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“Here we are — hoisting the Bangsamoro Flag next to the Philippine Flag for the first time ever.”
— BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Al-Hajj Murad” Ebrahim
By EDD K. USMAN
(SDN) — Blood, sweat, and tears!
The three words above aptly describe the struggle of Muslim Filipinos (Moros, Bangsamoro), first a separatist war, then for autonomy. Over 40 years of internecine warfare since 1969 killed over 120,000 people — civilians, non-combatants, government troops, and rebels — belonging to the Moro National Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Fast forward to 2021.
The MILF led by its founder and first chairman, the much revered by Moros Ustadhz Salamat Hashim and succeeded by Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, now Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim and pioneer head of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Most everyone knows BARMM abolished and replaced in 2019 the unlamented Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which was described by its critics as a political structure “designed to fail.” Did it really fail?
This month on January 18, Chief Minister Ebrahim led the raising of the Bangsamoro Flag at the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) in Cotabato City, one of the areas comprising BARMM. Other BARMM components are the ARMM core of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Lamitan and Marawi, and 63 villages outside of the region in North Cotabato. BGC was the former Shariff Kabungsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC) of ARMM.
In a voice tinged with unmistakable pride and happiness, Chief Minister Ebrahim noted at the flag raising ceremony which marked the celebration of the first anniversary of the Bangsamoro political entity the significance of the event. An event that one might say was 43 years in coming.
It was the first time the Bangsamoro Flag was raised to the sky, fluttering as it swayed to the whims of the wind.
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“Here we are — hoisting the Bangsamoro Flag next to the Philippine Flag for the first time ever,” the MILF chieftain said. He was the chief negotiator of the MILF at the time of Hashim, who founded the second Moro Front, breaking away from MNLF Founding Chairman Nur Misuari.
“We can now proudly say that we have achieved genuine autonomy that encapsulates the long history of the Bangsamoro people — our sacrifices and our shared vision for the next generation,” the BARMM top minister pointed out.
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Recall that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) adopted the Moro region’s official flag through a law it passed on August 23, 2019.
Flag raising accompanied by various activities
Apparently, the Bangsamoro banner has its roots in Muslim and Arab countries’ flag with its green, white, read colors and a golden crescent on the white color. The law that created it, BARMM’s first legislation by its Parliament, explained that flag’s symbolism, saying it embodies the Bangsamoro people’s “identity, history, struggles, and aspiration.” Its star has seven rays, a nod to the areas of the BARMM.
The Bangsamoro Information Office (BARMM-BIO) said the flag-raising event on Monday also included a symbolic turnover of school armchairs led by Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal as they also distributed relief goods and wheel chairs under Executive Secretary and Environment Minister Abdulraof Macacua.
Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, minister of the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILF) also launched regional disaster vehicles and equipment.
Still other activities were turnover of Department of Health (DOH)-XII Center for Health Development (CHD)-12 to the Minister of Health led by Minister Ameril Usman and the distribution of agricultural equipment led by Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) Minister Dr. Mohammad Yacob.
The BARMM is a transition mechanism of the BTA until 2022. On the other hand, the BARMM leadership headed by Chief Minister Ebrahim has clamored for an extension, which earned support from President Rodrigo R. Duterte. (via report from BARMM-BIO) — (/)