You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

free counters

Google

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Peace in Mindanao? CONTRAST

Re-published Editorial from Mindanao Daily Mirror from February 12, 2013 with friendly permission of the the publisher Marietta Siongco.

The contrast could not have been starker. President Benigno Aquino's visit to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stronghold of Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat was marked by festivities, sports events, a fluvial parade, and plenty of optimism for a future that, while still tentative, no longer looks impossible bleak.

Some 13 years ago, then-President Joseph Estrada went to the same place - then called Camp Abubakar - in a scene of destruction and waste as the military overran it in pursuance of his "all-out-war" on the MILF. The only festivities that were done by soldiers who feasted on lechon and beer -both forbidden under Islam- brought in by Estrada himself. The desecration was never forgottten and set back the peace initiatives to almost unsalvaeable levels.

The contrast between the two leaders' handling of the MILF can be jarring, and both have their share of supporters and critics. Even now, as President Aquino makes inroads to peace by visiting Camp Darapanan, some sectors are saying he is making the wrong move, and that sooner or later conflict will once again erupt in Mindanao. But it is to his credit that the President has apparently taken things personally in the island: he is thus far the only president to have visited an MILF stronghold in peace. The message he is trying to convince has obviously reached his audience: peace is not just a matter of taking to the negotiating table but also in actually meeting each other, shaking hands, even feasting and playing together. 

Time will tell if all this work, but at least for now, there is a reason to be optimistic. For the first time, peace in Mindanao is not an abstract concept discussed in Metro Manila or Malaysia but an actual event, in one which Mindanaoans themselves are participants.

No comments: