Ating Pinas: The Bangsamoro Peace Accord

Ating Pinas (Our Philippines) is a weekly series about anything and everything Filipino.  Featuring uplifting articles that inspire national pride as well as sombering essays to spur participation towards positive change.   

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The Bangsamoro Peace Accord

I hear many good things about Mindanao.  

That it is a vast land with soil rich and fertile.  Claims of Its hills and mountains being abundant with natural resources border on wondrous, mythic proportions.  And its myriad rainforests are supposedly lush, enchanting and awe-inspiring.

I was also told that one can indulge in local fruits in season; that they are plentiful and easily affordable.  And that organic and all-natural livestock and vegetable farms are also emerging; assuring the local populace of bountiful chemical-free foodstuffs.

So, why haven’t I gone there, yet?  That’s because like many local folks and foreign tourists, the on-going violent conflict between the rebels and the armed forces—including wanton lawlessness in some parts of that naturally-magnificent island—paint a bleak cerebral landscape for potential trekking

But all that bloody unrest and political turmoil may soon be things of the past.  Today at 1:30 pm in Malacañang Palace, there will be a signing of an historic peace accord between the Aquino Administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels. It is a framework agreement creating Bangsamoro.

Murad Ebrahim, the MILF chief calls this agreement a “milestone victory of peace and justice over war and continuous conflict.”   However, he claims it is not the end of the Moro struggle, though it will herald “a new and more challenging stage” for peaceful endeavors.

Thus, the 40-year Moro rebellion in Mindanao officially comes to an end as the Aquino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) sign the agreement this afternoon.

The fervor for Moro revolution arose after the Jabidah Massacre on Corregidor Island on March 17, 1968, it was not until Nov. 14, 1972, that “the guns of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) started to speak,”  Salah Jubair wrote in the book Bangsamoro: A Nation Under Endless Tyranny.

The first assault was in Jolo, Sulu, a month after then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. The rebels torched the town in much the same way the American troops did in rural areas whose villagers refused subservience during the Filipino-American War. 

Regrettably, overall, the Moro rebellion is estimated to have claimed some 120,000 lives and kept Mindanao severely impoverished.

The Administration is optimistic that the accord will create lasting peace in the South and that it will become a bridge towards a new autonomous Bangsamoro region by 2016.  The Aquino Administration will hold steadfast to ensure it will not become a failed experiment similar to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Under this peace agreement, the Bangsamoro territory would have the same core territory—five provinces currently under the ARMM, six municipalities of Lanao del Norte and several barangays (villages) in North Cotabato—all adjacent and voted to be part of the ARMM in 2001.

Neither President Aquino nor MILF chairman Murad will sign the 13-page document, they will only witness it.  The signatories will be chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen and his MILF counterpart Mohagher Iqbal.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will also be a witness. After all, Malaysia facilitated the talks, hosting the two parties in Kuala Lumpur until the deal was reached after 32 rounds of negotiations.

Prime Minister Razak joins other foreign dignitaries—including the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly the Organization of the Islamic Conference), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, whose presence will signify the Islamic world’s recognition of the legitimacy of the accord.

Also in attendance will be representatives from the MILF, foreign dignitaries and civil society groups, as well as officials from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who have been supportive of the proposed creation of the Bangsamoro region.

Malacañang officials do not expect Nur Misuari, head of the MNLF to show up at the presidential palace for the 1:30 p.m. signing, although an invitation has been sent to him.  The Aquino Administration had been reaching out to Mr. Misuari, but the MNLF chief had rejected even an offer to sit on the 15-person Transition Commission that would draft the basic law creating Bangsamoro.

Mr. Misuari has been attacking the accord that will supersede the peace agreement signed in 1996 between the Ramos administration and his MNLF.

Mr. Misuari “does not want to accept the Bangsamoro peace accord, even though other MNLF leaders had already expressed support.  Thus, the MNLF officials will be led by Muslimin Sema, chairman of the Council of 15 that split from Mr. Misuari’s faction in 2001.  The Palace expects some 450 guests to attend the ceremony.

Be that as it may, with the historic signing of this peace agreement, my dream—as well as those by many other Filipino and foreign tourists to visit Mindanao for an extended period—may soon be actualized.

Sources: Philippine Daily Inquirer and Manila Bulletin

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Still waters . . .

There are many things that are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, 

and one of the most important is faith, which cannot be acquired without prayer.

                                       John Wooden

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"I intend to allow myself the time and space to be still." | Support Cathy's Intent

Unless explicitly intending to do so, we humans rarely ever sit absolutely still. We are constantly fidgeting, wandering, moving and tossing about, even in our sleep. In this way, our mind and our thoughts parallel our body: One minute we are thinking about what we are going to make for dinner, the next we are remembering the person who bumped into us without apologizing at the grocery store. But it is stillness of the mind and body that allow us to step away from our distracted selves and get to know our true selves a little bit better.

Lao Tsu, the founder of Taoism, speaks about the importance of self-reflection in his book Tao Te Ching, written around 600 BC.

Knowing others is wisdom

Knowing the self is enlightenment

Mastering others requires force

Mastering the self requires strength

He who knows he has enough is rich

Perseverance is a sign of will power

He who stays where he is endures

To die but not to perish to be be eternally present

But it is important to remember that self-reflection is not an end in itself. Knowing yourself should become a motivation to change. It should be coupled with action that improves your life and the lives of those around you. Spend time learning about who you are. With that knowledge, allow yourself to become your best asset and an asset to others too.

Share your intent at Intent.com.

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Letting God Be God

In your subconscious mind is the creative process of the ages, the process which every successful person has used.

It cannot refuse to serve you. It has no favorites, and it knows no limitations. It awaits your demand that it acts. Upon your demand, it proceeds to fulfill this demand without stress or strain. The mental machinery of your subconscious mind moves into action in orderly ways and draws upon resources far greater than the conscious mind could ever know. No wonder that modern metaphysicians call this function of mind "God." They sense the magnitude of its ability and they use this tremendous creative potential to produce what they want in life.

All of this is already in you. The great use it. The non-great do not, so they remain the non-great.

Decide upon some thing – situation or condition – that you want right now in your present life. Be definite in this decision. Do not limit your decision by investigating the probable reasons why it will never happen. That is the detour to nothing. All false speculations of defeat have to be ruled out of your consciousness. If they enter into the decision for even a fleeting moment, the decision is robbed of authority and the subconscious mind cannot act upon it. You do not need to know how the final result will come to pass. That is the function of the subconscious. It has ways and means that, if they were known, would stagger the intellect.

Say to your subconscious:

"This is my decision. I now authorize you to accomplish this. I have total confidence in your abilities and resources. I authorize this without any reservation. I do not place this demand in a framework of time or condition. It is a free demand now established in my subconscious mind. This mind now has it clearly."

Then relax and let your subconscious have free reign. Keep clear of all doubt. Keep clear of all worry. God, in your subconscious as your subconscious, is the power and the mind that accomplishes your desire.

Let God be God, and keep your hands off the process.

Your subconscious will reveal to your conscious mind directions to take and ways to proceed. Idea will follow idea in perfect order and sequence. You become the observer of the creative process now taking place in you. From the observation point in the conscious mind, you watch what you wanted to have happen, happen. You are under no strain.

You are the observer and the participant.

Excerpt from "The Power of Decision"

by Raymond Charles Barker

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Please note:

I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!