The mountains of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, once scarred by years of armed conflict, are now witnessing a different kind of struggle — one led not by guns, but by governance.
Mansalay Mayor Ferdinand “Toy” Maliwanag, a former member of the communist movement, is now at the forefront of bringing peace and development to his hometown.
“I was once part of the movement in these mountains,” Maliwanag admitted. “Pero nakita ko na hindi ito ang solusyon. Kapag gobyerno ang nagbigay ng tulong, doon mo makikita na may pagbabago.”
His turning point came after witnessing comrades fall in armed encounters.
Fearful that he might share the same fate, he chose to surrender and return to the fold of the law.
That decision opened the way for a new life — one centered on serving his community through public office.
Today, Maliwanag is using his position as mayor to deliver government services and opportunities that have long been denied the town’s people.
Central to this transformation is the Payapa at Magsasagang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU).
PAMANA, the government’s flagship convergence program, brings peace-building, rehabilitation, and development to conflict-affected communities.
For his municipality, it has meant farm-to-market roads, bridges, and infrastructure that have boosted mobility, trade, and access to basic services.
“When OPAPRU’s PAMANA came and built the road, the change was incredible,” Maliwanag said.
“Ngayon, kulang-kulang 200 habal-habal na ang bumabyahe. Dati ang mga bahay ng mga katutubo puro kugon. Ngayon, nakakapagbenta na sila ng kanilang produkto, nakakapag-aral ang kanilang mga anak. Umaangat ang buhay nila,” he added.
The mayor pointed out that progress came not through armed struggle but through government intervention.
For him, tangible infrastructure projects serve as proof that peace, not conflict, creates lasting change.
Under his administration, Mansalay has seen the inauguration of a new P127-million public market, the conduct of mass weddings benefiting hundreds of couples, and the rollout of skills training programs in partnership with agencies such as TESDA and DOLE.
Maliwanag credited the national government, particularly President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., for making infrastructure development in remote areas a priority.
“Noong nasa kilusan pa ako, pinaglaban ko ang farm-to-market road. Ngayon, mismong gobyerno ang nagbibigay nito,” he said.
He believes that the government’s whole-of-nation approach — which brings together national agencies, local governments, and communities — is proving effective in turning once-neglected areas into centers of growth and opportunity.
For the people of Mansalay town, the message is clear: peace has become more than a promise. It is visible in new roads, in brighter schools, and in the lives of indigenous families who now have access to livelihood and services.
“Hindi na panahon ng pakikibaka,” Maliwanag said, addressing those who remain in the insurgency. “Panahon na ng kapayapaan at kaunlaran. Panahon na ng gobyerno at mamamayan na magtulungan para sa kinabukasan.”
Reflecting on his own journey, he added, “Once, I believed that change could only come through struggle. Now, I know — peace is the harder struggle, but the one worth fighting for.”
