Weaver of the future

In every special occasion of a Moro be it festivities, marriages, kandulis and

many more the sparkling colors of inaul is always a pleasure to the eyes. It
connotes to elegance and beauty, a colourful garment distinct and unique, a
reflection of the identity of a Bangsamoro. It is an embodiment of pride, just as
the vibrance of its colors reflects the richness of the Bangsamoro Culture. It is
a masterpiece woven and toiled by their precious hands which signifies the
perfection on its creation.

The long and hard way of making an Inaul is a metaphor of what way of life the
Bangsamoro had, just as the making the inaul it needs patience, toil and
hardwork to weave and connect every fabric to another in long hours or
perhaps days to be able to achieve a strong woven inaul. The same could be
said in the history of the Bangsamoro, a long and hard path of struggle. Way
back Spanish colonization where the Bangsamoro have been resisting attempts
to be colonized offering blood and life as sacrifices just to defend their
homelands and to keepsafe their valued identity. With the oppression they
suffered from the hands of the Americans, by subjugating and assimilating the
westernize perspective into an already established set of norms and culture of
the Bangsamoro is a disrespect to their identity. The series of legal enactments
that deprived the moros and lumads of their right in their native lands where
they were forced to be ejected in the land where they thrive since time
immemorial a process which is referred to as legalized land grabbing is an
outrage against them. Moros and even Lumads who have poor access to
education and without enough resources are powerless and voiceless to
vindicate their rights. One of my friend Kevin, as a peace and anti-poverty
advocate narrated that in one of the Forums about Bangsamoro Organic Law
where he attended a Teduray approached the microphone and cried out with a
voice of conviction and said, “If wala kang pera at wala kang pinag-aralan wala
ka ring kwenta” those very words pierced his heart and opened his eyes to the
sad reality to all the injustices suffered by the Moros and the Lumads.

Taking into account the infamous Jabida massacre, Palimbang massacre, the
all out war against the MILF by President Estrada, the SAF 44, the
Maguindanao Massacre and many other undocumented violences took
thousands of lives, destroying properties and demolishing communities are
concrete reasons of why we are suffering poverty, malnutrition, displacements,
broken and torn families which plagues the lives of the Bangsamoro.
Statistics have shown the numbers of the poorest of poor families in the ARMM
way back 1991 the ARMM is in plague of poverty, with its 2012 statistics
48.7% of all the people of ARMM is in poverty line. Kevin shared that he
literally seen these numbers, the impact of these numbers is beyond
imagination. He narrated that when he was working with the ARMM-BRIDGE a
poverty alleviation program of Gov. Mujiv Hataman as an Information Officer
which was tasked to go in the field and cover the situation of the poorest of the
poor in the region serves as an eye opener for him of what is the real picture of
the poverty in ARMM. In one of his engagements in the indigenous people of
South Upi being a beneficiary of ARMM-BRIDGE, he heard from the very
mouth of those beneficiaries the heartbreaking reality which is beyond his
imagination. “Wala pong makain ang mga anak namin sir, pag papasok sila ng
paaralan init tubig lang po iniinom nila, nag-aarawan lang kami sir mag
harvest, 180-200 pesos po tinatanggap namin at hindi po yun palagian.” They
also don’t have decent shelter, no proper comfort rooms and no electricity, thus
they are living in the darkness of poverty and are considered marginalized
sector of the society.

The efforts of the government in resolving this unspeakable havoc in the lives of
the Bangsamoro is unquestionable as the numbers would speak for itself.
During year 2012 the ARMM has 48.7% of poverty incidence rate but after all
diligent efforts and hard work in the realization of decent housing projects,
feeding programs, provision of livelihood, peace advocacy economic and fiscal
policies, creation of classrooms, capacity building programs of the government
these numbers were reduced to 48.2% in 2015, these efforts by the government
must reinforced and supplemented by all of us.

The efforts made by the current government should be reinforced to totally

address all these issues. Like the process in making Inaul, one fabric after
another, stronglly bounded together to create a magnificent masterpiece. The
same principle applies in our quest to solve the problems our society. The
solutions to the Mindanao problem must be like a fabric, one after another
strongly bounded together, in other words, everyone should partake, every
sector, every stakeholder whether Christian settlers, indigenous people, Moros,
women, youth many others. All people must work together strongly bounded by
the hope of a lasting peace and a realistic development. No magnificent inaul
could be made by just one fabric but rather it is a collection of fabrics woven
together, in the same vein no lasting peace and development in the future if we
do not work together hand in hand. No less than the basic principle of
medicine/pharmacy would tell us that no single medicine could heal all
sicknesses, thus we should collaborate with each other, not just a single effort
but a collective effort to cure this malady the Bangsamoro has been suffering
for history

I, personally being a teacher by profession has felt the heavy load that rests
upon my shoulders, for we are the ones responsible in nurturing the seed of
hope and values to the hearts and minds of all the youth. Moreover, Dr. Jose
Rizal pointed out that, “Youth is the hope of our motherland Philippines”, this
pronouncement by our national hero is a big challenge for us teachers to
religiously and with utmost dedication to mold our students to be equipped
and prepared in the future physically, mentally, spiritually and morally and for
them to be the realization of that hope Dr. Jose Rizal had envisioned.

Even the fundamental law of the land, the 1987 Constitution, undubitably

I really pray with optimism that one day all our efforts in inculcating
knowledge, wisdom and values to all the youth will spring forth; Engineers-
that will build roads of development and bridges of unity, Doctors-to cure the
illness of poverty and violence, Architects- that will design a better life for all
Bangsamoro, Sculptor- that will carve the statue of success, Lawyers- that will
invoke morals and values, farmers- that will reap the fruits of progress and
most of all weavers-that will weave the fabric of brighter future not just for the
Bangsamoro but for all Filipinos