It
was a cloudy afternoon of December 6, 2016 when we departed from Holy Trinity
College to visit a peace camp held at Mindanao State University. With us are
our course adviser, Ms. Beverly Anne F. Santos together with two CAS faculty
namely Prof. Rocyl E. Bagatila and Prof. Pabnaveth Bagus. Setting foot on the
wide, grassy campus of MSU, Pearl and I looked forward to knowing new things
and seeing new perspectives.
We
first mingled with the volunteer teachers of the Center for Lumad Advocacy
Network and Services Inc. who offered to teach the young students of different
schools coming from Malapatan, Palimbag, Kiamba and South Cotabato. One of the
volunteer teachers, shared us that her reason is to help the students to learn.
Jonalyn P. Balome, CEGP Chairperson, told us how the schools were ransacked and
burned by the military and as a result, students were the ones greatly affected
as they are deprived of their right to
be educated. Balome added
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| Approaching the tent of Center for Lumad Advocacy Network and Services Inc. |
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| Interview with the volunteer teachers of Center for Lumad Advocacy Network and Services Inc. |
Hearing these, I felt sympathy
towards them. I may have not seen enough proof of accusations and claims but I
cannot bring myself to accept that they could allow the young innocent mind of
these children to be victims of their feud. Still, the Lumads and Moro group
continue to shout and voice out, an action so brave and courageous and I
thought I don’t blame these people. It is their right, and freedom to fight.
Justice is the only thing they seek. Justice to retrieve what was taken and
robbed from them.
Next, we explored the MUSEO
LUMAD. The exhibit showcased the four ancestral lands of the lumads which are
Habagat (South), Kasadpan (West), Sidlakan (East) and Amihan (North). Each land
has its own story of peace, war, struggle, loss and hope. Lito Roxas, Regional
Chairperson Kilusang Mambubukid ng
Pilipinas, said the purpose of the exhibit is to expose the condition
the lumads are in and explain the reason for their fight. He told us how the
lumads’ struggle for peace started when the once peaceful ancestral land were
taken into the hands of David Consunji, a powerful businessman and is one of
the richest person in the Philippines.
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| With Mr. Lito Roxas (center) as our guide in the MUSEO LUMAD |
Since then, the once rich and
fertile land that provided the lumads with food, shelter and living were turned
into a mining site particularly at Maasim where coals are being unearthed and
in Sultan Kudarat, loggings were heightened. He also added that the
militarization forced the natives to be evacuated against their will while
those who resisted were harassed. Some were robbed of their belongings, others
were maltreated and worse, several were killed.
Others may label these people as
“activist” or “leftist”. I, for one, may not be a fan of these campaigns but
honestly, I salute the the people who support this kind of movements. I may not
be a supporter
After the exhibit, we got a
chance be acquainted with Hon. Romulo O. Solivio Sr. who is a board member from
the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng South Cotabato. We had the opportunity to
interview him and he told us how events such as this could empower the people
to be aware of the occurrences happening within our country.
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| The class with Hon. Romulo O. Solivio Sr. (second from right) after an exclusive interview. |
It was almost 6 o’clock in the
evening when we left the place. Everything I saw, heard and observed in just
hours of strolling in the campus gave me new insights of how our society is
shaped today. Whether within the vicinities of our country or outside the
boundaries of our state, it either gets better or it becomes worse.
What I learned from this
exposure is that you don’t need to be involved by actually placing your shoes
in the movement itself. Be involved through awareness and knowing both sides of
the story.
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