Our Children Should Now Feel the Gains of Peace – Ferrer

Butig, Lanao del Sur — Government of the Philippines (GPH) peace panel chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said that the children should not wait to feel the dividends of peace.

Coronel-Ferrer emphasized the rights of children for an enabling environment for good education, good health and better lives without fear and disturbance caused by armed conflicts.

“We don’t want our schools to be used as evacuation centers but as centers where we can have quality education,” she said during the Brigada Eskwela operation conducted together by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) in Sandab Elementary School in Camp Bushra Somyorang on Wednesday.

A member of the the MILF’s women auxiliary troops, Shamera, 55 years old cannot help but feel awed and in disbelief as she served snacks to her MILF comrades as well as government troops alike during the Brigada Eskwela.

“’Di ako makapaniwala na makikita ko ang ganito (I still can’t believe what I’m seeing),” she said. Shameera dedicated all her remaining years to serve the MILF, with neither children nor husband who she said died in an armed encounter.

“Sana tuloy-tuloy na ito. Pagod na rin kami sa giyera kahit wala akong anak gusto (ko) na maranasan ng mga bata ang kapayapaan para di nila madaanan ang karanasan ko (I hope this will continue. We are tired of war, although I don’t have children of my own, I want the kids to experience peace and not what I have gone through),” she added.

Ferrer for her part urges them not to lose hope as government is bent on pursuing peace.

“’Wag po tayong mawawalan ng pag-asa. Ito po ang ating inaayos sa pamamagitan ng peace process. Ito po ang ipinapakita natin ngayon dito sa lugar ninyo na binibigyan natin ng halaga ang kinabukasan ng mga kabataan. Kinabukasan na wala ng giyera; kinabukasan na masagana,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer added that as part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), identified MILF camps will be turned into productive and peaceful civilian communities.

Jafar Hadji Rauf , Chief Civil Military Relations of MILF-BIAF (Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces), said Butig will change its image from a major revolutionary stronghold to a key agricultural and tourism center in Mindanao as more socio-economic development will flow in when there is peace.

Rauf said that Butig has a lot of economic and tourism potentials.

It is host to Lake Butig National Park, a protected area of 68 hectares comprising Lake Butig and its surrounding forest. It was declared a national park in 1965 by virtue of Republic Act No. 4190. (OPAPP)