Learning and talking peace

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province - Here in the northern barangays of Sagada where one finds the same pathways of both the New Peoples Army and the military in getting to and from the adjacent province of Abra is a favorite venue of peace-related assemblies.

On March 13-14, National Democratic Front adviser Rafael Baylosis was guest speaker in the peace forum conducted among the clergy of the Episcopal, United Church of Christ and Roman Catholic churches of Mountain Province sponsored by the Baguio-based Center for Ecumenical Movement for Action and Transformation with support of the Sagada-based Tangguyob peoples Center.

Baylosis also had an audience with women leaders and barangay officials of Sagada; women leaders from Bauko and Tadian; and some students of Bangaan National High School sponsored by Tangguyob Peoples Center last March 15.

In the NDF’s quest for lasting peace with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) peace panel, Baylosis cited four substantive agenda of talking peace with the government: the comprehensive agreement on socio- economic reforms (CASER), respect of human rights and international humanitarian law, constitutional and political reform, and the cessation of hostilities.

Baylosis said peace talks with the government currently is stalled with the non-release of 17 political activists who were detained during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo till now. Four were released and the rest still languishing in jail.

And to cap the sharing by Baylosis, peace means addressing the root causes of poverty in the country citing clear manifestations as persistent unemployment, poor delivery of basic services , unequal distribution of wealth and continuing oppression of indigenous peoples in addressing the 42-year old insurgency.

In the local scenario, making peace means establishing peace zones within the community’s given situations. Former mayor and now consultant to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Thomas Killip forwarded that the experience of Sagada in having gained its state as a peace zone meant the absence of fighting between armed elements in the community, where people are free and secured to work in their fields and tend to their grazing animals.

One is reminded of the armed operations of both the government military forces and the NPA in the late 1980s which forced the people of Sagada to declare their community as a peace zone pushed by their horrible experience of having lost lives of three innocent children- 12 year old Ben Tumapang Jr. caught in a crossfire and 15 year old Kenneth Bayang and 4 year old Hardy BagniJr fired at by drunken soldiers within the town center in 1988.

The former Sagada mayor who was then the executive head when the community was in a state turmoil when the military and the NPA were at odds within the residential areas, forwarded that while the physical concept of peace zone is not a perfect for what peace means, the experience of Sagada lays initial grounds of peace talks and further making peace address the root causes of insurgency.
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Defining peace is talking about what it means much as insurgency is a national issue. Sagada nor Mountain Province cannot disregard rebels as human beings and as citizens who basically share the same national political and economic situation and residing in the same national territory.

Elder and provincial affairs and community officer Jaime Tigan-o Dugao mentioned that peace zone does not mean the absence of war as armed forces when they meet anywhere in the country clash.

He said they fight elsewhere where there are no civilians. The concept of peace zone in Sagada when it was earlier established in the ‘80s is its (Sagada) being a neutral ground where the wounded can be treated in hospitals within the community’s territory or un-armed NPA or military members can visit their families.

In reviewing the revolutionary movement of the Philippines, Baylosis forwarded that the welfare of citizens is a foremost concern in furthering its intentions of working for just and lasting peace.

While recognizing some weaknesses of the revolutionary movement in the past, he reminded the audience of the observance of the comprehensive agreement on the respect of human rights and international humanitarian law (CARHRIHL) agreed between the GRP and the NDF in 2006.

In the light of discussing insurgency and peace zone experiences led to relating these within the current proposal of the provincial government to establish Mountain Province as a peace zone.

“It would be good to have a local term of what peace zone is in our language”, provincial administrator Franklin Odsey. What does peace zone mean beyond the occurrence of armed conflicts?
Where peace zone shall evolve a meaning of its own perspective and in the language of the communities of Mountain Province is inspiring to think about. It is in this same venue that Odsey urged the constituents of the province to be part of formulating and substantiating the concept of a peace zone relevant for Mountain Province and forward this to the provincial government for incorporation into the concept of what peace zone means .

Odsey forwarded that provincial Governor Leonard Mayaen’s concept for a peace zone is the absence of both the military and the NPA within the Mountain Province and this includes their headquarters. This concept is drawn from the premise that the military is around where the NPAs are found.

Aguid barangay captain MaximoSuyon in a separate interview said the people have consistently forwarded their sentiments to concerned authorities that the northern barangays be demilitarized.

Odsey who represented governor Leonard Mayaen in said activity, cited the programs of the government namely a five thousand peso monthly incentive when a rebel surrenders and works in his home town/barangay. He also forwarded loans for migrant workers in need of placement money and provided by the provincial government at no interest.

Baylosis encouraged the programs of the government while forwarding that surrendering does not mean peace where the root causes still persist.
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It would further be a welcome development where government address the problem of unemployment and find ways for people to employ themselves in their private capacities in a sustained manner and ease people out of their economic difficulties.

Where government addresses the problem on financial constraints among parents to educate children in college and provide scholarship and/or education benefits to a number (and not only limited) of students would be healthy governance aside from providing health benefits to reach every barangay and not only the town center.

Where government supports farmers make use of locally produced fertilizer such as compost instead of being dependent to destructive and expensive commercial fertilizers and practise of sustainable agricultural methods would be a respite for farming endeavors; while being secured in their own landholdings.

Where government ensures that every family eat a decent meal every three times a day suggests peace. Where lands, waters, air and territories are made use of within the framework of protecting these in consonance with sound customary practices and environment-friendly laws along with the repeal of laws contrary to community welfare would suggest what peace zone means.

Where laws like PD 705 will be repealed or amended as it limits the use of resources and land by indigenous peoples to their ancestral domains would be good to embrace within the concept of what peace zone means.

Where laws are people- friendly to let them control and justly or fully benefit from their resources and identify or allow or not allow programs and projects within a collectively informed and community-based consent is a government that can make a peace zone work truly.

Where public funds and properties are used for public interest and corruption done away; and where people freely participate in local governance also means peace. The list will go on.

And while peace talks go on between the government and the NDF; communities apply, learn and share their concepts and experiences in making peace to other communities and with both the GRP and NDF as well.