However, my perspective changed when I first visited Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, one of the five provinces of the BARMM, the lone autonomous region in the country and a product of a peace agreement. That was in 2023 when I covered the ceremonial signing of the implementing rules and regulations of an act providing compensation for the victims of the Marawi Siege, the five-month-long battle between government forces and the Maute Group in 2017.

I didn’t have the luxury of time to explore the city that time because I was there just for the coverage. But when I saw the busy streets and some parts of Marawi that we passed through, the environment reminded me of my hometown, Cagayan de Oro. I saw the city’s potential to become a must-visit destination in Mindanao because of its vibrant culture and tradition, hoping to have another opportunity to visit the region.

Luckily, just this March, I was one of the chosen participants of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism for an immersion activity in Cotabato City and Maguindanao del Norte. The activity, entitled Inside BARMM: A Walk-Through the Bangsamoro Region, aimed to deepen journalists’ knowledge of the region and showcase its rich culture.

During the two and a half days of touring, we witnessed the magnificent landscape of Cotabato’s Grand Mosque, where my colleagues did not waste a moment capturing themselves using their cameras in front of the holy establishment. Some of them also shopped at the Barter Trade, buying clothing products and Maguindanaon delicacies. 

We also saw our Moro brothers and sisters enjoying the colorful lights within their own BGC (Bangsamoro Government Center) as they observed Ramadan. This was the time I told myself that there is peace in the Bangsamoro region.

If I had to choose, the best part of the trip, for me, was our visit in Camp Abubakar—now called Camp Iranun—in Barangay Togaig, Barira, Maguindanao del Norte, learning about the historical value of the residence of Salamat Hashim, the founding chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a group in the Bangsamoro region that had engaged in armed struggle for years to fight for their rights to self-determination.

Only the cemented parts of Hashim’s residence were left. I initially guessed that it got damaged during a battle. But Shuaib Adam, a former brigade commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the MILF’s armed wing, explained that the structure was unfinished as they were caught by the “all-out war” imposed by former President Joseph Estrada in 2000 against the MILF.

As much as he wanted to give a detailed narrative on how cruel the situation they encountered during the war was, he decided not to provide it, as he did not want the personnel of the Army’s 1st Marine Brigade near us to feel uncomfortable.

Adam is now part of Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation, a group tasked with transforming MILF camps into peaceful and productive communities.

We also visited Darapanan MILF Administrative Camp located in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte. It’s like a normal, peaceful village full of houseowners, with BIAF forces providing security. That was my first time seeing one.

When I went back to Cagayan de Oro, I recalled our visits to Camps Abubakar and Darapanan. It made me believe that the current situation there showed proof that peace is possible even after an intense battle. It made me also think that a similar success may be possible for a group that has been continuing its armed resistance. I hope the Philippine government will consider the resumption of the peace process with the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. (RVO)