CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Mindanao peace advocates welcomed the arrival of the peace caravan here with a brief march and motorcade around the city Thursday.

Participants in the People’s Caravan for Peace and Solidarity were happy to finally land in Mindanao after a week-long journey that began in Baguio City and is expected to end in Cotabato City by weekend.

“I am glad to be back in Mindanao. Hopefully, what I am doing will make the situation in our place much better,” said Akmad Musa, an evacuee from Mamasapano in Maguindanao who joined the caravan.

Musa had been speaking in various public forums organized by the caravan to give a first hand account on the effects of war in his community.

“The objective of this caravan is to draw out support and raise awareness over what is happening in Mindanao, especially the impact of war on its people,” said Gus Miclat, executive director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue, one of the convenors of Duyog (Solidarity) Mindanao that launched the caravan.

Duyog Mindanao is a group seeking to call attention to the humanitarian crisis and call for the cessation of hostilities in Mindanao.

Miclat said his group decided to launch the caravan amid public opinion which appeared to be grossly apathetic to the war and ignorant of the roots of conflict in Mindanao.

“There were people who were shocked to know that over 600,000 evacuees had come from only one town in Maguindanao, that is Datu Piang. Now they realize the magnitude of the problem. The caravan brought the war to them,” Miclat said.

The caravan is also calling for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of peace negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government.

The caravan made a brief stop to greet farmers camping out at the Court of Appeals here to protest aerial spraying. Next stop was a forum at the Xavier University where Akmad and other evacuees from Maguindanao spoke before hundreds of students on the impact of war.

From Cagayan de Oro, the caravan will split into two groups. One group will proceed to Sumilao, Bukidnon to meet with the Higaonon farmers who walked from their village to Malacañang to win back their land, and drive to Davao City for a public forum. Another group will pass by Marawi City and visit the evacuation centers in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

A big peace rally and forum are expected to greet the caravan in Cotabato City when it arrives there Friday.