Role of Grassroots Engagement in Bangsamoro Peacebuilding Initiatives and Upcoming 2025 Elections

Peace Advocate and Civil Society Leader Aliah Adam

A June 20 US-Philippines Society roundtable discussion with Aliah Adam, a peace advocate and Country Director of Strategic Communications and Capacity Building Project Philippines, provided insights into the dynamics of various stakeholders in the Bangsamoro Peacebuilding in Mindanao and offered opportunities to assess progress in peace efforts. Based in Cotabato City and former Marawi resident, Adam is one of the inaugural John Lewis Peace Fellows at the U.S. Institute of Peace, May-June 2024. She represents grassroots civil society focused on mediation and peacebuilding efforts in the most vulnerable communities in the most conflicted areas in the region including former combatants.

Major accomplishments have been made since the 2014 peace agreement and the historic 2019 ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, formation of the interim three-year Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which was extended due to the pandemic. The national government and the Bangsamoro Parliament who mostly come from former rebel base, the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), are tasked with the implementation of the dual track to peace: the political track or legislative and institution building, and the normalization track or disarmament of MILF forces and the transformation of guerrilla camps into productive communities. Peace and stability in the BARMM are necessary conditions to allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) shift priorities to meet external security threats.

In the remaining months leading to the May 2025 parliamentary elections, Adam cited various challenges to the normalization process that can derail sustainable peace and cause instability in the region. Adam began her presentation with a widely circulated video of Minister of Parliament Abdullah G. Macapaar, also known as “Commander Bravo,” Western Front Commander of MILF, citing unfulfilled promises under the peace agreement. Of the 40,000 targeted combatants, only 26,000 have decommissioned arms. Without alternative means of livelihood and available resources, the former rebels will revert to old ways. Peace-spoilers mostly belonging to Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the Abu Sayyaf Group and pro-Isis groups, have leveraged these sentiments to recruit members in the most conflicted areas, the very poor with no means and access to electricity, government information, and education. Adam further observed that the exit of the ceasefire agreement International Monitoring Team in June 2022 has left a vacuum for a viable platform of exchanges between rival groups, the MILF and Philippine military. The presence of new private political armed groups in anticipation of vote-buying and election irregularities instill fear among voters.

The role of grassroots organizations becomes more crucial in filling the gap. The Singanen o Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Women’s Peacebuilders Network founded by Aliah Adam engages these communities that are out of reach and have no access to the government. These local groups provide low-cost initiatives to address the root cause – means of livelihood in poultry and farming. The organization held its first civic engagement empowering workshop for targeted audiences who are just learning how to exercise the right to vote.

In partnership with the USIP led by Senior Southeast Asia Expert Brian Harding, Adam and volunteers organized peacebuilding initiatives that include the “Kambollayoka Peace Basketball Series” culminating with large boodle feast among AFP and MILF adversaries. Commander Coordination Meetings and a Joint Monitoring Center-Quick Response with a pledge of commitment to support non-violent elections were launched. Harnessing local researchers from the Mindanao State University system, Adam’s group of volunteers trained local graduate students to perform data surveys in the grassroots level.

Following Adam’s presentation, Executive Hank Hendrickson moderated a roundtable discussion with participants from the private sector, the Philippine Embassy, State Department, and US-Philippines Society commending the work of civil society, suggesting how international partners can be involved and gaining from the experience of American companies in global conflict zones, developing protocols, and successfully engaging communities, providing jobs and investing in nearby schools.

US-Philippines Society founding member and former Ambassador to the Philippines Thomas Hubbard recalled how the U.S. through USAID invested in the development and infrastructure projects in General Santos City. US-Philippines Society member Bill Campbell of I-Squared Capital, a global private equity firm, encouraged Adam to engage the private sector. He described his company’s projects in the Philippines including the cement wholesale construction and solar panel projects in support of the cement construction utilizing a viable business framework and creating jobs. Suzanne McCourt of the Australian Embassy and Duncan Donnay of the National Endowment for Democracy wanted to know how international partners can be effective in alleviating issues faced by communities.

Adam had a final point, that the government assess the progress in these most vulnerable communities in the Bangsamoro region and prioritize their needs and concerns. “Just ask them (the government) how do they see the situation in the Bangsamoro,” she urged participants. The top down peace approach needs to reach further into grassroots level. Working in tandem with bottoms-up local community-based peace building initiatives can improve the chances for sustainable peace.

In closing, President Emeritus Ambassador John F. Maisto stated that “under the past two and the current administration, the US-Philippines Society has called attention to the Bangsamoro existence. Absolutely much more needs to be done. USIP is involved in the right way. It takes a lot of patience and understanding and listening.”

RELATED BANGSAMORO PROGRAMS

Overcoming Challenges to Peace and Development in Bangsamoro Mindanao

Economic Development and Achieving Sustainable Peace in Muslim Mindanao