It was on 24 August 2009 that Balay Mindanaw fielded its first Sustainable Integrated Area Development Organizer (SIADO) in the person of Rosario “Popot” Baldevia, in the Municipality of Aleosan, North Cotabato.
Popot, while doing the area profiling, organizational scanning and contact building activities, was looked after by the mission station priest in-charge, Fr. Manny Mina. For half a year, she stayed at the rest house of San Mateo Chapel with Ate Margie attending to her needs. The core group of the youth ministry of the mission station has also been with her – with their passion and creative arts that helped pave the way for Balay Aleosan (BMFI in Aleosan) to be recognized in the entire municipality. Eventually, Atty. Aying Asis, Bibing Mordeno, Jahm Kapampangan and Melody Alaban completed the team.
One day, we just realized that Mayor Cabaya, Jr. provided the team with an office space at the terminal building. From then on, the space has become an open space for everyone – bringing the tradition of leaving all footwear as a sign of inclusivity and humility. This has been a practice even at the peace center in Bulua, CDO.
In the celebration of the 16th year anniversary of BMFI, we would like to share a few milestones as regards our interventions in the municipality. Here are short accounts of inspiration, wisdom and commitment to pursue helping build equity, development and peace:
Conduct of local peace consultations: The conduct of LPC in five 
barangays was a new process, a new experience to the community. They said that planning is usually done at the Municipal level with only few representatives from the barangays invited. “The LPC experience is a different process because from start to finish we do it by ourselves and people from the different puroks are well represented”. To them, it was a rare moment of coming together, participating in analyzing their present situation, identifying their problems, prioritize and plan for their future. The activity also ensures their meaningful participation in planning and decision-making over the entire implementation of their programs and projects which will strengthen their capacity and make them capable in handling their own development. The people realized that a good and relevant BPDP is based on the present condition of the barangay, and maximizes the participation of the representative from the different sectors in order for them to impart their ideas, their needs, and their vision for their own community.
Observance of the International Day of Peace. In collaboration with the municipal local government unit (MLGU) headed by Hon. Mayor Loreto V. Cabaya Jr., the military and the police or state security forces, and some local civil society organizations – for the first time in history of the town, celebrated this year’s International Day of Peace on September 21 with the following activities:
• Tree planting in Barangay Bagolibas. One of the barangays most affected by violent conflicts in the past, Bagolibas hosted the tree planting activity spearheaded by the Mission Station Youth Council (MSYC) of Aleosan. ABC President Efren Cantomayor, who is also the Punong Barangay of Bagolibas, took the group to the school site for the tree planting site. In his opening message, he said the tree planting sends the message on the importance of planting peace in the young minds and hearts of the children, the next generation leaders. With the entire barangay council, he received the crowd with the barangay’s modest traditional coffee and cooked banana.
• Arroz caldo sa talipapa. The 40IB with the dynamic leadership of Lt. Col. Roy Galido set up broth booths for the arriving peace marchers. While the community feasted on the hot arroz caldo on a cold morning, the battalion band entertained the audience with their peace renditions.
• Peace forum. One highlight of the forum was the discussion on the latest updates on the GPH-MILF peace process, which was rumored to have already bogged down soon after the observance of the holy month of Ramadhan. The forum also included the presentation of the municipality’s program for disaster risk reduction and management; launching of the MSYC’s T-shirt printing social enterprise project; and erecting the peace pole, which carried the peace banner with the local translations of the word peace: kalilintad, kalinong, salam, kapayapaan, kalinaw and merinew. This culminated with the releasing of peace balloons, sharing of solidarity messages among support groups, then followed by a community lunch.
• MSYC peace booth. At least seven designs developed by Bitoy, one of the elders of MSYC, were displayed for T-shirt printing. Most of those who participated in the day’s events secured at least a T-shirt in support of the youth group’s enterprise project.
• Peace concert and jamming. The MSYC, including the youth organizations from high schools and other support groups, joined in the singing and dancing for peace with the 40IB Band. It was the first ever activity of its kind in the municipality. Everyone enjoyed the day up until 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
Conduct of paralegal training. Forty (40) community leaders, who mostly were trained on Operation Peace Course (Op Kors!) in Cagayan de Oro City, underwent three-day training on basic paralegalism. Aimed at helping improve land tenure in the municipality, the training also served as a bridging session between the community leaders and some key personnel from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
No less than the Municipal Mayor, Hon. Loreto V. Cabaya, Jr. himself opened the training despite of a Sunday, family day! He cited the importance of linking the historical accounts to the present situation of conflicts as regards tenurial security is concerned. This when done would help facilitate clearer understanding of issues, as well as facilitate peaceful addressing of issues in the municipality, he said. It was emphasized that knowledge and skills on laws as a tool in peacebuilding is enhanced not to create or exacerbate existing conflicts however, to help reduce conflicts in the communities. The use of non violent ways in doing this effort is encouraged.
Barangay budget tracking with the International Budget Partnership. Mr. Gary Hawes, Associate Director and International Budget Partnership Representative to the Philippines, visited the Municipality of Aleosan. Gary asked about how local governance is being concretely affected by the peace and security situation, or vice versa. Colonels Benjie Hao (7IB) and Roy Galido (40IB) shared that both governance and peace and security are big and connected challenges.
They reinforce each other. “Local leaders, just like us soldiers or even the law enforcement officers, when transparent and accountable, gain the trust and confidence of the people. The better our performance is, the greater confidence is put in us by the people,” said Galido.
Mayor Cabaya, after giving a short briefer on the situation in Aleosan, shared that he appreciated Balay Mindanaw’s local budget tracking program for it helps increase the awareness of his constituents on the essence of participatory, accountable, responsive and transparent governance.
He also said that the full disclosure policy provides the citizenry how the local budget process is done. “What is important is that when somebody asks questions, we have all the answers,” he emphasized. He also shared that despite their meager Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) being a third class municipality, together with the LFC, they are able to optimize use of this small resource.
Conduct of Mini-stakeholders’ forum: The activity is dubbed “Mini Stakeholders’ Forum: Enhancing Synergy and Meaningful Collaboration in Violence-affected Communities of Aleosan, North Cotabato” on 21 October 2011, 9:00 a.m. at the Municipal Hall of Aleosan. In the said local peace consultations, the occurrence of armed conflicts tops the list of priority problems. Priority programs or projects in terms of human resource development, land use development, agriculture-economic development and development administration have also been identified in each of the five barangays. If granted, according to those who participated in the process, these would help improve their living condition, reduce prejudices and biases among peoples, prevent conflicts from escalating into violence, and most importantly help rebuild and enhance mutual trust and confidence among conflicting parties.
Community-based peace dialogues: The barangay-based peace dialogues generally aimed at increasing awareness on the current situation of peace and security in the municipality in the context of the ongoing peace process between the government and the MILF. Specifically, the activity aimed at achieving the following: 1)help assess local peace and security situation of the municipality; 2) iIdentify immediate, concrete steps for conflict prevention; 3)help create a positive space for the local communities to begin dialoguing with each other about the challenges that they are dealing with; and enhance/maintain/build trust and good working relationship among themselves toward forging a collaborative effort in helping prevent violence.
“In the event of unprevented armed violence, at least the MLGU is now more ready with its concrete barangay plans of ensuring basic necessities of the bakwits, far more ready than before,” shared Mike Estrebillo. He added that this is the first time for the support groups to be gathered without prior notice. Most importantly he cited the meaningful impact of people dialoguing for the prevention of armed conflict.“Ang gyera ay magastos, mahirap, at marahas! We all do not want this to happen again.
Youth Peace Camp. Tree planting, tree growing at the madrasah in Barangay Dunguan was one of the highlights of the youth peace camp conducted. With the vehicle assistance from the 40IB and LGU of Aleosan, 250 tree seedlings of narra and mahogany were planted. The Madrasah is a joint project of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. Sagip Kapamilya through 40IB in partnership with BMFI, LGU of Aleosan, the Provincial Government of North Cotabato, and Barangay Dunguan. The campers together with BMFI, MSYC, 40IB and 7IB soldiers and Barangay Dunguan helped in planting the seeds. At first, there were Christian youth who were worried of their security, yet, after their short immersion thru the Tree Growing activity something really changed. One youth commented, “Wow, they are just like us after all, why are we scared in the first place?”.
In fact, many youth from Aleosan are still scared hearing the name of Barangay Dunguan but after coming there, they realized that they misjudged the place and its people. Just like them, they realized that the people of Dunguan also adheres and clamors for change and for peace.
A personal transformation sharing by Kagawad Kong in Barangay Pagangan. Through a letter, Kagawad Kong shared his personal journey with Balay Mindanaw. He started by sharing that he got sick when he was just a baby that resulted in his becoming “nguho”-disable. In his first attendance to BM-sponsored trainings, he was just silent and observing most of the time.
He said he gradually overcome his timidity after undergoing the Personal Awareness session during the Operation Peace course. He said he realized that having such a limitation is not a hindrance to his own way of doing peacebuilding in his community. Kagawad Kong is a respected Sitio Leader by everyone, a credible member of the barangay council, and a good father to his three children. Proud of himself, he said that he won the seat in the council without him participating in the election campaigns. It was the community’s decision that put him in the position.
Good Wednesday for Peace (GWGP) for security sector reform. According to Col Benjie Hao, one of the movers of GWGP, “it was not an accident when he met Balay Mindanaw. “Balay made me see things openly, I began to understand the real meaning of CSOs and my colleagues too. I don’t think magagawa ko yun, “to bring back normalcy” without Balay’s help. I had CMO military approach, but the dialogue, the soft approaches facilitated by BM were a different thing; it helped me a lot in understanding things. GWGP really made a difference”.
Security sector reform initiative in North Cotabato and Maguindanao. Both Governors Lala Mendoza and Toto Mangundadatu had their affirmation of Balay Mindanaw’s strengthening of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC). This was recognized as complementary to their existing peace efforts. The Maguindanao Task Force Reconciliation and Unification (MTFRU) is also appreciative of BMFI’s “reaching out” intention. They have organized municipal level “Rido Settlement Committees,” which as of the present though doing actual conflict resolution work, also needs more capacity building on effective communication, mediation and negotiation.
Provincial Administrator Abdulwahab Tunga, in his speech, cited that “the province is not only welcoming BMFI but inviting BMFI to be part of the provincial team for peace”. If ever BMFI would want to be more visible in the province, they are open to providing it physical space in Buluan, Maguindanao or at the PLGO office in Cotabato City.
On this 16th year anniversary celebration of Balay Mindanaw, the team continuously says its commitment and passion to help build empowered, sustainable and peaceful communities in the couth-central part of Mindanao.