MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--As Wao town in Lanao del Sur province continues to be an example of how diverse cultures can coexist in one place, the municipal chief executive has echoed the town's call for unity despite its people's differences in political beliefs, race, and norms.

Municipal Mayor Elvino Balicao Jr. stated that as the word Wao stands for "We are One," everyone residing in it should live with its name to continue the progress that they have started.

"Sana tuloy-tuloy ang pakiisa ng mga kababayan ko tungo sa kaunlaran. Dapat kahit anong tribo ka na nandito, mapa-Muslim ka man, Kristyano o Nitibo, dito sa Wao ay pantay-pantay tayong lahat. Iisa lang tayo. Kaya nadevelop ang munisipyo namin dahil nagkakaisa kami," he said. 

I hope my fellow citizens will continue to strive for betterment. Whatever your tribe, whether Muslim, Christian, or Nitibo, here in Wao, we are all equal. We are all one. That is why our municipality grew as a result of our cooperation)

Balicao also said that peace and order are important things that need to be kept in a place where differences are encouraged.

He said that without peace and security, stability and development would be very hard to achieve and would just be a wish they would never be able to fulfill.

"Ang isipin natin na mayroon tayong gobyerno na sinusunod so dapat panatilihin talaga ang peace and order para tuloy-tuloy lahat," said Balicao. 

(What we must think of is that we have a government to follow, so we must really maintain peace and order so that everything will continue)

Earlier, the municipal government said that Wao town is made up of people from different tribes and religions, such as indigenous people, Maranaos, Christians, Ivatans, Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Tagalogs, and Ilonggos. Ilonggo, which makes up about 50% of the local population, is predominant in the area. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)