Must we repeat the errors of history?
IN 1913, Manila under the American colonial government opened the very heart of what is now being contended as Bangsamoro land. Six agricultural colonies were opened in Cotabato, the first one being...
View ArticleIronies in rice self-sufficiency
MORE THAN once, and on different occasions, I’ve heard farmers in Mindanao voice wonder at how too many farmers in Luzon persist in growing rice, even as that crop has failed to lift them out of...
View ArticleRussia is no Darth Vader
This is in reaction to Ilya Perenkov’s letter (“Russia presents side in Russia-Ukraine relations,” Opinion, 6/23/15). I agree with his opinion 100 percent. It is a complicated matter that European...
View ArticlePH and Burma can learn from each other
The Philippines and Burma (Myanmar) have striking differences and similarities. One difference is religious in character: The Philippines has a Christian majority and Burma has a Buddhist majority. But...
View ArticleDecommissioning, ‘best good news’ in recent past
Among the good news carried by the Inquirer in the past few weeks the decommissioning or turnover to government of firearms and heavy weapons by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is the best. It augurs...
View ArticleMindanao’s promises
There were poverty and strife all around, stories of land-grabbing and of the Ilaga (“rats”—a term applied to paramilitary forces), but always there was hope.
View ArticleAcross the river into the cornfield
AS I write this, there is live TV coverage of the moments before the “last Sona,” the final chance for P-Noy to “report” to his vaunted bosses, the Filipino people, on the accomplishments of his...
View ArticleFestering power problem
LAST NOVEMBER, President Aquino declared that Mindanao would no longer experience massive power outages in 2015. Speaking at a development forum in Davao, he said that Mindanao’s power generation...
View ArticleBangsamoro, one more try
THE BEST way to kill any discussion on the Bangsamoro is through prejudice. Considering all the opposing views on the proposed Bangasamoro Basic Law, I think it is well on its way to rigor mortis. It...
View Article‘Lumad’ in the crosshairs
The lumad, or members of indigenous communities, in Surigao del Sur—the Manobo, in particular—are suddenly finding themselves in the crosshairs or guns’ viewfinders. Whose? Why?
View Article‘Habal-habal’ dreaming
Whenever I go hiking in Mindanao and the Visayas, there is the inevitable step of riding a habal-habal. Motorcycles customized to accommodate several passengers at a time, these iron beasts of burden...
View ArticleAnother way of killing ‘lumad’
PERHAPS BECAUSE we have been so used to seeing indigenous peoples as touristy objects in many of our contrived festivals, we are suddenly stopped in our tracks when we see them assume a militant role....
View ArticleSoldiers in countryside to help, not to kill
I have read many articles about victims of military operations in Davao del Sur and other parts of Mindanao. At first glance, the articles are touching but as one reads on, the customary blaming of the...
View ArticleOne with IPs in Mindanao
We are members of the Franciscan Custody of St. Anthony of Padua (which ministers in the Visayas and Mindanao through its schools, parishes and other institutions). Recognizing our ministry to the...
View ArticleTime for peace
It is high time the war in Mindanao was stopped. I am sure most of the rebels in the mountains are tired of the war and want to lay down their arms, except that they are under intense pressure from...
View ArticleAn urgent call from Mindanao
The movement for a Brownout-Free Mindanao has an urgent call: 1) for Malacañang to convene the National Security Council to discuss the Mindanao power situation; 2) for the House committee on energy to...
View ArticleCreating a culture of vetting candidates
AS ELECTION time draws near, one hears rumors galore about national candidates. While some rumors give candidates the aura of being larger than life, still the question must be asked how the ordinary...
View ArticlePeace lives
It’s all over but the shouting. But is the Bangsamoro Basic Law really “dead,” as newspaper headlines put it? The post Peace lives appeared first on Inquirer Opinion.
View ArticleMindanao calling
Mindanao, no stranger to crisis and instability, is enduring yet another series of unfortunate events these days. The post Mindanao calling appeared first on Inquirer Opinion.
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