“The Plight of Mindanao… for Peace”

What is Mindanao?
Why are there people (specially living in some other areas in Luzon and Visayans) who have been anxious of the places in Mindanao? What makes it dreadful? Isn’t because of the hearsay that Mindanao is a place of rebels? Or because of the prior war of the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Philippines (GRP)?
I have been living here in Mindanao all my life. And I have traveled in some other places in the Philippines, but I found out that Mindanao is really my home. I can’t exchange my place into any other place in any other part of the Philippines. This is my home, even though that I have been a victim of an explosive. “Yes” and I realized that its not really easy to fight over with this kind of combustible, this would really trigger our precious lives, even though when you are young, old, rich or poor, you can’t escape from this since it will just end you up injured.
But why is it that there are those who would like to spread violence in our place? But what is Mindanao this time? The Armed Forces are doing their part in internal security aspect They want to have physical and psychological stability in Mindanao, particularly in Region XII.
I have been to Awang, Cotabato asking officers telling me about the peace and order situation in Mindanao.
According to Philippine Army, Col. Mario F. Chan, (JSC) Chief of Staff 61 PA; Mindanao can stand alone by itself, since it has a lot of natural resources, its potential is very high, and some political leaders said that Mindanao is the one generating prosperity of products in the Philippines and yet they are just getting 38 % of the entire budget and Mindanao is providing almost 60 % to the national government and then they’re just imparting back 38 % to Mindanao. Well I think that forfeits Mindanao. Because they are trying to push for federalism so that Mindanao would generate all the income and then it can move economically.
The natural resources of Mindanao are complete, and it can stand alone as what Col. Chan said. But having the internal conflict for 30 years or more historically. But it is not easy to end the conflict though the Armed Forces are germinating the peace process, they are looking in a strategic level and with the assistance of the (OIC) Organization of Islamic Communities like Organizations of Islamic Countries. Now Malaysians and the Brunei government including Libya have sent their representatives to overseen peace process here. From the very high level of violence that happened from year 2000 it went down so much, so low that even the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is now telling the positive growth of the economy and it settle down a lot in terms of peace and order is concerned. Because the GRP and the MILF had respected the cease fire agreement and the level of confidence between the two parties have increased so much with the participation of Malaysia and the International Monitoring Team (IMT) which it is not under the auspices of the United Nation, but it is under the arrangement where the Philippines entered into the OIC and some ASEAN countries. Since Philippines is looking forward not to shed blood with our internals by the International terrorist, which means that the MILF will not be tagged as a terrorist group.
Looking back at their history at some point in time, they coordinated and got some support from Osama Bin Ladin because of Muslim brotherhood.
The Americans are still considering MILF as a terrorist group, but the President of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo said that they are not terrorists.
One of the good developments is that there is no breakaway group from the Philippine Army, because almost 5,000 among the troupes of the MNLF got to be integrated with the Philippine Army due to the peace agreement. And they are treated as an Officer of the Philippine Army, as an enlisted man and they are accepted and treated equally. And they are already serving the Philippine government because they contrast their experiences from Nur Misuari.
Several times that the AFP had won in military combats, from year1999, 2000 and up to 2003 which have the worst dilemma occurred. But still AFP won against them. As of now, peace process is still on operation.
But as Mindanaons, how can we promote peace towards our very own place? Do you think a simple citizen can advocate peace?
Try to look at ourselves, aside from the bomb explosions and massive killings in the known cities in Mindanao, there are crimes exist, due to drug addiction and rebellion. But, what help can we bestow?
Peace begins within ourselves, if we just allow ourselves to have harmony and serenity within us, we can commit our plight for peace.