From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 11): A new era of peace dawns in Mindanao (Special Report)
A new era of peace has dawned in Mindanao with the recent signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that would finally pave the way to full development of untapped mineral resources, including oil, that are abundant in the region.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said that alongside with the economic development of Mindanao dubbed as the “Land of Promise ,” millions of children – Christians, Muslims and Indigenous Peoples of school age - will benefit with a lasting peace in place in southern Philippines
“Of course, school children will greatly benefit with the signing of the CAB,” Deles told the Philippines News Agency at the sideline of the Forum dubbed as “Women at the Peace Table” at the SDC Conference Room in Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City last Tuesday.
The historic signing will be a plus factor as this will enable children in conflict areas to pursue their studies and attain a higher education as their ticket to a better future.
The government and non-government organizations (NGOs) have been working hand-on-hand in providing free books and feeding program for children in poverty-stricken areas inMindanao .
These noble programs are being pushed by the Ninoy and Cory Foundation, the MyLibrary Program of Ayala Foundation/Philippine Development Foundation, to name a few.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) headed by Deles conducted a series of consultations with various sectors long before the signing of the CAB on March 27, 2014.
Aside from that, she and members of the GPH peace panel chaired by Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer also talked with “Cabinet secretaries for consultations with the whole of government moving.”
But most of all, Deles acknowledged that Masses and prayers offered by prayer warriors all over the country long before the CAB signing greatly helped because “if we have only ourselves to depend on, we won’t get it.”
The OPAPP chair also quoted Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace panel, as saying that the impact of the signing was felt on the ground, apparently referring to the MILF people.
During the Ateneo forum, the women members of the GPH peace panel led by Ferrer were asked if women-dominated panel was a factor in the signing, the panel said that maybe “women are more meticulous.”
Ferrer hastened to add kiddingly: “Men are comfortable delegating work to women,” that generated laughter from the audience.
She also said that during the early stage of the peace negotiations, there were “some nasty remarks” about women as “second class” but “we got over with.”
Breaking the ice during those tense moments were the jokes and funny stories, including gender jokes made by both sides.
It was a learning process and during the negotiations there were lots of haggling.
Ferrer said it was a meaningful participation even as both panels “played hardball (and) dealt with lots of lawyers.”
For the GPH peace panel, “we pushed the limit of our mandate.”
On the other hand, Deles said that the “very difficult” part of negotiation was about power and revenue sharing.
During the negotiation period that lasted for 43 rounds spanning over 17 years, there was a lot of burdens and sacrifices on both sides.
But there was hope and the faith persisted that with the many “problems we can work together,” Deles said.
The GPH panel agreed with Deles that at the beginning of the talks it was “hard sell.”
While there was lot of pressure during the talks both panels did not lose hope.
In fact, the GPH women panel members dubbed themselves as “women of steel.”
Asked by TV host Che Che Lazaro, the moderator of the forum, on what was the “stress buster” when things were rough, the panel members said aside from ranting while going home, they would go shopping “guerrilla-style” – meaning shopping for small items in one store then moving to another, and of course eating.
But they praised Iqbal for keeping his cool.
The GPH panel is composed of Prof. Ferrer as chair with Undersecretary Zenonin Brosas, Atty. Anna Tarhata Basman, Undersecretary Yasmin Busran-Lao and Iona Gracia-Jalaiijali, head, panel secretariat.
Wrapping up an agreement - delicate as the CAB - was not easy to resolve 17 long years of conflict that started in 1997 shortly after the government and the then Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the main Muslim rebel group, mounted a rebellion in southernPhilippines
The MILF, which broke away from the MNLF after the latter signed a final peace agreement with the government on Sept. 2, 1996, opposed the peace accord and continued the war inMindanao .
Knowing its implication, then President Fidel V. Ramos reached out to talk to the breakaway MILF which resulted in the signing of the Agreement for General Cessation of Hostilities and its Implementing Administrative Guidelines on July 21, 1997, followed by the Sept. 12, 1997 Implementing Operational Guidelines of the (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) GRP-MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities on Nov. 14, 1997.
When the six-year term of President Ramos ended on June 30, 1998, incoming President Joseph Estrada took over the reins of government.
There was a lull in the government peace negotiations with the MILF as the latter resumed the hostilities.
In 1999, the peace process was in limbo and by year 2000 the Mindanao conflict broke into the open when MILF forces occupied the town ofKauswagan
This prompted President Estrada to declare an all-out war against the MILF.
The military crushed the MILF during a four-month bloody war in the summer of 2000 and captured 46 MILF camps, including Camp Abubakar Al-Saddique, the main and the largest MILF camp on July 9, 2000.
Though defeated in battle, the MILF remained a force to reckon with as it continued its armed struggle.
For Deles, the signing of the CAB was “a day of joy and gladness.”
In her speech on March 27, Deles said: “Today we embrace peace with the crushing might of a people; and banish war with the great power of a nation united. Today we embrace peace with the courage of equals rather than the cowardice of bigots, deceivers, and exploiters. Today we embrace peace with deep gratitude and thanksgiving for the gift, the blessing of peace, that onlyProvidence
“And speaking of blessings, I also remember the gift bestowed upon us in the person of Ibrahim Rahman, a village leader of Pigkawayan, North Cotabato, inMindanao . One night in August of 2008, amidst the distant clap of cannons and gunfire, Ibrahim woke up to the sight of hundreds of children of all shapes and sizes, in front of his house.
“The children were apparently told by their parents to flee their homes for safety — by themselves, without food, with only the clothes they wore on their frail bodies. In ragtag fashion and with the bravado of hardy sons and daughters of war, they crossed the Libungan river in bancas to safer sanctuary, and landed, luckily, in Ibrahim’s front door. Ibrahim called out to others in the community.
“They took in the young ones in different homes, fed them, and sheltered them in the madrasah. In a state of confusion, the child refugees or “bakwits” would cry themselves to sleep and wake up not knowing where their parents were.
“It was weeks later that their parents came for them and brought them back home, when the guns were silent for a while. Ibrahim would later lend his 10-hectare ancestral land to these children’s families, whose areas of residence kept changing, depending on where and when it was safe — depending on when and where the bombs fell or the guns roared.
"Today those families are sheltered in Ibrahim’s ancestral land, and are being served by the government’s shelter assistance program. And on this day itself, as they hear the words said in this historic ceremony, they are finally invested with hope in a permanent peace, the hope that their children will finally have the chance not only to survive, but to live and to thrive in an enduring community.
"We stand here today to declare that, henceforth, no family shall be forced to drive their children away for fear of their being maimed and wounded by conflict; and that no child has ever again to cross a raging river and knock on a stranger’s door to beg for protection.
"Outside these gates, parents, students, and children are in Luneta flying kites for peace, while our allies from many noble persuasions are in Mendiola and Quiapo in solidarity with us. In various areas inMindanao , people have turned major roads green with waving peace flags and will be holding "peace-tahan" events to celebrate today's momentous occasion.
"The signal and prayers are so strong and unrelenting -- no more war, no more children scampering for safety, no more evacuees, no more lost schooldays or school months, no more injustice, no more mis-governance, no more poverty, no more fear and no more want. Tama na, we are all tired of it.
"A new dawn has come, the dawn for books, not bullets; for paintbrushes, not knives; for whole communities, not evacuation centers; and for rewarding toil, not endless strife. The work is far from over even as the pledges are sealed.
"But I bear faith that our common intentions will drive us forward, and that noble leaders will clasp hands and pull our future together. Most of all, I bear the deepest faith that the Almighty will hold us all in the palm of His hand — constantly delivering us from the instincts of war and keeping us within the fold of peace each waking day.
"Today, the Bangsamoro rises withMindanao , the nation, the region and the world — part of our great heritage and identity as a nation, a political and economic force for all generations
"Mr. President (Benigno S. Aquino III, thank you for leading us forward with a clear vision and indomitable steadfastness. Now I know that 'tuwid na daan' also means peace for all. We could not have made it without you.
"Mr. President, allow me to express our gratitude toMalaysia
"To all who have been our partners in the journey, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I am humbled by your own love for peace and your willingness to live and fight for the dream.
"And to you all who have toiled by my side and chose to walk these difficult paths and navigated the complicated currents of peace-making as we know it now.
"You know who you all are -- the men and women of OPAPP, with our families, I can only say thank you."
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=634527
A new era of peace has dawned in Mindanao with the recent signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that would finally pave the way to full development of untapped mineral resources, including oil, that are abundant in the region.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said that alongside with the economic development of Mindanao dubbed as the “
“Of course, school children will greatly benefit with the signing of the CAB,” Deles told the Philippines News Agency at the sideline of the Forum dubbed as “Women at the Peace Table” at the SDC Conference Room in Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City last Tuesday.
The historic signing will be a plus factor as this will enable children in conflict areas to pursue their studies and attain a higher education as their ticket to a better future.
The government and non-government organizations (NGOs) have been working hand-on-hand in providing free books and feeding program for children in poverty-stricken areas in
These noble programs are being pushed by the Ninoy and Cory Foundation, the MyLibrary Program of Ayala Foundation/Philippine Development Foundation, to name a few.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) headed by Deles conducted a series of consultations with various sectors long before the signing of the CAB on March 27, 2014.
Aside from that, she and members of the GPH peace panel chaired by Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer also talked with “Cabinet secretaries for consultations with the whole of government moving.”
But most of all, Deles acknowledged that Masses and prayers offered by prayer warriors all over the country long before the CAB signing greatly helped because “if we have only ourselves to depend on, we won’t get it.”
The OPAPP chair also quoted Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace panel, as saying that the impact of the signing was felt on the ground, apparently referring to the MILF people.
During the Ateneo forum, the women members of the GPH peace panel led by Ferrer were asked if women-dominated panel was a factor in the signing, the panel said that maybe “women are more meticulous.”
Ferrer hastened to add kiddingly: “Men are comfortable delegating work to women,” that generated laughter from the audience.
She also said that during the early stage of the peace negotiations, there were “some nasty remarks” about women as “second class” but “we got over with.”
Breaking the ice during those tense moments were the jokes and funny stories, including gender jokes made by both sides.
It was a learning process and during the negotiations there were lots of haggling.
Ferrer said it was a meaningful participation even as both panels “played hardball (and) dealt with lots of lawyers.”
For the GPH peace panel, “we pushed the limit of our mandate.”
On the other hand, Deles said that the “very difficult” part of negotiation was about power and revenue sharing.
During the negotiation period that lasted for 43 rounds spanning over 17 years, there was a lot of burdens and sacrifices on both sides.
But there was hope and the faith persisted that with the many “problems we can work together,” Deles said.
The GPH panel agreed with Deles that at the beginning of the talks it was “hard sell.”
While there was lot of pressure during the talks both panels did not lose hope.
In fact, the GPH women panel members dubbed themselves as “women of steel.”
Asked by TV host Che Che Lazaro, the moderator of the forum, on what was the “stress buster” when things were rough, the panel members said aside from ranting while going home, they would go shopping “guerrilla-style” – meaning shopping for small items in one store then moving to another, and of course eating.
But they praised Iqbal for keeping his cool.
The GPH panel is composed of Prof. Ferrer as chair with Undersecretary Zenonin Brosas, Atty. Anna Tarhata Basman, Undersecretary Yasmin Busran-Lao and Iona Gracia-Jalaiijali, head, panel secretariat.
Wrapping up an agreement - delicate as the CAB - was not easy to resolve 17 long years of conflict that started in 1997 shortly after the government and the then Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the main Muslim rebel group, mounted a rebellion in southern
The MILF, which broke away from the MNLF after the latter signed a final peace agreement with the government on Sept. 2, 1996, opposed the peace accord and continued the war in
Knowing its implication, then President Fidel V. Ramos reached out to talk to the breakaway MILF which resulted in the signing of the Agreement for General Cessation of Hostilities and its Implementing Administrative Guidelines on July 21, 1997, followed by the Sept. 12, 1997 Implementing Operational Guidelines of the (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) GRP-MILF Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities on Nov. 14, 1997.
When the six-year term of President Ramos ended on June 30, 1998, incoming President Joseph Estrada took over the reins of government.
There was a lull in the government peace negotiations with the MILF as the latter resumed the hostilities.
In 1999, the peace process was in limbo and by year 2000 the Mindanao conflict broke into the open when MILF forces occupied the town of
This prompted President Estrada to declare an all-out war against the MILF.
The military crushed the MILF during a four-month bloody war in the summer of 2000 and captured 46 MILF camps, including Camp Abubakar Al-Saddique, the main and the largest MILF camp on July 9, 2000.
Though defeated in battle, the MILF remained a force to reckon with as it continued its armed struggle.
For Deles, the signing of the CAB was “a day of joy and gladness.”
In her speech on March 27, Deles said: “Today we embrace peace with the crushing might of a people; and banish war with the great power of a nation united. Today we embrace peace with the courage of equals rather than the cowardice of bigots, deceivers, and exploiters. Today we embrace peace with deep gratitude and thanksgiving for the gift, the blessing of peace, that only
“And speaking of blessings, I also remember the gift bestowed upon us in the person of Ibrahim Rahman, a village leader of Pigkawayan, North Cotabato, in
“The children were apparently told by their parents to flee their homes for safety — by themselves, without food, with only the clothes they wore on their frail bodies. In ragtag fashion and with the bravado of hardy sons and daughters of war, they crossed the Libungan river in bancas to safer sanctuary, and landed, luckily, in Ibrahim’s front door. Ibrahim called out to others in the community.
“They took in the young ones in different homes, fed them, and sheltered them in the madrasah. In a state of confusion, the child refugees or “bakwits” would cry themselves to sleep and wake up not knowing where their parents were.
“It was weeks later that their parents came for them and brought them back home, when the guns were silent for a while. Ibrahim would later lend his 10-hectare ancestral land to these children’s families, whose areas of residence kept changing, depending on where and when it was safe — depending on when and where the bombs fell or the guns roared.
"Today those families are sheltered in Ibrahim’s ancestral land, and are being served by the government’s shelter assistance program. And on this day itself, as they hear the words said in this historic ceremony, they are finally invested with hope in a permanent peace, the hope that their children will finally have the chance not only to survive, but to live and to thrive in an enduring community.
"We stand here today to declare that, henceforth, no family shall be forced to drive their children away for fear of their being maimed and wounded by conflict; and that no child has ever again to cross a raging river and knock on a stranger’s door to beg for protection.
"Outside these gates, parents, students, and children are in Luneta flying kites for peace, while our allies from many noble persuasions are in Mendiola and Quiapo in solidarity with us. In various areas in
"The signal and prayers are so strong and unrelenting -- no more war, no more children scampering for safety, no more evacuees, no more lost schooldays or school months, no more injustice, no more mis-governance, no more poverty, no more fear and no more want. Tama na, we are all tired of it.
"A new dawn has come, the dawn for books, not bullets; for paintbrushes, not knives; for whole communities, not evacuation centers; and for rewarding toil, not endless strife. The work is far from over even as the pledges are sealed.
"But I bear faith that our common intentions will drive us forward, and that noble leaders will clasp hands and pull our future together. Most of all, I bear the deepest faith that the Almighty will hold us all in the palm of His hand — constantly delivering us from the instincts of war and keeping us within the fold of peace each waking day.
"Today, the Bangsamoro rises with
"Mr. President (Benigno S. Aquino III, thank you for leading us forward with a clear vision and indomitable steadfastness. Now I know that 'tuwid na daan' also means peace for all. We could not have made it without you.
"Mr. President, allow me to express our gratitude to
"To all who have been our partners in the journey, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I am humbled by your own love for peace and your willingness to live and fight for the dream.
"And to you all who have toiled by my side and chose to walk these difficult paths and navigated the complicated currents of peace-making as we know it now.
"You know who you all are -- the men and women of OPAPP, with our families, I can only say thank you."
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=634527