What comes to your minds if you hear the word, "Mindanao?"

I grew up there so I think of it as home. I have been around Mindanao and I do know that only a small part of Mindanao is unsafe and for the most part it is beautiful and unspoiled. But even when I go around, I make sure that I have a local with me because I have experienced being harassed many times just because I am an unfamiliar face. So I guess it is also partly their fault for not being welcoming to outsiders.

Mindanao has always been regarded as an island "out there"...primitive, a jungle, and now a place for terrorism. I remember when I studied in Manila and my classmates learned I was from Mindanao, they would look at me waringly regarded me as tough, war-loving (with an invisible war paint on my face) and "from the" (a term used for those who come from provinces--rough and uncouth.) How wrong they were and are. Their loss really for Mindanao is a beautiful place with many interesting places to go, just like any other place in the country. People here are warm and friendly, just like people in any other place in the country. We have the same problems, the same joys differing only in regional characteristics. I would rather be in Mindanao than in any other place. You are right that media may have a lot to do with this. There are more violent media content of Mindanao than benevolent ones. Sigh! Nice, though, elsmarie that you speak nice of Midnanao. Cheers!

Sad to say, the word Mindanao is already given negative conotation. That's because of the many incidents bad for our national security. If take a close look at the topography of Mindanao, it is a very nice place to live in.

hi, when i heard the word Mindanao, the first impression for me is terror and no freedom.because i always heard some very bad news like killing, bombing, fighting. i cant live in this place because i know it could only ruin my life and living. and even my future because of those selfish people.

Mindanao is the land of promise. It's just that differences in religion cause people to be divided. Mindanao could be a very nice and productive place if both Muslims and Christians can just live in harmony but there's always distrust, and this distrust is the cause why people are pulling each other down just like crabs in a basket instead of pushing each other up to achieve unity and development and there are people are people who take advantage of the situation to further their own gains.

Mindanao has been tag as a place of despair and grief because of the never ending war. A war instigated by the belief of same and the selfishness of other. Since the birth of the republic the conflict still continues because of reason that has loss its meaning through time. I know one day Mindanao will see the light that it has lost. We are FILIPINOS we are not just from LUZON, VISAYAS, and MINDANAO but is ONE NATION under ONE BANNER. Mindanao will raise with its brothers in Luzon and Visayas. We shall be a nation of great strength.

Well when I hear the word Mindanao, I think of Davao. Of course I have to admit I also think of Abu Sayaff and the Ampatuans. But you are right Mindanao should not be labeled nagatively. Mindanao is a beautiful place, too bad some people only see the bad things and not the good

Media hasn't been fair to a lot of places, not only Mindanao. But sometimes you can't blame people from having the impression that Mindanao isn't that safe and that it is very much prone to war. Personally, I think this negative impression had also something to do with some groups there wanting to disassociate themselves to our Republic. There are groups fighting for a separate state. The Maguindanao Massacre and other similar acts of violence in the past only exacerbated the situation. True, it is also prevalent even in Luzon, but not in those magnitude. There are also the kidnapping and killing of Christians there, including Catholic priests, which rarely happens, if at all it does, in the other parts of the country. But don't get me wrong, but I love Mindanao. I've been there a lot of times even in the Muslim dominated provinces. I'm Catholic, by the way. My cousins live there and so do a lot of my friends. But as long as political dynasties and the people advocating a separate state exist, Mindanao's beauty will remain stained, which is very sad.

I haven't been to Mindanao so I really have no concrete image of the place except for the stories I hear about it, mostly from the news. But many things come to mind whenever I hear about Mindanao. Honestly, the Muslims and the Abu Sayyaf top the list. My cousin is in Zamboanga as a soldier sentinel... He had related to me some grim stories of bloody deaths from encounters with the bandits... But of course there is more to Mindanao than terror. A friend told me that you could purchase a bucket of fresh fish for only five pesos...and the fruits are a bounty, and the waters are so soothing, as calm as the vintas that sail the distant seas... I allowed my daughter to have a peek, and she came back with stories of how simple life is in Mindanao, the people so courteous, friendly and quite helpful. The barracks where the soldiers camp out are clean and habitable... Mindanao... I do hope the image changes, after all, there are universities there, good repositories of art and culture, new malls where people are updated with the times, and even retreat chapels...

Hello ElseMarie, Mindanao is a Lost Paradise to me, if only the moslems would realize that. instead of being in an armed conflict trying to take Mindanao as a whole, why can't they just do business instead and explore the possibility of investment and entrepreneurship. I can tell you, we will have more money, resources (specially renewable) and more jobs if they consider capitalism in that Island.I have seen a lot of Moslem Entrepreneurs here, not as innovating but they're doing a nice livelihood. something that should be done more in mindanao. LIke is said before, It should be agriculture and entrepreneurship that should stabilize the region. to hell with Foreign Media and Foreign Investments that leads to destruction of nature. am sure if those in mindanao worked even harder together they can achieve it.

Yes, that how many Filipinos perceived Mindanao. Many students in many parts of the country know Mindanao as a zone war part of the country which is very incorrect cause it's one of the most peaceful place I've been except those isolated cases. It's beautiful and the people are so warm!

when I hear the word 'mindanao', two things come to my mind - needless fighting and a serene place where many stereotypes are attached to. I haven't been to that part of the country but my parents once lived there due to their work when they were raising my older sibling. They often tell me good memories of their stay and how different it was compared to now. I know there is an 'media image' of Mindanao and the Mindanao of my parents. Even though the years have passed, I hope that the good things that made Mindanao memorable and good to my parents are still there and not yet ravished by war.

Frankly, when I hear the word Mindanao what crosses my mind is all about war and terrorism not because of media or the scenes I watch in the television but due to my (our) very conclusive and presumptuous mind. Well, that's how people think naturally. We tend to conclude or generalize things out of a single or isolated incident. Let's leave media out of this as we are all responsible for how we perceive things. What they do is just deliver the news for us to be aware what is happening around us. I haven't seen any report pointing the entire region as a center for terrorism, in fact there were some documentaries that features that beauty of Mindanao. Now, I think differently when I hear the word.

Mindanao = War. This equation was exaggerated by the sensationalist media. You will notice that our media is keen in covering bad news like the bombing, war, terorrism but ignore the other side of the news like the progress of the provinces in Mindanao, the beautiful spots and the nice people. Because of the sensationalist media, people just think that all of Mindanao is a war zone. I already went to Mindanao, specifically Davao and I also have friends in other parts of Mindanao and many of them says that their place is OK. If I was given a chance, I will visit Mindanao again.

MINDANAO is actually a beautiful place. I dont know why is it that that is the first empression of most people who hear about mindanao. Its up to them but me i am proud of being a MINDANAOIN..

The media has hyped the Mindanao Muslim issues too much, that you are right, sometimes Mindanao is regarded as a war zone. Honestly, I was one of those who thought that all of Mindanao is a freaking war zone. WAS is the operative word. When I traveled to Mindanao for some vacation, I was like, OMG, this is paradise. So many beautiful places. Such nice people. Yes there are some places in Mindanao which are still scary even to me. But I don't think you can blame the people for thinking that way. The media reports what it has to report, only sometimes it's becoming too much. Lots of killings, kidnappings, etc. But if people would only see the beauty of Mindanao, one will be filled with awe. I myself have proven the place wrong. Right now, when I hear the word Mindanao, I think of beauty. And that is with all honesty.

Here in Muslim world, we call it land of promise. I will be there next year in Marawi City. God Willing!