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Saguira, 28 years old, is a Maranao who used to live in Marawi. Her family no longer grew up there because they think it is safer here in Manila. According to Saguira, their community was deeply affected by the Moro conflict with the Philippine government. She couldn’t return home because their houses were destroyed by bombs. The fear of being hit by a bomb prevented them from harvesting their crops, and they couldn’t even care for their pets due to the risk of stray bullets. As a result, some of her Moro brothers have had to migrate to Manila just to make a living. So, they decided to stay in the community of Rizal because it is said to be quiet, and there will be income if they find a way to eat.
The arrival of Islam in the southern Philippines was influenced by international maritime trade routes connecting regions from North Africa to China, with Muslim influence beginning around the 8th century. Although Muslim trade with China faced interruptions by the late 9th century, it resumed a century later, with Kalah in the Malay Peninsula emerging as a key gateway for Muslim merchants, including Arabs, Persians, and possibly Indians. By the 10th century, Muslim traders were familiar with Borneo, Sulu, and Mindanao, with evidence of Muslim presence in Sulu by the late 13th century and in Mindanao by the 14th and 15th centuries.