Sunday, 18th October 2009: Nicholas Lee Chee Kuan and Lito Juliano, the founder and the collaborator of the highly successful “Power of 10 Sen” of Malaysia, arrived in Manila at dawn.
Together we flew to Cotabato Airport and arrived at approximately 2pm via Philippine Airlines.
There we are greeted by Hadja Bai Esnaira Estrella Abid-Babano, Ed.D., the Department of Education Region X Director. We are joined thereafter by Pancho Balawag, Ed.D., DepEd Regional Education Supervisor of ARMM and his daughter Sharijane Cazandra Balawag, RN, Regional Director of Youth Federation for World Peace. After checking in at Estosan Hotel, we went straight to Datu Piang, Maguindanao where tens of thousands of families affected by armed conflict are resettled. Regretfully, we were not allowed to enter the main evacuation camp due to safety reasons. Even so, we witnessed the actual situation of hundreds of families positioned in the periphery as we interview them and listen to their plight for help. They narrated the horrors of the day when they were suddenly forced out of their homes taking nothing but the clothes they are wearing as the military set an offensive air and ground strike to the armed separatists called MILF or Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Now, for over a year, they don’t have any means for stable livelihood while job opportunities outside the evacuation centers are scarce.
They are also prohibited to go back to tend their farms as it was declared on war zone. They just all depend on the relief goods distributed by the government and NGOs, but it arrives on long and irregular intervals. Records of mortality more related to dehydration (due to poor access of clean potable water), diseases and hunger than that of the war itself. Children are the most vulnerable to this onslaught as they lost their access to formal education while some fell physically, oftentimes critically ill.
Monday, 19th October 2009: Our first stop is the visit of the very first ‘School of Peace’ in Mindanao or, probably the world. The J. Marquez Integrated School of Peace in Cotabato City, South Central Mindanao. Founded in 1985, it is situated in the heart of resettlement area for rebel returnees of MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front). It was described to be plagued with lawlessness as some of the rebel returnees resort to crimes such as stealing, hold-ups, kidnapping and other organized crimes. The poor school was always the target of vandalism and robbery, while its teachers (who are mostly Christians at that time) are regularly threatened with bodily harm. When Dra. Abid-Babano stepped in as school Principal that year; she realized the need for integration of peace education in all subjects at all levels. It was a long and daunting task, but she pursued with passion reinforced by strong belief of goodness within amidst chaos. She also established programs like yearly renovations of the school involving the parents and the locals, peace education for parents, livelihood education, etc. They witnessed the gradual and complete transformation of the entire community as each becomes “owners” of the school. Vandalism, robberies, and grave threats stopped without police intervention. Most importantly, Muslim and Christians co-exists peacefully in a level deeper than anyone can perceive. One compelling story is from a local who admittedly vandalize and steals from the school, now, he said he will die first before someone can lay hands of this school. He is proud that his children are all enrolled in their beloved “School of Peace”. J. Marquez became the first School of Peace in 1997 that caters to Tri-People: the Bangsamoro, the Lumads and the Indanans (Muslims, Christians and Indigenous People). As Dra. Abid-Babano explains, “Peace is a process. It is dynamic and wholistic. We cannot just put it on paper and forget about it. It must be nurtured and taught to the pupils and most importantly, to the teachers as well. Education is the permanent solution to our situation!”
Our next stop is Broce Central Elementary School of Peace in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao then the DepEd Peace Education Coordinator led us to Amir Bara Lidasan High School at Parang, Maguindanao. Both schools are located in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. The administrators, teachers, parents and students work together for the holistic education of peace with their motto: “peace starts from oneself”. Their love and active role for the care of environment is truly remarkable. As we go around the schools, we can easily identify who among the crowd are the Christians or Muslims or IPs, yet their harmony is very tangible. These schools are indeed a testament of Unity in Diversity. These children also surprised us with their answers to our situational questions, when we asked one pupil (9 yrs old) about what will he do when his classmate takes away his food, he quickly answered “I will ask him to give me back at least half of it because I am hungry too. If he did not, it’s ok, ‘cause he seems to be more hungry than me.” When asked about his relationship to his Christian classmates, he replied “we don’t have any problem at all because we help and depend on each other at all times”. It is noticeable that they often use the term “brother” or “sister” instead of “classmate”.
Our final stop for the day is DepEd Division Office of Cotabato City. There we had open discussion with the division heads and learned more about their commitment to the spreading of peace education across Mindanao. Some of the staffs too, are victims of four decades of armed conflict between rebels and government armed forces. They said that the Executive Order 570 is very important, as it declares institutionalizing of peace education in the curriculum of grade school and high school levels.
Tuesday, 20th October 2009: Early morning we head out to Peace Village at Tubod, Lanao del Norte. The construction of children’s dormitory and learning facilities is in full swing. Again, we saw the amazing transformation in the lives of the children who are displaced, orphaned, and directly afflicted by the armed conflict from different areas of Mindanao. There are special cases however, that some children are reluctant to change, or some find it very hard to adjust. Some of the teachers we interviewed are growing frustrated by the slow change of the students, yet their special training and support on each other gives them strength to keep going, to keep trying. Majority of the teachers we have met so far are females and are single, when asked why so, they said that probably due or combination of the following reasons: their commitment to their work; time demand of their work; their active role as “second parent” of their students; they also said that being a good teacher means being totally selfless and married to the profession. As my friend Nicholas said “I applaud you teachers for being the true source of peace and hope for the generations to come”. He continues, “I admire you for taking the position of a parent that takes good care of your children unconditionally”.
Our conclusion for this journey as follows: Mindanao is indeed a very rich island. Its abundance in natural resources such as fertile soil, abounding flora and fauna, countless mineral and precious metal deposits, breathtaking landscapes and beautiful coastlines. It also prides itself of colourful, diverse yet harmonious cultures that will mesmerize any tourists of both local and international.
Mindanao is a sleeping economic giant sedated by ongoing armed conflict occurring only in small pockets yet affects the whole. Its people has the initiative, they have the will and desire to have a peaceful coexistence. Forty long years of armed struggle were proven over and over again ineffective in achieving peace. The proven, tried and tested solution lies on the proper education of the children. By giving them equal chance and good access to education, they will soon be the prime movers of the society that will eventually free the island of prejudice and misconception. Ultimately, lift up the entire country as globally competitive nation. Mindanao’s long journey to achieve peace has just begun. They still need our help and we should act now.
