By Phil
Pa-alan, MMM Director
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| MMM officers, members, & other Guests with (seated) ASEC Banaag in red dress beside her at right is MMM Pres. Enriquez |
MMM
Vice President Noel Manapsal welcome the guests, visitors and participants of the
MMM affair. Secretary Dureza sent his message which was read by MMM Director
Ric Clet of DWIZ Manila,
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| (from l-r) MMM VP Manapsal, ASEC Banaag & Tubod Bagy Chair Joy Alquizar |
As you all know I’ve
been part of media prior to my stint in government, and even I am part of the
bureaucracy I was still with my fellow media men and women as Presidential
spokesperson and Press secretary during the administration of former Presidents
Ramos and Arroyo, respectively. That’s why my absence tonight is a missed
opportunity to be reunited with my friends and colleagues in the media.
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| Center-left, MMM Pres. Jun Enriquez awarded ASEC Banaag |
Given that we have the
first Mindanaoan President he is expecting the media friends of the MMM to
contribute to the success of President Rodrigo Duterte’s endeavors - especially
in the pursuit of peace, not only in Mindanao, but in the entire country. As
media we have the power to direct the conversation in communities and even
shape their views on almost all issues. We should take advantage of it use and
use it as our leverage to ignite positive changes from the grassroots.
The six point in the
Peace and Development Roadmap of the Duterte administration – which is about
building and mainstreaming a culture of peace is where you can make a
significant contribution information dissemination is always crucial in the
peace process. Misunderstanding and misinformation can spark conflicts, with
others resulting to the use of arms. You can be an instrument of peace. Our
media friends should always endeavor to contribute in generating positive
atmosphere in the local communities by providing information that makes our
people understand the intricacies of our peace efforts.
As you all know, our
meeting in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend has reinvigorated the optimism of our
Bangsamoro people. We are now moving towards the full implementation of all
signed Bangsamoro accords – resting on the principles of inclusivity,
collaboration and cooperation to bring to our Moro brothers and sisters the peace
that they long for.
Meanwhile later this
week, we will also proceed to Oslo, Norway for the resumption of peace talks
with the Communist Party of the Philippines –new people’s Army-National
Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) after being stalled for years. The government is
ensuring that most of the detained rebels will be released in time for the
formal opening on August 22. With an accelerated timeline, we are looking
forward to forging peace with the communist rebels, who have been waging armed
struggle for almost half a century now.
Inclusivity and
people’s participation in the peace process can be fruitful when our people are
well-informed and fully able to engage in the discussions. Journey with us,
help us hurdle the challenges, be critical when needed. Friends in media, let
us be partners in peace. Congratulations to new MMM officers
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| At left, PSSUPT Edgar Daniel |
Police
Senior Superintendent (PSSUPT) Edgar Daniel, Provincial Director of the Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office
(MOPPD), fully supports the peace efforts of the government and would do what
needs to be done by all means and at all costs. Daniel said two weeks ago, President
Duterte read the names in the list of political drug personalities. He said the
City Mayor and Vice Mayor of Ozamiz City surrendered their firearms. He said
the authority of the local chief executives relating to the appointment control
and supervision of the local police force had been revoked. He said, “hope all
of us will be helping in eliminating illegal drugs in our communities.”
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| At left, Lt. Col. Pompeyo Jason M. Almagro, PA |
LT.
Col. Pompeyo Jason M. Almagro, Battalion Commander of the 55th
Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, who represented Major General Gerardo
Barrientos, Philippine Army, the designated representative of Lt. Gen.
Mayoralgo Dela Cruz, also an invited guest. He said the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) in Western Mindanao Command particularly those assigned in Misamis
Occidental are supporting the peace initiatives of the government by 100
percent and he sees the hope of attaining peace in Mindanao.
Public
information Officer (PIO) Larry Enerio of Oroquieta City said that Mayor Jason
Almonte is sending his apologies as he cannot be here tonight and he must to go
back to Cagayan de Oro City for an important appointment. He said in our time
media has not been united. He said it is important to inform the people of
developments in Mindanao. He said Mindanao lags behind compared to other
islands in the country in terms of development. Peace should be attained in
Mindanao to promote development in our communities, and the people should be
informed so they could decide effectively. We cannot ignore Mindanao because
Mindanao is the food basket of the country. Enerio said we should know the
truth and the truth shall set us free.” Enerio indeed the community should work
for peace in Mindanao.
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| At left, MMM President Jun Enriquez, delivered a message |
In
his acceptance speech, MMM President Jun Enriquez, a broadcast and peace journalist,
a blogger and at the same time peace advocate, Managing Director of the Civil Society
Organization Forum for Peace (CSO-FP), based in Iligan City is advocating for a
just and lasting peace for Mindanao. Adding that MMM is a media organization
for peace. He said the MMM is practicing peace journalism by conducting media
forum for peace so that the members will be updated of the ongoing peace
process. However, funds will always be a challenge in disseminating information
and education activities. He said there is nothing wrong in advocating peace
journalism rather than advocating for war.
The MMM was organized on March 9, 2009 in Iligan City through the
efforts of the CSO-FP, a peace advocacy network of non-government organizations
(NGOs) based in Iligan City. The MMM composed of the independent media
personalities in Northwestern Mindanao considered to be the alternative media
for peace especially in peace reportage on the updates of the GPH-MILF peace
process and now to include the GPH-CPP/NPA/ NDF peace talks.
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| MMM members & Officers with ASEC Banaag |
Enriquez
said inclusive peace dialogue policies adopted by the government could lead to
the just and lasting peace for the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. The inclusive
peace dialogue key players such as the MILF, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF),
Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and
other stakeholders could mutually agree in the establishment of a new
Bangsamoro government unit focusing on the discussions of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro(CAB), the 42 consensus points as the results of the
tripartite review of the 1996 GRP-MNLF final peace agreement, the Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
defined in the peace roadmap of the Duterte Administration.
Enriquez
said that the Bangsamoro Basic law was not approved in the previous congress
due to the constitutional issues. He gathered information that under the
Duterte Administration, the new enabling law for the Bangsamoro can be approved
in the present congress setting aside the constitutional issues, and the new
Bangsamoro government unit (BGU) could be established. He said the information
added that by addressing the constitutional issues in the enabling law for the
new BGU can only be resolved through the establishment of federalism, a peace
formula inclusive for all.
Indeed
Enriquez said the MMM will continue its peace journalism advocacy to inform and
educate the people on the peace initiatives of the government. He said “we have
to educate ourselves first before we educate others.” The MMM will pursue one
united direction and continue to establish local chapters in different parts of
Mindanao and practice the concept of federalism in the organization to become
more responsive and resilient.
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| Ms. Lorry Gabule, standing, introduced ASEC Banaag |
Ms.
Lorry Gabule, manager of the office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
based in Iligan City introduced the Guest Speaker, Atty. Ana Marie Banaag, is
the Assistant Secretary (ASEC) of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO)
and Legal Affairs Office, an Igorot Tribe from the Mountain province, a lawyer
by profession, finished her Masters of laws in Canberra, Australia, a former Director
of the office of the Ombudsman, a former Mayor in a municipality of Paracelis, Mountain
province.
Assistant
Secretary Ana Marie Banaag, in her speech: “Maayong
gabii. Pahiyom ta permi para malipayon,” it means good evening, we smile always
to be happy.
I am here to represent
Secretary Martin Andanar who unfortunately cannot join you tonight due to some
urgent and pressing matters that he has to attend to.
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| PCO ASEC Ana Marie Banaag, delivered her message |
We live in challenging
times. Mindanao is on a roll. Three of the country’s top leaders are sons of
Mindanao. The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, is from Davao
City. The Senate President, Aquilino Pimentel III is from Cagayan de Oro City,
Misamis Oriental. The House Speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez, is from Davao Del
Norte. Imperial Manila has been shattered, and Mindanao, often called the Land
of Fulfilment. With the island’s rich natural resource, there is no way that
the economic promise of Mindanao will not be fulfilled.
Development, however,
would only come if there is peace. It is this reason that President Duterte
vowed to end the war and bring peace in Mindanao. He started to talk to the
MILF even before he assumed the presidency.
I am pleased to report
that within a record time of just six weeks soon after the start of the Duterte
administration, the new architecture for peace between the government and the
Bangsamoro has been drawn an crafted by the newly launched government peace panel
and the MILF in Kuala Lumpur.
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| ASEC Banaag with the MMM officers & members |
Secretary Jess Dureza,
our keynote speaker, may talk about this at length in another occasion.
Relative to this, the
Duterte administration is spending P7 trillion for infrastructure in the next
six years, which includes implementing the Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure
Network. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allotted P31.5 billion
for the Mindanao Logistics Infrastructure Network in 2017 – higher that the
P19.5 billion allocation this year.
Things are certainly
looking up and you – the media based here in Mindanao – are fortunate to
witness the unleashing of the enormous potential of Mindanao. Thus, your theme
“Community Reporting for Mindanao Progress and Development in line with the
Duterte Administration in Achieving Mindanao’s Real and Inclusive Peace,” is
timely and auspicious. You have your hands full reporting the latest peace and
development initiatives of Mindanao.
Rebuilding a nation,
however, is best done – as one British national daily newspaper wrote in its
editorial – with constructive criticisms. Kayo pong mga media counterpart, mga
kasamang private journalists ay inaasahan naming, kasama ng PNP, AFP at iba
pang ahensiya ng gobyerno. Hindi po makakausad ang mga programa ng
administrasyon pag hindi po naming kayo kaagapay na maging partner for change.
We are fully aware
that the nature of media in the Philippines is adversarial and we in the
government do not seek a compliant and patronizing media. What we therefore
hope to seek is a middle ground where we have a vibrant press that would put
agencies of government in check in the same vein a Fourth Estate that would
Communicate government’s vision and policies to people without sacrificing the
tenets of accuracy , truth, and fairness. Secretary Martin Andanar believes in
building communication bridges because he acknowledges that people will never
understand what they don’t know. Let us communicate now and understand the
President and the President’s program better.
Again, congratulations
to the Manggagawang Media ng Mindanao! Mas maganda pag mag-usap usap at hindi
mag kanya kanya para nice kayo. Daghang salamat sa inyong tanan!
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