How much do we know about Mindanao?

This is a question posed by Prof. Patricio “Jojo” Abinales during his lecture at the University of the Philippines Cebu College. His next question was directed to the students: “How many pages about Mindanao were allotted by authors of Philippine History?” Very few pages. Very few insignificant pages.

 How many of us know that Mindanao is a very important food basket? How many of us realize that should the conflict in Mindanao continue, the rest of the country, especially the Visayas, will be greatly affected in terms of food supply?

Mindanao is rich in natural resources too. Again, if the conflict continues, so much of these abundant natural resources will be wasted due to hate and greed and politics.

Mindanao is home to many of our indigenous peoples, descendants of proud ancestors who antedated Islam and Catholicism. Should the conflict continue, their beautiful traditions, their sustainable survival techniques, their music, their dances will all be buried in the name of war.

Can you imagine Philippine History rewritten from the point of view of the Muslims, or the lumads, or the other indigenous peoples all throughout the Philippines ? Would they have ruled the Philippines had the West not conquered our islands?

 One of their continuing demands is their right to ancestral domain. Other indigenous peoples elsewhere throughout our country are also clamoring for their right to their ancestral domain.

Before the Spaniards, the Moslem sultanate had spread from Mindanao to Palawan, Mindoro, Manila and perhaps even beyond Tondo. This is now what the Muslims are clamoring to be returned to them. Their ancestral domain was so extensive then. Now, they are limited to certain parts of Mindanao. Worse, they are discriminated upon and viewed as trouble-makers, as terrorists.

Why the discrimination? Why the suspicion? There is very little known or written up about them. Our present educational system systematically excludes them and the rest of our indigenous peoples. By doing so, we are negating very important segments and lessons of our history. We are poorer in culture and pride because we have ignored, we have deliberately left out our precious link with our ancestral roots.

 We have invested more in knowing about the West, about our colonizers. In fact, our leaders would rather we learn English than lour own language. If bias against the dominant Filipino language exists, how much more prejudice exists against the languages and cultures of our indigenous peoples? This results in cultural poverty. This results in incomplete history. This results in problems of national and self identity.

 The present conflict in Mindanao sets the stage for a deeper knowledge of the Muslims and the lumads, the indigenous peoples there. Media can play a crucial role in expanding the knowledge about our brothers and sisters in Mindanao, their rich history and culture. In covering Mindanao, media can go beyond the sounds of guns, the fury of hate, the boasts and follies of politicians. Media can serve as peacemakers – providing the knowledge base that can bridge the gap between the majority of Filipinos and the rest of the indigenous peoples, starting from our Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao.

 The conflict is and should never be simplified as one involving Christians and Muslims. The ugly face of greed and politics should be shown to all as the root of all past and present conflicts in Mindanao as elsewhere.

 “Why do you want to secede?” asked an urban poor lady who came to listen to Prof. Abinales’ lecture. “Why cannot we just live together in peace?” she asked.

 The students and the rest of the audience applauded her very sincere suggestion. Yes, why indeed must we divide ourselves? Why do the poor have to be evicted from their place? Why do the indigenous peoples have to be displaced from their ancestral lands? Why can’t we share our resources as a people and why can’t we live in peace?

Yes, why not indeed? Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom leads to peace. Let us stop this war and learn more about each other, learn more from other another. And let those among us who yearn for and believe in peace join hands and voices with those silenced by war, immobilized by fear, and deprived of dreams and hopes.