Watching a film that talks of your culture, tribe and place you grew up opened up my senses as it was indeed an eye opener. Journalists Howie Severino and Samirah Ali Gutoc have told the other side of Mindanao. That Mindanao is not what most people perceived but rather a diverse people living in unity in a land they call home – Mindanao.

I realized that there are so many stories of hope to tell in Mindanao. Cultures and traditions that are not known to me, stories of war and conflict that has been long here that I only knew just now and the realizations of what their struggles and of what the government has been doing to capture the needs of the Mindanaons.
When war broke out in Mindanao, many displaced people including children have suffered. Children cope through drawing what they experienced; their trauma of war and escape. Some left their livelihood just to escape the cruelty of life. Scared for life, they don’t even know who to trust. As Howie Severino had said, only a smile can bridge a gap to tell if they are friendly or not.

Peace, I realized is hard to find if human basic needs are not met. Conflict broke out because of two warring families and groups who have different principles fighting for their own. Truce as they say is a fragile peace. Families and groups talk peace to end this cruelty. Those who have suffered experienced problems that needs to be addressed by the Government.

One basic need that has to be addressed by the government is water. The people who are affected by the conflict in Mindanao are crying for clean, potable water.  According to Dr. Parouk Hussin, only 29% of the villagers in ARMM are supplied with potable water. Without clean water, water borne diseases have affected most of the children. Secondly, rehabilitation for the refugees. Government provided for homes for the conflict affected areas; however, it was just homes without walls. Schools now become the refuge of the homeless. This led us to the third issue, lack of education. Children have to cross rivers just to be educated. Others don’t have any schools at all. A school in Buluan, Maguindanao has become an abode. Because of displacement, others don’t have a livelihood. Farming equipments they cry and safe roads for transport.
Sec. Jesus Dureza, Presidential Assistant for Mindanao, addressed the issue by rekindling the trust of the people in the government, building livelihood programs, reopening of the schools and convincing the teachers to go back and teach. He said, there are about 800, 000 people are affected in Mindanao and before it will grow it has to be addressed now.

Through community consultation with the local leaders, focus group discussions and interviews led social workers and even Non-Governmental Organizations in organizing community mapping and in creation of project proposals to aid them in rebuilding their place. Negotiations between and among groups is continually been doing by the government to settle this issue. Roads, irrigations, and employment became a tool in reducing conflict in certain towns in Mindanao.

A responsive government is what we need in our country. A government where basic needs of the people are met is all we need to achieve peace in Mindanao. I realized that there are a lot of things to be done but in order to realize these goals we need to start it now from ourselves and be responsive to the needs of people that surrounds us as well.