The Bangsamoro seeks to correct “historical injustices” in narratives that are alien to their experience as a people.
“Our identity as Bangsamoro is deeply rooted in our history and culture that has been a testament to both our struggles and aspirations,” said Dr. Salem Lingasa, chairman of the Bangsamoro Commission on the Preservation of Culture and Heritage (BCPCH).
To this end, initial outlines are evolving into working drafts of narratives submitted by researchers, including members of the academe, professional writers, scholars, and historians working for the BCPCH.
The phrase “correcting the historical injustice done to the Bangsamoro” is taken from a historic letter written by the late Chairman Salamat Hashim to the U.S. government on January 20, 2003.
This letter was acknowledged by the U.S. Government in President George W. Bush’s Address to the Joint Session of the Philippine Congress on May 19, 2003.
As of December and as early as last November, the BCPCH has convened a team of researchers, writers, annotators, and experts in interpreting old manuscripts.
They have submitted working drafts based on their assigned tasks to determine and revisit old materials for writing the Bangsamoro Historical Timeline.
The Red Root Artists Group in Manila has facilitated professional and institutional links for the BCPCH team and their partners, granting access to historical sites, libraries, and other potential sources of materials for retrieval and annotation work.
Many old sources were written in Spanish. Traditional materials such as the Tarsilan (narrative genealogy), the Khutba (oral genealogy of Sulu rulers from the Prophet), and the Codes of Diwan of Sulu and Luwaran of Magindanao—both written in classic Kiliman—are among those being annotated by primary source annotators and historical timeline writers. They will help ensure that initial drafts are completed on schedule.
Involved in writing the historical timeline and annotating primary sources are Prof. Darwin Absari from the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Islamic Studies; Dr. Ruh Javier Alonto from the Mindanao State University History Department; Prof. Juvanni Caballero from MSU Iligan Institute of Technology; Prof. Rona Repancol from the University of Santo Tomas, an expert in Spanish language; Professor Adam Acmad from MSU, who specializes in decoding Kiliman manuscripts; and journalist Nash B. Maulana.
Earlier this year, the BCPCH hosted its first consultation forum with historians to revisit historical narratives involving Moro people or characters among Moro ancestors—and contemporary socio-political experiences of the Bangsamoro.
Dr. Lingasa informed historians that their “expertise and profound wisdom could ably guide direction-setting and framework formulation” for meaningful recording of Bangsamoro narratives.
“Our long journey in our quest to chart our own path and destiny has always been anchored upon the very foundations of truth and justice. As such, it is very timely that our narratives be reflected in the annals of history,” Dr. Lingasa added.