Beyond Politics and Power: A New Peace in Mindanao

Here is a video documentary of the GRP-RPMM Peace Process produced by the German Development Service (DED)

GRP-RPMM Peace Process: The Beginning

(Below is an article by Kaloy Manlupig titled "The “Other” Peace Process: Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Revolutionary Workers’ Party of Mindanao (RPMM)". This article best describes the beginnings of the Peace Process)

There has been an unexpected breakthrough in the search for peace in Mindanao. While much attention is given to the two major peace processes: with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP/NPA), a third process quietly began in 2003.

Towards the later part of 2002, Iligan City Mayor Franklin M. Quijano received feelers from the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa sa Mindanao (RPM-M) that they wanted to explore possibilities of entering into a Peace Process with the Philippine Government to finally put a just end to a three-decade old struggle. Both Mayor Quijano and Ike delos Reyes of RPM-M agreed to approach Kaloy Manlupig of Balay Mindanaw to seek his help. A series of serious informal meetings followed.

RPM-M used to be the Mindanao "component" of CPP/NPA/NDF until they decided to break away from the Communist Party. They eventually became known as the CMR (Central Mindanao Region) rejectionist group. They later joined other rejectionist factions from Luzon and Visayas to form the RPM-P with Ike delos Reyes as the Secretary-General. RPM-P started peace negotiations with the Estrada government but failed to reach a national agreement as Ike's Mindanao group decided to split from RPM-P. They eventually formed RPM-M.

Serious efforts were then exerted to bring this matter to the attention of the government. Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles (then of NAPC and now OPAPP) responded enthusiastically to the information. After a series of informal dialogues and consultations, Secretary Deles wrote a Joint Memorandum with the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Eduardo Ermita addressed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recommending the creation of a panel to conduct formal peace negotiations with RPM-M.

Consequently, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through Presidential Memorandum Order No. 108 dated July 19, 2003, has created the Government of the Philippines (GRP) Panel for Negotiations with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Mindanao (RPMM). The said Government Peace Panel, which is under the supervision of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), is composed of Mayor Franklin M. Quijano as Chairperson with NAPC Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles and Philippine Councilors’ League Chairperson Frolian Melendres as members.

Through the said Memorandum Order, the GRP Peace Panel has been mandated to undertake negotiations with the RPPM in accordance with the Government’s policy framework for peace and the national agenda on poverty alleviation. Similarly, RPMM has also formed its own counterpart panel.

The process that is used for this peace negotiation does not involve complex political negotiations. Rather, a local peace and development agenda that will have an immediate impact on the ground will be pursued. As part of this peace process, a series of Barangay and community-based consultations in areas where the RPMM has presence will be conducted to determine community problems as well as to identify the projects that can be undertaken as a response to these problems. The projects are expected to be mainstreamed and incorporated in all the levels of local development planning.

On September 22, 2003, the first round of formal talks and the signing of a document entitled Joint Commitment to Pursue Peace and Development in Mindanao signaled the formal process start of the peace process between RPMM and the Government. Two other documents, namely Rules for the Conduct of the Peace Talks and Rules for the Conduct of Local Consultations, were also signed.

Balay Mindanaw acts as the Independent Secretariat of this Peace Process.


(source: http://balaymindanaw.org/bmfi/essays/2004/grp-rpmm.html)

Small Victories

People empowerment starts with people believing and gaining confidence in themselves.

One of the unique features of the Peace process between the GRP and the RPMM is its inclusive and consultative nature. While the formal peace talks between the panels are being done, local peace consultations are conducted with the communities.

The local peace consultations are where communities identify problems and at the same time identify solutions. The main objective in the process are empowered sustainable communities. In these consultations most if not all of the barangays always identify livelihood projects in addressing the need to increase income of the families.

The Asia Foundation is one of those organizations who answered the call to journey with the process. TAF provides start up capital to People’s organizations in the barangays, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. CONZARRD the implementing NGO for the TAF projects says that beside the distance that they have to conquer, they also had some resistance from the communities of the project.

Like most of the communities who have experienced violent conflicts before, they are already suspicious. Barangay’s like Miatan and Carupay are one such barangays. Though the Community organizers of CONZARD have already done the protocol of doing courtesy calls to the mayor, the communities were hesitant at first, memories of conflict between the military and the NPA in the 80’s and 90’s come to their mind.

With persistence, they finally cooperated and have undergone a series of capability building seminars on handling or managing the project well. The livelihood project is not only anchored in the PO’s but the barangay local government also has its strong support. Barangay Captain Bonifacio Cabasag of Miatan said that it really helped his constituents in having access to capital and acquire livestocks such as goats chicken and sows. What is also important he says is that the PO’s are the one managing the project, giving people the confidence to stand on their own.

Esmeraldo Tomas, PO chairperson of Barangay Carupay, said they are very enthusiastic about the prospects of their project. Barangay Carupay is a subanen community and is about 40 kilometers from the national highway going up to the hinterlands. Most of the beneficiaries preferred to have horses which esmeraldo says helped them a lot in transporting their farm products. The road going to the barangay is really dilapidated and is inaccessible to Public utility vehicles.

The barangay is also under threat to mining companies. TVI or Toronto ventures incorporated have been visiting barangays, since these areas are positive with gold. One such barangay they have visited is barangay Miatan, luring barangay officials with money but the barangay captain resisted knowing the effects and what mining can do to the barangay. Farming being the major source of income would be gone. These are but some signs of empowerment.

With the peace process, they said that their barangay have become peaceful, no more military operations and armed encounters. While the journey towards peace is but long and arduous, communities are beginning that journey.

The livelihood project of TAF complements projects from other stakeholders, like the Kalahi-cidds of DSWD which implemented a hanging bridge and road gravelling of barangays miatan and carupay respectively. The building blocks of peace are there, we just have to continue building.

Remembering My Volunteer Year

Ultimately we choose our own path, or else, others will choose it for us.

Choosing to become a social development worker has not been an easy one. There were a lot of realities, both personal and social, that I had to confront, face and settle. About a year ago, I decided to join the Year of Service Volunteer Program with much enthusiasm and a thirst to learn things outside the sheltered environment of the university. After almost a year, I got more than I expected and was never disappointed.

I was assigned at Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. and was given the opportunity to explore different communities and also to explore myself in terms of my character and the determination to pursue development work. It was not clear to me at first what the task of a SIADO is, but as events unfolded, things began to crystallize as I moved along throughout the whole experience. I realized that while I was engaging social realities, I was also engaging myself. Facing the realities in the communities I work with also meant facing the realities of the self.

I was amazed at seeing and witnessing how the Barangay Development Council works. How it gave people the venue, the mechanism to discuss, debate and decide on things that matter and affect their barangay. It is through this venue that you see ordinary people articulate and expound ideas in order to lobby and engage local government units. Personally, it was an eye opener. I realized that there are still unexplored democratic spaces that need to be maximized and taken before we think of other means of effecting change in society.

During my first month, I was brought to the municipality of Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte for a local peace consultation. I had only a very little idea what a local peace consultation was. Not until I saw how it was being done did I realize its majesty and how it gives hope to the current peace talks. It is popularly known as the "the other peace process." This entirely unique peace process between the GRP and RPMM, which is mediated by BMFI, has at its core community participation and involvement as integral part the peace talks. Through the local peace consultations, I have come face to face with people who are longing to be heard, who have been waiting all the time for a long time, for basic services to reach their barangays. These are things that are unaccounted for when economists, technocrats and bureaucrats are saying the economy has grown to this and this percent because the GDP and GNP has increased to this percent therefore everything is going well.

These are but some of the highlights that have given me profound realizations and reflections throughout the year. Parallel with my external experience with the community is internal experience with the self. Both goes hand in hand. Personally as a volunteer, right at the very start, people were asking where is the wisdom behind my choice. Having just graduated and passed the board exams, people, especially relatives and family, expected "more" out of me. More meaning a high paying job. When I decided to be a volunteer and live on "modest allowance," expectations were overturned and disappointments over my decision poured in.

Then again, it has always been good to follow your heart's desire. They say it's where your treasure is. For me, it has been a source of joy and satisfaction seeing people win their own fight. Be it in accomplishing bit by bit their priority projects in their Barangay Development Plans, or be it in the efforts of the indigenous peoples' efforts to secure their ancestral domain. There is no debate whether or not to help the family; it is on the how of it. I believe that as long as I am contributing in the efforts to build a better society, I am in the long run helping my family. The experience has also taught me the value of financial management. Being a volunteer, I have always made it sure that I set aside a portion of my allowance as contribution to the family income. They say it's not the amount that matters; it is how it is given.

There would be times when the internal conflict would be so overwhelming that you would think it would tear you apart. Throughout the latter part of my volunteer year, the pressure of whether to continue in this line of work constantly hammered me, creating confusions. Those were the times when it seemed everything is stagnant and devoid of movement. The doubts cloud up the reason why I have chosen to be a volunteer in the first place. It's like forgetting the forest for the tree.

Looking back to those gloomy and confusing moments, I realized that those were just the deep breaths before the plunge. The plunge towards a deeper journey of the self, a journey towards creating a more meaningful and peaceful society. Those were the moments wherein you get wounded and broken so that more of you can be shared. The times when your intentions are purified and you will begin to see more clearly the reasons and directions of where you are heading.