The GRP-MILF Peace Process

To prevent further conflict between opposing parties and to ensure long lasting peace in Mindanao, the signing of the peace agreement between the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines ((GRP) should be put on hold first. This was the claim of Cotabato Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, who stated his foresights on the possible chaos that might result from the signing of the peace pact wherein such may also adversely affect on the holding of peaceful elections in Mindanao this coming May 10 election. According to Bishop Colin, details in the peace agreement might spark again controversies and erring views especially among those who are against the creation of the Bangsamoro.

Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary and GRP Representative to the GRP-MILF Peace Process Rafael Seguis said that the newly revised proposal of the GRP to the peace process can be easily understood and showed equal advantages for both parties involved. With this, a positive output from this peace agreement can be expected.

Meanwhile, many Filipinos are hoping that a genuine peace agreement will be forged the soonest between GRP and MILF as this will help resolve the centuries’ old conflict in Mindanao, which has been primarily dominated on the desire of most Muslims in the area to create a separate.

The GRP-MILF Peace Process

It has been almost eight years now that the peace process between GRP and MILF has been laid out on a table. In this timeframe, there have been lots of incidents that tested the strength and the sustainability of the peace process.

As a back grounder, it was in 1997 that the peace process between MILF and GRP started – a leap in policymaking that gave light to the seemingly never-ending conflicts in Mindanao. It was in 1999 that the rules and procedures of the peace process were finalized by both parties. In 2000, the peace talk was at a halt due to an all-out war against the MILF. In 2001, both parties agreed for the resumption of the peace talk. In 2003, the GRP canceled the process upon knowing that the MILF was the one to be blamed on two bombing incidents in Davao City during that year. The same year, MILF Chief Commander Hashim Salamat died due to heart attack. In 2003, the peace talk again resume in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During this time, the peace talk went smoothly until the issue of ancestral domain was mostly debated upon in 2007. In 2008, a Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) was signed.

The Issue on Ancestral Domain

Although one can say that the GRP-MILF Peace Talks had withstood all the low points of the peace process due to emerging armed conflicts in between, the incident in 2008 was probably the lowest and most controversial for the GRP-MILF Peace Talks. The said MOA-AD was junked by the Supreme Court, declaring the agreement as unconstitutional. Such attention given by Supreme Court on the MOA-AD was prompted by the series of oppositions from both the government and private sectors that mainly cited on the unconstitutionality in having a separate Bangsamoro state. The MILF, on the other hand, agreed with the MOA-AD.

Because of the injunction of the Supreme Court on the MOA-AD as null due to its unconstitutionality, some MILF base commanders were outraged to the point of conducting inhumane killings of innocent civilians and indiscriminate burning of houses in Lanao Del Norte. MILF rogue base commander Umbra Kato and Bravo were said to be the main perpetrators of these crimes. Such incident led to the all-out war against these MILF commanders as it also sparked as well animosities among Christians in Mindanao against the Muslims.

Long Lasting Peace in Mindanao

Despite the many setbacks and _ bloodshed brought upon by the GRP-MILF Peace Talks, the peace process was resumed and has been going on until to this date.  With the upcoming May 10 elections, however, it was suggested by many that the planned signing of a peace agreement should be put on hold for the meantime as the results of which might spark anew enormous oppositions, which can adversely affect on the holding of honest and orderly elections. Also, with the poor popularity rating of President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo, some political experts said that it is best that the signing of the peace agreement will be handled by the new upcoming president.

Meanwhile, it can be surmised that the conflict in Mindanao has go beyond the political strata as such has been there already for a long time, a so-called fixation.  It can be said that the social problems that beset the area, poverty for one, are the forefronts why there is no lasting peace in the area. Also, the division between Muslims and Christians in Mindanao can be traced back to history. This will be a challenge for the next president of the country – to iron out old traditions that create divisions among two great religions in the area, and unite it with modern yet equal perspectives.

On the presence of secessionists such as MILF, it can be solved if they have sustainable livelihoods where they can focus their attention with.

Filipinos Plight against Poverty

The Philippines is a country rich in many natural resources. It consists of more than seven thousand islands and is surrounded by vast waters with many aquatic animals and plants that become good sources of food and other basic necessities. Other countries are not as lucky as we are when it comes to these resources but the present condition of the Filipino people contradicts these facts. Instead of moving forward towards prosperity and advancement, our country is stuck in a condition that is slowly affecting every Filipino’s lives. Other countries in the world that were at the same level with the Philippines in the last decades have already reached peaks of economic growth and improvement leaving the country behind usually placing it at the bottom part of the list.

There are a lot of reasons why people in our country live in poverty despite the abundant resources present. The most common reason is the attitude of the people towards the environment and the lack of knowledge regarding the proper care for these resources. Many people usually fail to see beforehand the long term effects of present actions and this poses a threat to our supposed riches. Dynamite fishing and quarrying are some of the common activities here in the Philippines and these greatly diminish the assets that we could use in order to save ourselves from the difficulties brought about by poverty. These resources might not be enough to supplement and benefit each Filipino, but it will greatly help in our survival. Our resources are important aspects of our existence, and if we maximize these resources it might just save us from poverty.

According to statistics, many Filipinos are unemployed and underemployed and this is one of the major reasons why there are more people in the Philippines living in poverty. Poverty is a major problem in the country that is very difficult to resolve due to a lot of circumstances. Every year, families that characterized themselves as poor greatly increase in number. These people state that they are not earning enough for their family and their salary is not sufficient to support themselves and pay for their basic necessities. Prices of basic goods and other commodities have greatly climbed as compared in the previous decades but the distressing part is that the salary of an ordinary worker in the Philippines remained stationary despite the abrupt increase. Because of this, the number of families living in poverty has also increased but many Filipinos find ways to help themselves and free them from the wrath of poverty. More and more Filipinos leave the country of hopes of having brighter opportunities in other countries. They embark on a journey that involves a lot of risks and with no assurance of a better life abroad. They endure the pain of leaving their loved ones and deal with the loneliness just to earn more for their families. If some are lucky enough to find fine jobs with good pay abroad, there are still many families in the country that are unable to buy their own meals and greatly rely on alms giving and programs of the government and NGO’s. These people usually are left with no option but to do things that are prohibited by the law. Most criminals that rob banks and snatch items from people usually have one reason of doing so, poverty. They do these things just to have something in their dining table and satisfy their craving for food that they cannot afford to buy.

Education is usually a key in achieving our goals as individuals and this is our passport to a better life ahead. This equips us with the things that we should acquire in order to become a successful individual in the near future but many are not privileged to enjoy and experience the excitement of going to school and learning new things. There are many children who spend long hours in the streets working and trying to earn money instead of reading books and going to school. This is an effect of poverty in our country. These children are dying to experience going to school but because of their situation, they are forced to work to help their parents despite laws forbidding children to do so. The government may have programs that offer free education to these poor angels but many parents living in poverty would opt not to send their children to school because of many other expenses for school supplies like notebook and pencils. Oftentimes, achievers from different fields are from poverty, and they strived hard to achieve their dreams no matter what. Those who cannot afford become scholars because of good grades and eventually graduate and find a well-off job. This is a good example that every individual should remember and follow. Despite the unending poverty that many Filipinos experience, there is still hope for change and improvement.