‘Boodle fight’ to ‘boodle peace’: from warriors to peace builders

Counting how many battles fought, enemies killed, and firearms recovered has been among the usual indicators in an official’s military scoreboard.

But it’s got to change, military officials tell new generation officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Mindanao.

Col. Julieto Ando, of the Eastern Mindanao Command, has stressed this point to junior military officers who attended the Operation Peace Course (OPKORS), a conflict management and peace building training, now on its seventh in a series, organized by the AFP, Balay Mindanao Foundation Inc. and other partners.

“Instead, count how many enemies you have convinced back to the folds of law,” Ando said in his presentation on “The Challenge: Towards Fresher Perspectives”.

He said it involves changing perspectives from calling “boodle fights” to “boodle peace” at the least to building consensus and partnerships with other stakeholders to win peace.

The new mindset for military operations in Mindanao, he said, calls for more focus on building rather than destroying. Read on.

Inihanay sa:Economy, Food in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Safety, Security

EO 765: Good for bakers, bad for corn farmers

First published in MindaNews.com. President Arroyo signed Executive Order 765 in December 2008  claiming that  ”reduction on tariff on food wheat would help stabilize the price of bread and other baked food products.” Unfortunately, former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor said in a report that the order did not only include the lifting of tariff on importation of food wheat or milling wheat, the ingredient used to produce bread, but also on feed wheat, which like corn, is used as animal feed.

Excess feed wheat supply brought by the zero tariff has competed with local corn supply, Roderico Bioco founding chair of the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. told MindaNews.

The implementation of EO 765 has led to an estimated P6-billion losses in income for corn farmers and at least P1-billion loss in revenues for government, Montemayor, now a member of the House representing of the ABA-AKO party list, said.

The lowest price for yellow corn was P6.50 per kilo or P6, 500 per MT, lower than the production cost of P10.

The  Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported  last week that the price of corn had dropped from P 9 per kilo to P7.50 during a five-week period.

The executive order was effective until June 2009 but favoring sectors, including the livestock feed millers lobbied for the extension. The corn industry stakeholders such as the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. and ABA AKO party list lobbied against the extension.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Economy, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines

Valencia City’s ex-mayor Galario: from radio adversary to broadcaster

He used to be a staunch critic of the broadcast media, even padlocking radio stations in Valencia City during his two-term stint at city hall. But guess who is now a broadcaster himself — operating, programming, and going on-air in his own radio station.

Former Valencia City Mayor Jose M. Galario Jr. now operates DXVC, a new 1-kilowatt FM radio station broadcasting from Bagonta-as, Valencia City.

The station styles itself as a member of a network of radio stations owned by the Polytechnic Foundation of Cotabato and Asia, Inc. (PFCAI).

Aside from playing music, the station airs a commentary program hosted by Galario himself. He said its programming is not “scripted” and is determined to report the truth in the city.

Read full report here.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Elections in Mindanao, Governance, Local Governance, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Politics , Bukidnon, Valencia City

Bishop Pacana: Let there be no silence in the peace process

While praying for silence in the battlefields, Bukidnon Bishop Honesto Pacana called on both government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to keep on talking and never to allow times of silence in the peace process.

Pacana said the silence of the guns is not enough unless there is continuing dialogue between the two parties.

The bishop described to MindaNews the peace process situation at the moment as “experiencing silence.” He said the ongoing hostilities are a proof of that as he appealed for a continuing peace process.

He has called for prayers among the Catholics for peace as they celebrate Christmas in his homily for the first morning mass on December 16 at the San Isidro Cathedral.

He has appealed to the faithful to include in their prayers peace in the country, especially in Mindanao.

Pacana said even if Bukidnon is not directly within conflict areas related to the GRP-MILF problem, it has its own peace issues.

Read a full report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, Indifgenous Peoples, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao Media, Mindanao's communities, Mining in Mindanao, Nature and Environment in Bukidnon, Peace Process, Philippines

Good news that draws suspicion than anticipation

That the informal peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is due to resume soon offers a reflection in our role as informal observers of the peace process that gained hold, then lost it somehow.

The MindaNews report GRP, MILF ‘informal talks’ to start ‘possibly’ by Dec. 22 didn’t quite tell there is a reason to celebrate (even if the news comes before Christmas and a fear of worsening situation on the ground).

Of course any kind of talk is always better than any form of violence. We all wish for peace, not just for Christmas but once and for all –for good.

As much as we want to get excited, we can’t just lose hold off the ground. At one point this could be a genuine press release.

But it could also be to serve the interests of some parties.

We might have a peace talks fatigue but we also cannot afford to let war just unfold.

I am nosing for enough sincerity, the one that could get them to sit in front each panel and talk, and relieve Mindanawons from the stress.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines

On the appointment of new GRP panel chair

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has named Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis as chair of the new government panel that will resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), reports tell us.

But what I think is a striking reaction to this news is a comment from Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga, executive director of the Cotabato City-based Institute of Bangsamoro Studies. 

He said in a story carried by MindaNews.com that whoever heads the government’s negotiating panel is “secondary in importance.”

Inihanay sa:Davao, Governance, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines , GRP, MILF, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Seguis

Teodoro’s take on peace: be practical

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro wants to approach peace with a “strong dose of practicality, pragmatism and political realism” as he questioned the approach of solving the root causes of conflict” because “has any society been able to solve the root causes of conflict?”

He told the 8th Mindanao Island Conference of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines on Wednesday night that the first lesson he learned in approaching the problem of peace and order is to do it with “the backing of some values and some idealism and with strong dose of practicality, pragmatism, and political realism”.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Access to Information, Blogging and Bukidnon, Blogging and Mindanao, Bukidnon, Economy, Freedom, Governance, Justice, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, People Power, Philippines, Politics , 8th PBMLP Mindanao Island Conference, Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, MILF, Mindanao, Mindanao conflict, NPA, PBMLP, Peace Process, Philippines, PRovincial Board Members, Republic of the Philippines, Sec. Guilbert Teodoro

Peace education, Mindanao context

Peace education is such a dynamic subject to teach at the university.

Chiza approached me for help to update the syllabus given to her by her superiors at Bukidnon State University over the break. One night we missed a favorite TV show just to gather and review the syllabi and lesson plans of previous lecturers of the subject.

We feel there’s got to be updating on content and context without veering away from the approved objectives of the course.

She decided on factoring in more of the Mindanao context in peace education using local exemplars, examples, experiences, stories, instructional materials, and lessons learned. (Photo by Bobby Timonera, grabbed from www.mindaNews.com)

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Governance, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines , Bukidnon, Bukidnon State University, Education, Mindanaol, Peace, Peace Education, Philippines, Teacher Education

I joined RP2010 Election Watchblog

I just want to announce that I joined RP2010 The Election Watch Blog created recently by Davao blog icon Blogie Robillo.

Here’s what I got from the new blog’s “About” page:

The RP2010.com blog endeavors to be the poll watchdog for the Philippine Presidential Elections in the year 2010. As such, we, the bloggers behind it, commit to helping ensure clean and honest elections through non-partisan coverage of election-related news and commentary.

I like poll blogging. I think this blog is different, however, because it will not only be a venue for just ANY commentary. This one leans towards and focuses on advocacy for clean and honest elections.

Inihanay sa:Elections in Mindanao, Freedom, Governance, Human Rights, People Power, Philippines, Politics , Blogging, Elections, Philippines, RP 2010 Elections

Mindanao is “One”: with some parts scarred, ruined, healing, growing

“There is only one Mindanao”.

We don’t have a Mindanao with two faces.

But the “one face” is scarred in some parts, ruined in another, healing in most parts, and mostly growing.”

I got into this reflection over the weekend when asked in an informal forum on whether there are two Mindanaos.

I said there is only one Mindanao. I compared it to the human anatomy.

Maybe the whole body is OK. But there are some parts that are injured –and the pain shows in the face of Mindanao, as others might see as the image of Mindanao.

Yes, we have to recognize that Mindanao has 27 provinces and 33 cities. Each province and city has distinct history, culture, plans, circumstances, and challenges.

But since these provinces and cities belong to one homeland or heart land, there are dynamics that occur in each locality that affects the others. The growth or pain in one, could be felt in another.

The way to heal the ailing part is not to cut it or to conceal it or just to forget about it.

There is not just one solution. There could be many ways to approach it. But it has to be cured using direct and indirect means. There has to be a constant search to find these means.

Inihanay sa:Economy, Governance, Mindanao, News, Peace Process, Philippines

“Global disorder” at back draft of Bukidnon’s 2009 budget

(NEWS) “The future appears gloom and bleak,” Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri told the provincial board Thursday citing that the debacle of economic difficulties is real and could not be ignored.
 
Zubiri has proposed a P1.06 billion-2009 budget to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan but vowed to keep budgetary controls and prioritization of expenditures amidst the treat of a global recession.
 
He cited that the country is beset with “serious global disorder” foretelling a “downfall in the global capital market that “will not spare the Philippine economy”.
 
“There is an eroding confidence in the US financial market and growing discontent on the so-called American model of capitalistic economic enterprises,” Zubiri said in his introduction.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Financing in Mindanao, Governance, Investments in Mindanao, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines, Politics, Social Security

Eagles of hope

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has announced its plan to release two new eagles into the wild of Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in January 2009.

This is despite the death of a Philippine Eagle named “Kagsabua” (unity) in July 2007, which it released just months earlier.

“What happened to Kagsabua is not a stumbling block,” a PEF official said in this report at MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Bukidnon, Environment, Eyeing Ahead, Freedom, Governance, Life in the Plateau, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Peace Process, Philippines