BANGSAMORO interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua has called on the people to safeguard the gains of peace in Mindanao, as he declared there would be no more armed conflict in the South.
“Never again to war, never again to division,” Macacua stressed.
The chief minister delivered the message at the start of this year’s National Peace Consciousness Month on September 1, asserting that peace is a shared responsibility among Muslims, Christians, and indigenous peoples.
“The ringing of the Peace Bell is more than a ceremony. It is a reminder of the Bangsamoro people’s deepest dream: to live in peace, with dignity, and with justice,” Macacua said.
He emphasized that while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has made significant progress in improving the lives of its people, sustaining these gains requires vigilance and unity.
He adverted to the upcoming 2025 BARMM parliamentary elections as a “crucial step in ensuring that the region’s political future reflects the will of its people.”
The BARMM polls are largely regarded as a milestone in the Bangsamoro peace process anchored on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The CAB paved the way for the BARMM and its interim parliament, while the normalization process enabled the decommissioning of MILF combatants, the disbandment of private armed groups, and grant of socio-economic assistance to former MILF fighters and their families.
Macacua said these reforms have resulted in greater peace and stability across the region, giving rise to improvements in poverty reduction, job creation, and local investments.
“Poverty has decreased, jobs have multiplied, and even the most troubled areas are now welcoming visitors. Rising investments and new opportunities are clear proof that peace delivers real change,” Macacua’s message read.
As the Bangsamoro marks the gains, Macacua urged all sectors to remain steadfast in protecting the progress thus achieved.
“Let us pledge to strengthen the peace we have built, so that generations after us will inherit not conflict, but hope. Lasting peace is within our reach, and together, we will protect it.”
