A coffee table book and a photo exhibit were unveiled Tuesday, August 26, in Iligan City to honor those who went missing during the 2017 Marawi conflict, preserving their memories and amplifying the voices of their families.

About 300 people attended the launch of ‘The Book of Memories’ (Ang Aklat ng Mga Alaala), a 77-page publication by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The event, held in commemoration of the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30, drew families from across Mindanao, as well as local and provincial officials, representatives from the Marawi Compensation Board, and the Philippine National Police-Forensic Group.

A photo exhibition featuring images from the book was also inaugurated and is open to the public until August 30 at the atrium of Robinsons Iligan. The exhibit explores the space between destruction and rebuilding, using skeletal house frames as a visual metaphor for the community’s fragility and resilience.

A woman views a portrait of a family member who went missing during the 2017 Marawi conflict at a photo exhibit in Robinsons Iligan on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. The exhibit, part of an initiative by the International Committee of the Red Cross, honors the missing and amplifies the voices of their families.

In the book, families share deeply personal stories and their continued search for answers. Filipino photojournalist Larry Monserate Piojo captured portraits of the families along with cherished objects that belonged to their missing relatives.

“Eight years since losing their loved ones, the families have remained resilient in the face of many challenges,” said Johannes Bruwer, head of the ICRC’s delegation in the Philippines.

He added: “While we believe that the authorities are working on clarifying the fate of the missing, continued effort will be needed to reach a conclusion.”

STILL SEARCHING. Litisia Palahang (left), who is searching for her son, listens as Faisah Dimaampao speaks during the launch of a book and photo exhibit by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Iligan City, Philippines, on Tuesday, August 26. The exhibit honors those missing from the 2017 Marawi conflict. Photo courtesy of ICRC

Families face persistent challenges

Prior to the launch, two representatives of the families spoke about the ongoing challenges they face.

They said they continue to encounter hurdles in obtaining legal documents needed to access social benefits, pensions, or property rights.

They also asked authorities to reconsider the rejection of some compensation claims and urged them to release information on positive identifications that have been made.

“We hope that the government could help all families of the missing, whether financially or through other means. There are so many of their children who cannot go to school. And the government should help all families, whether they are Muslims or Christians,” said Litisia Palahang, who is searching for her son.

Authorities provided updates, including the Lanao del Sur provincial government’s creation of a technical working group on the identification and documentation of human remains in the Maqbara cemetery.

They assured the families they have not been abandoned, despite the difficulties in the identification process.

The ICRC has registered more than 300 cases of people who went missing from the 2017 Marawi conflict. The obligation to account for missing persons is enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and its Additional Protocols, to which the Philippines is a party.