Establishing Peace in Mindanaw Academy or PMA now House Bill 6624

Hernandez calls for consultations among Mindanao peace advocates

The proposed Peace in Mindanaw Academy introduced by Rep. Ariel Hernandez was finally filed as House Bill 6624 at the third regular session of the 14^th Congress, in July 28, a day after the SONA.

Authored by AMIN Party List Representatives, Ariel Hernandez and Mujiv Hataman, the bill’s declaration of policy is for the State “to pursue sustainable peace in Mindanao through education and training to manage regional conflicts,” mandating the government to commit “to provide an adequate and efficient academic facility which shall adhere and coordinate a common goal towards social and economic development with the coordination and participation of the people, communities and institutions in Mindanao.”

This bill was referred to the House Committee on Higher Education and Appropriations chaired by Las Piñas Representative Cynthia A. Villar. But Hernandez and Hataman are also considering its referral to the House Special Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity,

chaired by the Representative of the 1^st District of Sulu Yusop H. Jikiri.

Immediately, both Mindanawon solons will soon convene institutions to be represented and involved in the deliberations of the said bill. These will include, among others, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of National Defense (DND), Senate Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, Mindanao Business Council (MBC), Bishop-Ulama Conference (BUC), Mindanao Congress of Development NGOs (MinCODE), and the network of Mindanao universities and state colleges.

Pleased that the bill was recognized at the House, Hernandez is taking on the challenge of making this bill a reality. “I would like to thank everyone who helped us conceptualize this bill. However, we are not yet done. We are still starting, as far as this proposal is concerned.” Peace education initiatives have gone a long way already and the Mindanawon solon especially acknowledge the civil society groups, academic institutions and peace centers who are actively pursuing this.

“Consultations with key stakeholders will now follow and I encourage peace groups and peace advocates to be part of this endeavor because one purpose of this bill is to actually institutionalize our peace education efforts in Mindanao in the light of the four decade Mindanao conflict. Especially now that clashes between the army and rebel groups are again escalating, what do these phenomena bring us to find out? How do we look at the root causes of conflict? This academy hopes to deepen our learners’ analysis of conflicts in Mindanao, to promote sustainable strategies and approaches in building peace, to support our peace process, big or small, with case studies and concrete learnings. We have to counter the negative and combative mode at the moment with positive and peaceable ones,” he added.

Hernandez further says they will appreciate comments and recommendation so people, especially Mindanawons will have a stake on the said Bill.