.

We all know the biblical perspective.  Esau was born first, then came Jacob.  Legally speaking, Esau is the elder, Jacob the younger. The birthright blessings therefore belong to Esau and not to Jacob. In the same manner, the birthright blessings of the lake belongs to Marawi, and not really Iligan.

In the Bible/Torah however Esau despised his birthright to the extent that he “sold” it to Jacob for a mere porridge or lugaw. Jacob fought for that birthright–to the extent that he even deceived his own father, Isaac,  in connivance with his mother.

In the Torah or Bible, it is mentioned that “God hateth Esau and loved Jacob” for the very simple reason that  Esau did not like what God gave him while Jacob fought for what was not legally his just to get God’s blessings. Esau was complacent, Jacob was not–as a matter of fact, Jacob schemed and fought his way through just to get those blessings.

That is the biblical perspective.

Let us now look today at Marawi and Iligan, and our current situation.  It is true that Marawi is Esau–being the elder and Iligan is Jacob being the younger (for those who do not know our history, the Islamic City of Marawi was born in 1940 while Iligan was born in 1950). But noticed how Marawi and the Maranaos are fervently fighting for their birthright through the organization of federal movements within the ambit of their territorial jurisdiction while Iligan and the Iliganons are just content with eating “lugaw” or porridge daily.  There is no federal movement in Iligan being organized. Nor is there any serious endeavor to join hands with Marawi towards this direction.

This complacency can be seen in what is happening in Iligan today.  This can be seen from the fact that Iligan has allowed the sale of NSC to the private sector with barely a whimper of protest from its people.  Iligan has allowed the Epira to happen when it should have protested vehemently since it will be losing its No. 1 advantage as a city. We have been losing industries like San Miguel Ilicoco, RCP, Azkon Metals, Summa Alta Tierra, etc., with barely a shout of protest or semblance of complain. It is as if losing an industry is a simple matter. It is not.

If there is a move for federalism in Iligan today, all is done for the sake of politics. All for a show. No serious signature campaign. No barangay to barangay visits. No leaflets, no handouts.  No serious thought as to how the move can change the destiny of this city.

In effect, we have a situation today when the role of Esau and Jacob have been reversed. Esau (Marawi) is fighting for its birthright through federalism via the BBL while Iligan settles for the porridge, not making a serious move for federalism and not siding with its brother Marawi in a common economic struggle to rise and be at par with the best cities and provinces in the country. It is in direct contradiction of the biblical perspective.

Today, it is Marawi fighting for its birthright with federalism through the BBL while Iligan is not making a move towards this direction even knowing that it is its greatest advantage as a city–making it the richest in the country once made a reality.

If there is a city today which should be siding with Marawi on a common endeavor, it should be Iligan.  Iligan must realize that there is a synergy between it and its sister city. One is symbiotically related to each other in many ways. Unless it does, the full benefit of the lake, the Agus River and the Maria Cristina Falls will never be a reality for both.

What will it take to make Iligan realize that federalism is the key to its meteoric rise as a city? What will it take to make Iligan realize that it too must fight for federalism with much fervor and zeal just like its Muslim brothers in Marawi? What will it take to make Iligan realize that Marawi is moving towards the right direction while it is not? What will it take to make a Christian City like Iligan support a Muslim City like Marawi in its federalist endeavor?

So today we have a Marawi that is fighting tooth and nail for federalism while Iligan is complacent and uncaring at all about this matter.  How can Iligan rise and be the “Israel” that God wants and declare “that I will not let You go unless You bless me”?

What drastic and dramatic move will God do to make Iligan change its heart over the entire matter?  Unless Iligan fights with Marawi for its combined birthright nothing will happen to both–it will forever be eating “lugaw” while its neighbors are rising fast like Cagayan de Oro and Butuan.

This has always been the struggle of  Lanao as a combined province since the 1920s and the 1930s.  This is what Senator Tomas L. Cabili saw when he did not sign the 1935 Constitution.  We, combined, must take federalism as our No. 1 endeavor, and struggle always.  If one of us moves towards an opposite direction, nothing will happen to both-since we are literally twin cities.

What happens to one affects the other. Both Iligan and Marawi must realize that. More so for Iligan since all the blessings of the lake and its waters  falls on its side.

Iligan must realize that the denial of the rights of the Muslim minority in Marawi is equally a denial of its own rights as a city. Look at our city now. It is true that infrastructures and investments are coming in from the private sector but look at our city’s services.  Water is not reaching the tap of almost 40 percent of our residents. It is true even in Barangay Pala-o, the seat of the city government. Look at our city hospital and see the lacking services which we, Iliganons, direly need.  Look at our power and electricity bills and see how high they have skyrocketed despite the fact that we are the “battery of Mindanao” and should have the cheapest rates.  Look at our industries. We lost NSC, RCP, Summa Alta Tierra and San Miguel-Ilicoco. We do not have a BPO industry despite the presence of many multi-talented youth in our area.  We do not have a tourist industry.  We have not even developed our water industry which by itself is a multi-billion dollar industry.

What kind of “Peniel experience” will God give to Iligan to transform it from being a complacent, lugaw-eating city to a fighting “Israel of God” in order to help its own fighting and struggling brother, Marawi?

Perhaps this war in Marawi is the start of the process over the entire matter. Anything that happens to Iligan in the next few months is a move that only the Almighty God/Allah can make.  Iligan today is in the hands of God and will move according to His compass and direction. Iligan must have a change of  heart as a city, and only God can do it.  No man can change a heart, only God can do it. How He does it for Iligan collectively as a city is something which I want to see in the next few months.  His timetable is always on the dot and always on time. He knows all things and works all things for His glory alone. And no man or force in the entire Universe can stop it. Truly, our God is Great and an Awesome God. May He move the heart of Iligan and change it for the better.

Always remember that it was not Esau who bowed down to his brother. It was Jacob who bowed down before Esau seven times to show his remorse and change of heart.

May Iligan realize its great role in our country today.  A Christian city supporting a Muslim city is great news for a nation that has long been denied the rights of its minority (by not listening to its pleas.) This has always been the struggle of Lanao.

May we realize that we are twin cities and provinces. What affects one, will always affect the other. May Iligan have a change of heart and together with its brother, Marawi, fight for its legal birthright and become a city state and unleash its full potential under a federal government.

May we not repeat the errors of the making of the 1935 Constitution where Lanao stood alone but was right against 221 delegates who agreed to a Unitary government but were all wrong.

May God/Allah restore the biblical perspective and change the hearts of both Iligan and Marawi for the better.  Let us fight for federalism together.

God bless Iligan. God bless Marawi.