Historical Awareness, Social Conscience, Dialogue And Justice: Bases For Lasting Peace In Mindanao

1. Historical Awareness, Social Conscience, Dialogue And Justice: Bases For Lasting Peace In Mindanao JuvanniYahya A. Caballero Department of History MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology

2. PEACE Social Justice Social Justice Social Dialogue Social Dialogue Social Conscience Social Conscience Mass-Based Historical Awareness Mass-Based Historical Awareness The Paradigm

3. ? Post-War Period A Quick Journey through MINDANAO HISTORY Japanese Period Commonwealth Period American Period Spanish Period Pre-colonial Period

4. PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD • 1380 – Islam arrives in the Sulu archipelago • 1450 – Sulu Sultanate was born • 1515 – Islam arrives in Mindanao • 1619 – Maguindanao Sultanate emerges • 1898 – Two sultanates remained independent

5. SPANISH PERIOD • Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in 1565 and started colonization efforts thru Divide and Rule Tactic. • Christianization of subjugated natives followed. • Utilization of Christianized natives by Spanish colonizers against Islamized people of Mindanao and Sulu. • Conception of the “Moro” and “Christian” Images

6. AMERICAN PERIOD • Deterioration of Spanish-American relations which culminated in the Spanish-American War. • Spanish-American war was ended by Treaty of Paris. • Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao were ceded to the United States by Spain for $20,000,000.

7. AMERICAN PERIOD • 1899 – 1903 Americans tried to neutralize the Moros by their non-intervention policy. • 1903-1913 Organization of Moro Province and subjugation of Moros • 1913-up Filipinization of colonial administration • 1902-up Passage of Public Laws discriminatory to non-Christians

8. Some Discriminatory Laws • Act 496 of 1902 – Land Registration Act • Act 718 of 1903 – Declaring null and void all land grants made by Moro Datus/sultans and chiefs of non-Christian tribes. • Act 2874 of 1919 – allowed Christians to homestead 24 hectares while non-Christians were only allowed 10 hectares. Corporations were allowed 1,024 hectares.

9. COMMONWEALTH PERIOD • Pres Quezon also put an end to government recognition of Royal titles of Moro and Lumad chiefs. • Continuation of Filipinization and Moro disarmament. • Discriminatory land laws made under the Americans were continued by Pres. Quezon

10. COMMONWEALTH PERIOD • Moro leaders sent various petitions to the US and Philippine government not to include them in the grant of Philippine independence. • These petitions unfortunately were ignored!

11. JAPANESE PERIOD • Moro and Christian Filipinos fought side by side against the common enemy. • Government recognition of Moro contribution in the fight against the Japanese led to increased Moro participation in government. • Japanese occupation also resulted to proliferation of loose firearms

12. POST-WAR PERIOD • In 1946, US returned one independence for Muslims Christians and Lumads • 1946-early 50’s – The Mindanao/Moro problem remained dormant. • Jabidah massacre of March 17, 1968 triggered Moro secession /rebellion. • Datu Udtog Matalam formed the MIM on May 2, 1968. • Ilaga, MNLF, MILF emerges

13. POST-WAR PERIOD • Lumads started articulating their aspiration to self-determination beginning 1986. - Lumads are the first nations in Mindanao - They want no less than their own autonomous region within the Republic of the Philippines.

14. Challenge • How should we deal or address the Moro and Lumad aspirations to self determination? - all out war /genocide?

15. Cost of Conflict & War • 1971 More 1,000 people killed • 1970-1996 MNLF vs AFP: • 100,000 -120,000 slain, 50% MNLF, 30% AFP, 20% civilian • 73 billion pesos spent • MILF vs AFP in Central Mindanao: • 1997 - 30,000 evacuees • 2000 - 1,014,654 evacuees • 2001 - 24,000 evacuees • 2003 - 75,419 evacuees

16. As educators, peace advocates/workers, your role is crucial in changing Mindanao History as you mould and influence various stakeholders in Mindanao

17. Challenge • Our major challenge is actually to change History. • This does not entail we should change what was written and recorded in history books; rather, it entails the making of history now by identifying lessons in the past and repeat not the mistakes!

18. A Personal Dream I do not care if we live under one republic, or divide this country into several republics; I simply want to see a Mindanao whose people are happy, contented, reconciled and enjoying the tranquility and harmony with their brothers or neighbors;

19. A Personal Dream I simply want to see a Mindanao whose stakeholders (i.e. government, rebels, civilians among the tri-people, etc.) would not use guns, bombs and other weapons of destruction in solving their problems.

20. Thank YouwaSALAAM