More measures to build peace

Arnold Garbanzos

2nd of three parts

ILIGAN City — Federalism. A very proactive form of government since it breeds, human dignity, subsidiarity, respect for culture and decentralization.

By nature the Maranao tribe is federal in set-up unlike the Sulu and the Maguindanao tribes. Once federalism happens, there will be peace in Lanao and Mindanao.

I could not understand why our government is taking so long to implement it. For all our lawmakers, it’s practically a no-brainer. This has been proven in the US, France, Germany, etc. and these countries are making giant strides in terms of economics and governance. So why prolong the process?

7. The creation of the tri-people peace council by the city of Iligan. A very much needed council of elders to address specific peace concerns among our people. This council of elders will act as an advisory board to our mayor and our city council.
8. The establishment of the Halal industry in Iligan-both for food and non-food items. No city or province in Mindanao has captured this niche. Iligan and Marawi must grab the opportunity now.
9. The recognition of the traditional leadership among the Maranao tribe — the Sultanate. There is no harm in honoring the tradition of a people. If the Japanese have the Bushido Code and the Koreans have Hwa Rang Do, there is no harm if we honor and respect the Igma and Taritib of the Maranaos and honor the Sultanate System.
10. The need for continuous dialogue between our religious leaders in the sharing of thoughts and doctrines with the view of looking for a common ground of peace and friendship. The God worshipped by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God worshipped by Ishmael and Muhammad. The need for continuous dialogue on this matter would be very beneficial for all of us. To find the common ground for peace and understanding and tolerance.
11. Couples for peace — learning from the intermarriages between Muslims and Christians. There are many intermarriages between Muslims and Christians. We could learn a lot from them as to how they were able to maintain a successful relationship despite religious differences. The testimonies of their children on the successful family are valuable.
12. Equal employment law for the tri-people of Iligan. Equal employment opportunity must be granted to our tri-people. If the Muslims comprise 30 percent of our population, then 30 percent of our employment opportunities in our city must be given to them. Of course, they must all go through the standard employment procedures based on merit and qualifications.
13. The establishment of a Muslim cemetery in Iligan. Always an electoral promise made by many politicians of Iligan but this never became a reality. It has been used as a ploy to win votes in Iligan. It is now time to make this come true.
14. Sectoral representation of the Maranao tribe in the city council. We can give this position to the Lumads of our city so much more for the Maranaos, since they contribute more to the economic activity of our city than our Lumad brothers.
15. Deputy mayors for both Muslims and Lumads (the same as in Davao). If PRRD is successful with this set-up in Davao City, I see no reason why it will not succeed in Iligan.
16. The full hydro-power development of all water falls in Iligan. Iligan has three dozen waterfalls and we have hardly scratched the surface in their full development. We can become the only city in the world which has the cheapest power source.
17. The establishment of the Ali Dimaporo-Tomas Cabili Peace Prize for outstanding peace efforts between Muslims and Christians of this nation to remind us of the great legacy of these two leaders who established the Dansalan Covenant when Marawi and Iligan blest each other tremendously.
18. The creation of the Rotary Peace Museum and Library of the tri-people to house stories, artifacts and mementos of friendship between the tri-people. The private sector must be involved in progress as a city and as a people. Since they have the budget and they have the means. This peace museum and library should be lead by the clubs of District 3870 being the only Rotary District in our country which is entirely Mindanao in its scope and jurisdiction.

Another proactive measure which I heard Davao City adapts is the setting aside of one percent of its real property taxes (taken from the Special Education Fund) to help finance the madaris schools in the city to help inculcate positive Islamic values. This is something which Iligan can follow and emulate.

These and many more are proactive measures to build peace among our tri-people. The current government approach is lacking in substance and transformative qualities. We are simply spending valuable government budget for nothing. (to be concluded)