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Guest author:
- DATU OMAR M. PANGARUNGAN, ex-Diplomat, Vice President for External Affairs, Jameo Al-Islamie, Islamic Center, Marawi City
MARAWI CITY, February 25, 2026 — Alhamdullilah!
The statement of someone who is, perhaps, anti-Mindanao, may trigger a positive impact and/or a big challenge on the part of Mindanaons to launch a strong public-private partnership involving the people “taong bayan” to address peace and order situation before opening its tourism industry in all parts of Southern Philippines!
But I concur with separate comments made by our Canadian vlogger whom they call “Kulas” who, like many other foreign nationals, has always had good impressions about the country! I remember the time when we, with some PCCI (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry) members based in Manila, visited Mindanao cities by land starting on from Davao to General Santos, Butuan, Cotabato, Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Marawi (stayed overnight in our family guest house by the lake in Bacolod Chico, Marawi City) Malabang, and back to Davao!
The visitors were all amazed of the beauty, kindness, hospitality and the road infrastructure they couldn’t help calling Manila business communities to convey their findings and discovery and said “all the negative comments the media people were writing about these places were all exaggerations trying to paint a bad image of this region!”
As Mr. Kulas said and I quote, “Now. Like you, I find these statements to be absolutely unproductive, negative, and simply unfair. Why? Because I know first hand how negatively generalizing and stereotyping can pull us all back from progressing towards peace.”
To all Mindanaons (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM), let us prepare and show to the world Mindanao’s rich natural resources, rich culture, abundance of halal foods ($7 trillion dollars world market), healthy oriental fruits, hospitality, kindness, generosity and amazingly rich cultural heritage — the centerpiece of world tourism!
Forget the huge malls in big cities. Tourists consider them outdated, people around the world travel to see and experience variety of peoples’ culture, lifestyles, and enjoy colorful and amazingly beautiful cultural tourism destinations!
As many of us know, Cultural tourism remains important in creating a positive image of a country or city on a global scale. After sometime in the late 90’s this motif began to disappear and now worldwide tourists started to explore authentic cultures, explore artefacts of extinct cultures, and the enthusiasm to familiarise with other cultures, and people’s food lifestyles!
Now that tourists around the world have started to reactivate enthusiasm on cultural tourism, I was reminded of Former First Lady Imelda Marcos’s future plans for the country and once said; “My dream for my country is to regain paradise for all.”
Clearly, I remember her inspiring beautiful words: “Give the rebels what they want and they will lay down their arms.” I am proud to say Imelda Marcos has unparalleled diplomatic skills. She was an inspiration to many Arab leaders who wished good for their people and country! They are aware and talked about the accomplishments of the Former First Lady, particularly the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), among many others!
In the Islamic City of Marawi, for example, we see the good partnerships between the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) and the local city government working hand in hand to complete the infrastructure rehabilitation & reconstruction of government buildings in preparation for the return of the IDPs (internally displaced people) to the MMA or Ground Zero.
Amid an ongoing threats under the so called new normal life, the government continues completing various infrastructure development projects. I am happy to note that the local residents are now one and share the view by saying that “peace and order is the driving force” that will allow them to overcome the challenges to open more doors to progress in the city and the province.”
Various stakeholders are optimistic that the city will bounce back and attract better market opportunities for the people, open up investments, and livelihood opportunities while government improves the delivery of government services closer to people. Marawians are now more than ready to give their full support to the city and provincial government’s efforts to alleviate poverty particularly in uplifting the lives of locals.
Thank you, to that “someone” for the reminder. I have long wanted BARMM officials to organize a round table discussion with us, previous representatives of our country abroad, before involving other stakeholders on this matter!
The Arab world — both the private and government sectors — have long been waiting on good developments on this matter. Let us not forget Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, the rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries’ desire for a long period of food security which Philippine Agri-industry can very well provide! (©)
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Editor’s Note:
Datu Omar M.T. Pangarungan was a former diplomat, having served with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for many years and, hence, he is a reliable expert on the Middle East, among them in trade and tourism. He was also responsible, along with other government officials, for the safe release of many OFWs in the Middle East. He is well known among Arab-Muslim leaders and still has connections in the GCC countries, having been involved and organized the visits of many Philippine leaders, including the late former President Fidel V. Ramos, ex-Presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroro and Joseph Estrada. Datu Omar was the Philippine government’s Economic Diplomacy representative of the country for 28 years in the GCC countries, specifically on trade, tourism, and culture and had successfully conquered the Arab mainstream market on tourism and trade. He had successfully organized outbound and inbound market promotion headed by former President Fidel V. Ramos and PGMA’s Presidential Envoys. Given the opportunity, he is ripe for a new mission and can help the BARMM promote trade, tourism, and Filipino culture, among others.
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