By: Ayunan G. Gunting
Vowing to preserve Maranao culture, Former Pantao Ragat mayor and Bai a Labi of Timbab, Butig, Lanao del Sur Eleanor Dimaporo Lantud sees the creation of a local museum as her personal love letter to the Maranao people.
Never strayed from her political sensibilities, Lantud sees the museum project as a way to memorialize their Maranao roots while gradually enticing tourists back to Lanao del Norte after years of lockdowns.
“Isa yan sa mga plano ko at unti unti nagcocollect na ako ngayon ng ng muslim arti crafts, para ilagay doon,” she said.
Standing as one of her principal undertakings as the honorary princess, she reassures the Maranao people that they are working diligently to find the ideal site in Pantao Ragat for the museum, and it’s just a matter of time before the construction begins.
According to Dimaporo-Lantud, the historical institution will serve as an enduring emblem that reminds and inspires the Maranao people of their struggle and triumph throughout history until today.
“Gusto ko talagang sa apo ko at sa mga apo ng apo ko na makita nila ang culture natin,” she said, highlighting how intimate the project is to her.
The museum is her response to President Bongbong Marcos’s current effort to revive the country’s tourism and culture and reopen the doors to tourists and investors.
As Bai a Labi of Timbab, Dimaporo-Lantud is one of the 28 sultanates preserving the Maranao royalty that had helped local government units in Mindanao safeguard peace and security.
As royalty runs in their blood, her son, Mohammad Daud Nabil ‘Ayran’ Dimaporo-Lantud, is the youngest Sultan in Cabasagan, Pantao Ragat, Lanao del Norte. At the same time, her daughter, Fatimah, is Bai a Labi of Bayabao, Ditsaan-Ramain, Lanao del Sur.
