DISTRICT I congressional aspirant Beng Climaco has cited anew the importance of inter-faith respect and understanding in creating a society rooted in values and where people peacefully coexist. Climaco, who is the incumbent vice mayor, been involved in interfaith initiatives even before she joined the City Council in 1998. She said promotion of inter-faith and cultural understanding is one of her focus, as it is about building good relations between the different faiths in a way which respects the integrity and the distinct historical tradition of each one.
While the understanding about and between people and communities of different faiths or cultural backgrounds—Christians, Muslims, Subanens and Lumads and the tri-people in Zamboanga City, is in many ways already at an acceptable level, strengthening measures should be implemented to further promote peaceful coexistence.
Climaco has a soft spot for the Muslims and tri-people specifically because of her ancestry which traces its roots from the Tirurays of Tamuntaka in Cotabato. Aside from tribal ethnicity and Muslim ancestry, Climaco is also a direct descendant of Ly, Ou and Ty from Macau, China.
"I am a product of mixed culture because of my tribal ancestry and as always thru the guidance of my late father, I continued his advocacy to always put my Arabic name in my campaign materials, as this is in a way to show the family's respect pot only to ancestry but to show that we are culturally sensitive and concerned to the Muslim community in the city," she emphasized.
Climaco is at home in Muslim dominated communities such as Mariki and Rio Hondo.
During campaign sorties and even during casual visits to these areas before, Climaco was swarmed by Samal and Tausug residents who are thankful for the peaceful intervention of the late Mayor Cesar Climaco, her uncle during conflicts of warring factions during his time.
"I like to genuinely and in all sincerity bring about promotions of better understanding among the Christians, Muslims, Lumads and tri-people by listening to them," the District 1 congressional aspirant said.
Climaco has provided programs for these communities in coordination with American forces, funded through her countryside development fund (CDF) footbridge projects and promoted close relationships has with NGO workers and the barangay officials in the area.
On the other hand, the vice mayor is a member of the Silsillah Foundation Council of Leaders, an aggrupation of different sectors of the society that conducts inter-faith dialogues and which is instrumental to the formation of youth in media for dialogue.
She has volunteered to undertake peace initiatives for youths in Mindanao through the Humanity for Peace and ACCESS programs and initiated projects for city youth leaders through the sponsorship of Silsillah Foundation, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University and other groups. (PR)
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