Pursuing peace through education

MANILA, Philippines - During the martial law years, only a few dare to pass Datu Paglas, Maguindanao. 

Datu Ibrahim “Toto” Pendatun Paglas III was among the countless victims of violence that rocked the small town of Datu Paglas in the 1970s. Battle-scarred due to decades of war launched by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and later on by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), he and the other residents have no other desire but to achieve peace in their hometown.

This desire to pursue peace and seek economic growth took a leap when Datu Toto was elected to public office in 1998. As mayor, he rallied with his people and worked to regain what was lost from the hostilities. Datu Toto also became one of the founding members of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in Mindanao. 

At his passing, the establishment of Datu Ibrahim Paglas Memorial College (DIPMC) strengthened the people’s resolve to constantly seek peace and prosperity through education.

“He really desired that people in Datu Paglas would be given equal opportunities like the rest in the country and he believed that it is through education that the common good would be achieved,” recalls Badria Talembo, volunteer and college dean at DIPMC.

Operating a community college like DIMPC is not easy, so Talembo discloses. “We survive from the minimal fee paid by our students. The spirit of volunteerism is very prominent, but the need is still big,” she says. 

An elementary teacher only receives P3,000 a month as honorarium while a college instructor gets P65 per hour. According to Talembo, another concern is the Internet connection. Students conducting Internet research still have to travel to Tulunan, North Cotabato (about 10 kilometers away from Datu Paglas) just to access the web.