A better life for Mindanao

There’s been so  much debate lately over whether to pass the  Bangsamoro Basic Law. Some   legislators are so discouraged to support it  because of the Mamasapano tragedy  that they describe as a betrayal by   Muslim rebels specifically the  Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Lower House  suspended  deliberation of the BBL law. President Aquino  has been pushing for  passage of the law as his legacy of peace in Mindanao to the extent that he is now being criticized for unduly favoring the  MILF and supporting the BBL despite the atrocious deaths of  44 Special Action Force policemen who were basically murdered.

Now critics are  questioning  the huge budget that the Bangsamoro would be getting from the national government, comparing it to the  share that  local government units are receiving.

But I say  let us give peace a chance. Remember that many parts of Mindanao have always been ravaged by war.   Secondly, the government has  neglected Mindanao. There were times it got   support from the national government not necessarily to develop the area but for a political agenda.

The P70 billion budget allocated by the government for the  first year of existence of the Bangsamoro is good for its people in order to jumpstart the  development of Central Mindanao where many of its people suffer from inadequate education and lack of decent medical facilities.  Those who are so critical of the BBL must realize that life has not been easy for the people of Mindanao. For decades, it was neglected by the Manila central government.

We should let the people of Mindanao design their own future  and not leave it to leaders in Manila. It’s easy for us who  don’t reside in Mindanao to declare an all-out war and not support the BBL.

Decision makers who are not from there don’t know the real situation in Mindanao, with all its peculiarities  different from the dynamics of Metro Manila and Cebu.

I really pity the  people of Mindanao who are exploited by leaders in Metro Manila and  local political leaders supported by the national government. Those who favor  all-out war  don’t realize the trauma long borne by people in Mindanao. I would challenge them to share the experiences of  people who live there, especially the children and women caught in the middle of the war.

The  attitude of Muslims also reflects how we have  treated  them for decades, how we have ignored their pleas for change for so many years. Many  of our Christian brothers and sisters living in Mindanao practically own  the properties that they are residing, coexisting with Muslims.

Muslim people have their own culture and tradition. We have to respect their uniqueness.

I am not  pro-Muslim or anti-Muslim. I am pro-peace and want a better life for  people in Mindanao who have long suffered  the effects of war.

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I am in favor of reviving the  bill sponsored by Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar seeking to create a  Metro Cebu Development Authority that adopts the same concept of  the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).  This body would establish  coordination of basic services that affects localities in the metropolis like  garbage collection and waste management, and the establishment of flood control system.

We have  had bitter experience where   flooding in Mandaue City affects  neighboring localities like Cebu City in the same manner that the bad traffic in Cebu City affects  traffic in Mandaue City.

Now we experience the wisdom of the saying that no man is an island. No locality can stand alone. There  is always a need to coordinate with neighbors to provide  better  services to the public.