Making a difference

Arnold Carbanoza

ILIGAN City — Normally those who enter Malacanang (except for a guided tour) have two things in mind: a job, a budget or a favor from the President. I wonder who would one day enter its hallowed halls and say, “Mr. President I am not here for a job, favor or any funding. We are here to help you and bless this nation. In return, the only thing we need from you and our nation is respect for our culture, our religion and our way of life.”

The one who speaks these words is talking from a position of power and influence.

I think this is how the Bangsamoro should talk — their area is so rich they could pay our national debt four times over. Just think of Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao and the vast oil resources of Sulu plus the multibillion-peso hydro resources of Lanao. At a 75/25 sharing, the Bangsamoro would be the richest in our nation.

The Bangsamoro area never depended on Malacanang to survive and earn their living. Four hundred years of self-sufficiency is enough to show us their resiliency as a people and the tremendous resources of the area.

The Bangsamoro never depended on an IRA or PDAF. Who taught them to be dependent on it? It is our supposedly Catholic nation who taught them that. And what is the result?

You see the Bangsamoro is simply an amplifier of our virtues or our misdeeds. If we teach them goodness and righteousness, they will amplify it better than us. If however, we teach them acts of unrighteousness then they too will amplify it better than us. 

The question: “Is the IRA or PDAF righteous?” The way the Bangsamoro amplified these tools of economics shows its dire and sad consequences.

Is our election system righteous? The way the Bangsamoro amplified our electoral process shows the major shortcomings of the way we choose our leaders. The Ampatuan massacre should have never happened.

Is our Constitution righteous and protect all Filipinos? If yes, then why is an area superabundantly rich like Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Sulu become the nation’s poorest?

A majority Christian nation teaching a minority Muslim tribe the wrong values and the wrong government system and we all expect everything to be rosy? Think about it.

Or perhaps it would take the tribes to teach this nation how to do things right. That would be the day.

Magsaysay once said that “those who have less in life should have more in law.” But today, we know this is not true for our nation. Those who have more in life, especially the oligarchs, have more laws made to protect their interest and their pockets. This is what happened to Epira for our power industry and the onerous water deals entered into by MWSS. The current system rots.

Thus, there is a need to change our system as a nation. And federalism is the major key in this direction.

Surprisingly, there is only one predominantly Christian city in our country that can survive on its own without central government intervention just like the Bangsamoro — a city that does not need the IRA or PDAF of this government. Guess what city? Iligan.

Iligan can be a city-state like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Monaco. With a 1,000-mw power capacity and freshwater supply of almost 100 million liters a day, Iligan can soar on its own with no IRA, DAP, PDAF and all kinds of “holdups” (no pun intended).

Although Iligan is not part of the Bangsamoro, it is, however, the sole recipient of the Bangsamoro’s abundance through the lake up in Marawi. It must, therefore, acts its part and be a zone of peace, neutrality, and prosperity for the region. It is the “Gateway to the Bangsamoro.”

Running an area like the Bangsamoro or Iligan needs special knowledge and wisdom, something that only God/Allah can give.

Take note of the pattern in the Bible or Torah, if Israel is righteous, then the Tribe of Ishmael becomes a blessing to Israel. That is what happened to Abraham, Joseph and Moses (pbut), they were all blessed by Egypt.

However, if Israel is unrighteous then the Tribe of Ishmael becomes a scourge to them and that is why Allah/God allowed Darius and Nebuchadnezzar to happen. Read the book on Habakuk and you will see the pattern very clearly.

The question to our nation:  “Is the Bangsamoro a blessing to us or are they a scourge?” That all depends as to how our nation acts and the laws that it makes for its people.

Righteousness begets righteousness. In the same manner, unrighteousness begets unrighteousness.

I am for the Block Grant for the Bangsamoro — a grant which should also be granted to other federal states/regions of our country when the time comes for it to happen. But I do not agree that it should be given forever. At 75/25 sharing the block grant should only be given for five years only. Thereafter, the area should be flying on its own. Stop the culture of “padrino” and mendicancy.

Of all the regions of our country, the Bangsamoro is the only region where the 57-nation OIC is keenly attentive to. Just imagine if these nations decided to invest $100 billion in the Bangsamoro with the wealth of Brunei, Malaysia, Qatar, and Saudi combined. The Bangsamoro would “explode,” economically, making it again the most prosperous region in our country. But think of this, Bangsamoro, do you think the halal investments of these 57 nations would be allowed to get mixed up with the “pork” of this nation’s coffers? They would never allow that to happen.

Thus, the earlier you can wean yourself from the “pork” of this nation, the better for you. It is therefore imperative that you detach yourself from the IRA and PDAF of this nation and be independent, economically. Then you become the “noble” example for all regions and states of this nation on what federalism can do to a region that chooses to be its own man and one who stops “begging” from Malacanang.

Bangsamoro, think about it. Allah/God did not bless you to beg. You were born to bless and be a blessing (Genesis 12:3 and 4). Fulfill your destiny and walk the talk. That is what federalism is all about human dignity and subsidiarity.

It is now time to stand as tall as your own man!

Live long and prosper, Bangsamoro!