Greetings from the City of Banners and Streamers - Marawi
From Iligan to Marawi, it usually takes an hour by van or FX (Asian utility vehicle). Passing by the towns of Balo-i, Pantar and Saguiran, you can’t help but notice banners everywhere. Politicians for early campaigning? Nope. Mostly congratulatory coming from the families of the achievers. Yes folks, banners and steamers are not an election campaign exclusive in Marawi and the rest of Lanao del Sur. It’s an everyday part of life, just like urbanites in Manila see the billboards at SLEX and EDSA. Manila-based outdoor and billboard advertisers may think of setting up a branch here, market demand here is high!
“Alhamdulillah (It’s the Arab equivalent of “Hallelujah!”) and Congratulations!” everywhere—from board passers, bar passers, Hajj delegates, weddings, birthdays, and even to coronation of the sultans-you name it and Marawi has a multitude of these banners and streamers. Before the advent of those giant billboards at EDSA, Marawi has all of these fill up Iligan-Marawi Road and most especially every nook within the city. They may even compete with Guinness Record as “The city with most number of congratulatory streamers and banners per square kilometer!” Unlike EDSA though, they are not monstrous in size, but the number of banners can easily overwhelm people who are not used to these.
Greetings can be almost anywhere in Marawi
All throughout my travels in the Bangsamoro homeland in mainland Mindanao, Marawi and Lanao del Sur are the only ones that display such culture of advertising—yet not commercial, but mostly personal greetings that emphasizes its tightly-knitted clannish culture.
Dayawan Torogan and Greetings!
Our Maranao guide explained that it is their way to exalt a status of a person or proclaim throughout the rest of the public about the person and their family or clan’s achievement. It is also noticeable that the name doesn’t stop at just the father’s family name too, but also it goes a long line of its near and distant relatives. It somehow seals their position and status in the Maranao society—something that is important or part of their culture.
For the Maranaos, expressing such way of greetings is part of their culture—a practice that has been going on, since the times of the Fourteen Sultanates of Lanao. Their penchant for art has even made it to mainstream outdoor advertising.
Greetings and Bolos Kano Lanao del Sur!
Nov
18
2011
Alhamdulillah and Congratulations Marawi! City of Banners
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by Berniemack Arellano
November 18, 2011
Greetings from the City of Banners and Streamers - Marawi
From Iligan to Marawi, it usually takes an hour by van or FX (Asian utility vehicle). Passing by the towns of Balo-i, Pantar and Saguiran, you can’t help but notice banners everywhere. Politicians for early campaigning? Nope. Mostly congratulatory coming from the families of the achievers. Yes folks, banners and steamers are not an election campaign exclusive in Marawi and the rest of Lanao del Sur. It’s an everyday part of life, just like urbanites in Manila see the billboards at SLEX and EDSA. Manila-based outdoor and billboard advertisers may think of setting up a branch here, market demand here is high!
“Alhamdulillah (It’s the Arab equivalent of “Hallelujah!”) and Congratulations!” everywhere—from board passers, bar passers, Hajj delegates, weddings, birthdays, and even to coronation of the sultans-you name it and Marawi has a multitude of these banners and streamers. Before the advent of those giant billboards at EDSA, Marawi has all of these fill up Iligan-Marawi Road and most especially every nook within the city. They may even compete with Guinness Record as “The city with most number of congratulatory streamers and banners per square kilometer!” Unlike EDSA though, they are not monstrous in size, but the number of banners can easily overwhelm people who are not used to these.
Greetings can be almost anywhere in Marawi
All throughout my travels in the Bangsamoro homeland in mainland Mindanao, Marawi and Lanao del Sur are the only ones that display such culture of advertising—yet not commercial, but mostly personal greetings that emphasizes its tightly-knitted clannish culture.
Dayawan Torogan and Greetings!
Our Maranao guide explained that it is their way to exalt a status of a person or proclaim throughout the rest of the public about the person and their family or clan’s achievement. It is also noticeable that the name doesn’t stop at just the father’s family name too, but also it goes a long line of its near and distant relatives. It somehow seals their position and status in the Maranao society—something that is important or part of their culture.
For the Maranaos, expressing such way of greetings is part of their culture—a practice that has been going on, since the times of the Fourteen Sultanates of Lanao. Their penchant for art has even made it to mainstream outdoor advertising.
Greetings and Bolos Kano Lanao del Sur!
Tags: advertising, billboards, city, culture, greetings, Lanao del Sur, Maranao, Marawi, Mindanao, outdoor ads, Philippines, tarpaulins