Economic motivation can be a phenomenal problem when people are economically backward or living in the state of poverty. This problem is happening when the government through its established institutions failed to perform their mandated task. Concerned people have to emerge and actively participate in various activities and processes in order to survive and stand as significant witnesses in various modes so the government can pay attention and thus provide sustainable solution.
Poor economic conditions is among the factors which actually motivated among Meranaos to participate in various activities. It is observable that: 1) Some Meranaos participated in the elections in order to assume the leadership and become rich out of the government funds allocated for the improvement of their area of responsibility; 2) Civil and criminal cases in their area are rooted in economic disputes/conflicts; 3) Cooperation and unity of some Meranaos broke-up due to poor economic conditions; and 4) The prevalence of vote selling and buying; killings and kidnappings, borrowing money or any kind by the poor from the rich with fixed interest and of some Meranao children who cannot go to school to study are all directly related to poverty.
These observations imply that almost all the problems are caused by poor economic conditions. However, this does not mean that all the Meranaos are poor. But it is generally accepted that majority are economically unstable or belong to the poverty line.
Poverty, I think, does not just stem from economic factor per se. Rather, they might arise from certain psycho-social and political constraints as illiteracy and ignorance due to poor education, , poor health, lack of technology and means for productivity and gainful pursuits plus other factors as unemployment. This means that poverty emerges out of problems obtaining and affecting people in a given locality. On the other hand, economic motivation refers to the economic factors (i.e., financial problems, underdevelopment.) This is a universal phenomenon which eventually influenced concerned people to emerge to make reforms.
With this problem, the Philippine government can urge its line agencies, including the MindanaoStateUniversity to do their task in the effective delivery of basic services. This University in particular should seriously perform its mandated instruction, research and community services.
Two American servicemen stationed in the Campo Ranao up the Signal Hill, Marawi were guest speakers at a recent International Relations Forum at the Mindanao State University (MSU), overlooking the majestic Lake Lanao . But the cool air might have turned warm for the two guests who were asked all sorts of controversial issues ranging from the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to US President Barrack Obama’s agenda in the Southern Philippines . Many students were curiously asking why were American troops around Marawi, a conservative Islamic city , with barely a handful of foreigners staying because of fears of insecurity.
One officer replied the American troops were here to conduct humanitarian work and help train our local military. They tried to be diplomatic and avoided answering the more politically-loaded questions such as a future withdrawal of troops here like that of Iraq . “As long as the Philippines requests us to be here (in the Philippines ), we would stay,” one of them said.
American troops have been around Moro areas supposedly training our local enforcement authorities in intelligence and security work. What’s curious is that with the three-month kidnapping ordeal of the Red Cross personnel in Sulu , have our local forces been better trained in tracking down so-called terrorists?
Setting aside the military relationship the Moro areas have with Americans, American presence in Marawi, I told the MSU students, was a thing borne from the past, as part of a colonial legacy. During their Philippine occupation, the Americans did not just try to put up military camps in Lanao but they also became service-providers. The first hospital here, even the first secular schools were built by the Americans, even manned by them as administrators, teachers and medical workers.
In the 1970s, the Peace Corps were very visible around Marawi, particularly in the Mindanao State University . Norkaya Muhammad, a women leader here, recalls that she used to await toys and chocolate gifts from her American friends every time they arrived from the US . The gifts are reminiscent of a past where datus were supposedly granted tokens and positions in exchange for territorial space of colonizers.
The Moro – US relationship was reiterated in a conference recently held in Davao during the International Solidarity Conference on Mindanao organized by the Mindanao People’s Caucus. MILF panelist Maulana Alonto said the US knew that the Moros in the South had not given any plebiscitary consent to forming part of the Filipinas Islands during the signing of the Treaty of Paris with Spain granting colonial rights over the Philippine islands to the US . Alonto reiterated the independence of Sultanate governments during the pre- Spanish period wherein Mindanao was named as such even before the Philippines was named after King Philip.
The Moros and Americans have had a love-hate relationship. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is the biggest recipient region of US donor funding running by the billions annually. Yet the ARMM also hosted pockets of resistance to American presence in the past during the Bud Daho, Sulu and Bayang, Lanao massacres of sword-wielding datus, chieftains and their followers.
While Moros are fans of American pop culture , they are deeply committed to Islamic ideals of virtue, shunning pork, alcohol and nudity. They can listen to Madonna but they would condemn American invasion of Iraq .
While Moros would question the ultimate agenda of the US in the South, some Moro intellectuals are looking to the US to provide recognition to the Moro claim for self-determination (RSD) or governance. The US on the other hand would acknowledge the injustice of the past colonization of Moro areas and yet cannot act on any political claims of Moros.
I recall one USIP fellow tell a forum of young Moro leaders, Moros need the outside world, they need allies to champion the Moro RSD . They need to tell their stories and with the American public relations and media grinding our airwaves and webspace everyday.
Look, Bangsamoro day last March 18 is major in Moro areas but look at its practical absence in the major channels and newspapers. Hello, no coverage means nada in the agenda. You’re of zero importance.
With a stalemate in the GRP-MILF peacetalks, it is not uncanny to look for other windows of conflict-resolution. Maybe the facilitator Malaysia needs to become more creative, and techy, savvy in its approach , involving the communities affected so that there is popular participation after a botched MOA-AD in August 2008. Maybe we need to rethink American participation with its strength on public relations, where the major media networks are based – CNN and Fox.
A lot of maybe’s but really, thinking out of the box can uplift the stalemate and probably make peace nearer soon.
While women are said to hold half the skies, women also hold more than the sun, rain, its torrents and its thunders. I had just gotten the bad news from sources quoting the Marawi City Hospital , Amai Pakpak, that there were 50 incidents of rido (vendetta) - related incidents since December 2008 (in a record two months alone ) . What is fearsome is that women have been recent targets of this vendetta phenomenon, no longer isolated to men fighting among themselves with guns. Killing women would make vendetta a more powerful instrument to create fear against the enemy.
This is a sad reality facing ARMM women. While we celebrate the victory of many political rights for women, Muslim women are burdened several times over. A Moro woman is a mother, daughter, sister, teacher, cook, income-earner, housemanager to a clan of tens of heads in just one house. When the men are away because of overseas work, worse, war, the women have to solve the myriad of problems confronting a clan which range from daily acts of giving to relatives in need (from death, marriage, hospitalization etc) to political decisions of who to support in elections.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) notes that ensuring access to high-quality basic social services (i.e., education and health) is a major challenge in the Philippines . Moreso, I note, in ARMM, where all the MOST occur – POOREST, FARTHEST, thus VOICELESS and POWERLESS. The ADB further notes, while there have been some notable accomplishments in the public health system (including the devolution of health services to the local level), major geographic inequities in access to health facilities and services still exist.
Because of the sporadic war in the South , many Muslim women have migrated up North to earn income as sidewalk vendors. Sadly, many have been caught with illegal possession of drugs, thus detained in many of NCR jails.
This is not to condone their acts. But can we also look at the causes of poverty? How many layers of discrimination does a Muslim woman have to contend with? Being Woman, being Muslim, being Moro – that’s three.
If the wife of a big Muslim leader who is appointed to a Constitutional Commission is aggrieved at being turned away in applying for a rented house for her family in Manila because of being Muslim , then how much more for a poor, non-English/Tagalog speaking Badjao or Yakan from the islands?
Despite 5-8 million Muslims in the country, Muslim images in TV are not seen or mainstreamed in newspapers unless they are talking of violence by terrorists, criminals or kidnappers. The lack of inspiring images for Muslims tends to alienate them from doing better. And I hope by writing about their issues, I may be able to help Muslims better speak and articulate their concerns.
There are several proposed laws that may address the concerns of Muslim women – the Magna Carta for Women and the Anti-Discrimination Bill now pending in Senate . These would provide POSITIVE ACTION mandatorily for offices, schools, companies to provide access to MINORITIES, including Muslims who have been marginalized because of their name, identity and dressing.
Many things have to be done to empower our Muslim women. With education and more women fighting for their rights, Muslim women can be inspired to say, Yes, We Can.
Samira Gutoc
Former Secretary General, Phil Muslim Women Council
Former Editor, The MORO TIMES
Freedom of thought, speech, press and printing should be guaranteed within the perimeter of law through numerous rights instruments. But such freedom may not be abused in any way which is contrary to public interest, public order, public safety, and public morals. Everyone should be allowed to express in his or her private transactions or cultural matters or in the press or any other publications or in public meetings.
This freedom of speech is also guaranteed under international law, notably under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, although implementation remains lacking in many countries.
In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country, although the degree of freedom varies greatly in many countries. Article 25 of the Constitution of the Republic of Sudan provides that “every citizen has the right to seek any knowledge or adopt any faith, in opinion or thought, without being coerced by the authorities. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression, to receive information, to publish and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to restrictions necessary to security, public order, public safety, public morals and in accordance with law.”
Article 39 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia states that “information, publication, and all other media shall employ courteous language and the state's regulations, and they shall contribute to the education of the nation and the bolstering of its unity. All acts that foster sedition or division or harm the state's security and its public relations or detract from man's dignity and rights shall be prohibited.”
Article 23 of the Bahrain Constitution reveals that “freedom of opinion and scientific research is guaranteed. Everyone has the right to express his opinion and publish it by word of mouth, in writing or otherwise under the rules and conditions laid down by law, provided that the fundamental beliefs of Islamic doctrine are not infringed, the unity of the people is not prejudiced, and discord or sectarianism is not aroused. To be more specific, freedom of expression is also guaranteed by the Philippine constitution.
In Islam, a person is free to express against evils and mal-practices and even if it is contrary to his personal will. It is among the indicators of people’s empowerment. The heightening of such expression is obtainable in Islamic-democratic society. It is a significant factor for the success of any political leadership.
It is obvious that in Ranao, Lanao del Sur and MarawiCity in the Philippines, people are now free to express their thought and ideas through different channels of information. Experienced and knowledgeable persons can now share their insights and comments leading towards socio-economic development.
This development paves the smooth operation of radio talk programs and other channel information. The Tarompong sa Ranao Radio Forum, Inc. serves as channel of information of the general public with tact and prudence. It serves as a: reliable information to the general public using VHF two-way radios and other available communication facilities; venue of interaction and in-deep discussion on the prevailing issues and problems affecting the well being of the general public; mediator in conducting, sponsoring, implementing and coordinating in the implementation of programs, projects and activities geared towards sustainable development; and means in time of emergencies in close coordination with the duly authorities in the area.
Subject to the rules of slander, anyone who can say something on any issue, no matter how true or irrelevant it may be, can do so. In some places, only those information which can satisfy the desires of those who are in authority could be freely spoken in public.
In the different masajid (mosques), khatib (one who delivers Islamic sermons) can freely express the knowledge of Islam even if it against the desires of individuals or people in authority so long as it is for the good of the Muslim society.
Demonstration and rallies become more and more evident in many countries of the world. I remember the series of demonstration and rallies across the world against the controversial novel “SatanicVerses”. This demonstration was participated by the different sectors of the Muslim Ummah
