LET the healing begin.

Peace advocates, civil society organizations, and communities across the Philippines commemorated the National Day of Healing for Truth, Justice, and Peace on March 6, 2015. The activity also falls on the 40th day since the Mamasapano tragedy on January 25, 2015, which killed at least 67 Filipinos.

Here in Metro Manila, more than 25 networks of civil society organizations gathered at the World Peace Bell in Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The atmosphere was festive in the morning as different activities were held, including soil painting, clay sculpture, and singing of traditional songs, among others. Several national figures joined the event and expressed their solidarity with the peace advocates.

In the afternoon, All Out Peace Campaign convenors led an interfaith peace rally.

“We feel there is that need now — right after the Mamasapano tragedy— that the general discourse of the land especially spewed by media, both social and mainstream, is the demonization of the Moro people,” Gus Miclat, executive director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and convenor of the All Out Peace Campaign told PCIJ.

Last week, separate resolutions were filed in Congress declaring March 6, 2015 as a National Day of Healing for Truth, Justice, and Peace “to remember those who perished in Mamasapano as well as the thousands of lives lost from decades of armed conflict.”

According to the Senate Resolution 1204, the Mamasapano tragedy has “likewise caused a national divide threatening to polarize the country and its peace-loving peoples, with some sections issuing condemnation, hasty judgement and espousing bloody retaliation.”

For its part, the Lower House’s version—House Resolution 1952—stressed the urgent need to “pause and re-asses” the common aspirations of the people to bring solutions to the country’s problems.

“Let us never give up on our quest for peace. The road to peace could sometimes by bumpy and painful, but peace is not impossible,” the House Resolution reads in part.

Here are the sights and sounds during the activity in this video short by PCIJ deputy multimedia producer Cong B. Corrales

LET the healing begin.

Peace advocates, civil society organizations, and communities across the Philippines commemorated the National Day of Healing for Truth, Justice, and Peace on March 6, 2015. The activity also falls on the 40th day since the Mamasapano tragedy on January 25, 2015, which killed at least 67 Filipinos.

Here in Metro Manila, more than 25 networks of civil society organizations gathered at the World Peace Bell in Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The atmosphere was festive in the morning as different activities were held, including soil painting, clay sculpture, and singing of traditional songs, among others. Several national figures joined the event and expressed their solidarity with the peace advocates.

In the afternoon, All Out Peace Campaign convenors led an interfaith peace rally.

“We feel there is that need now — right after the Mamasapano tragedy— that the general discourse of the land especially spewed by media, both social and mainstream, is the demonization of the Moro people,” Gus Miclat, executive director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and convenor of the All Out Peace Campaign told PCIJ.

Last week, separate resolutions were filed in Congress declaring March 6, 2015 as a National Day of Healing for Truth, Justice, and Peace “to remember those who perished in Mamasapano as well as the thousands of lives lost from decades of armed conflict.”

According to the Senate Resolution 1204, the Mamasapano tragedy has “likewise caused a national divide threatening to polarize the country and its peace-loving peoples, with some sections issuing condemnation, hasty judgement and espousing bloody retaliation.”

For its part, the Lower House’s version—House Resolution 1952—stressed the urgent need to “pause and re-asses” the common aspirations of the people to bring solutions to the country’s problems.

“Let us never give up on our quest for peace. The road to peace could sometimes by bumpy and painful, but peace is not impossible,” the House Resolution reads in part.

Here are the sights and sounds during the activity in this video short by PCIJ deputy multimedia producer Cong B. Corrales