MUNAI, Lanao del Norte (PIA) — The government, through the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN), brought essential services closer to decommissioned combatants (DCs) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and their families in Camp Bilal in this town.
About 800 individuals benefited from the caravan, which is a collaborative effort between the MILF Peace Process Office, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU), ICCMN member agencies, local government units, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ministries.
“This caravan is a testament to the government’s commitment to supporting the implementation of the Normalization Program under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” said OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
The agencies that brought various services and programs were the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, Ministry of Health, Local Amnesty Board, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD), Department of Information and Communications Technology, Ministry of Labor and Employment, and Department of Science and Technology, among others.
These agencies provided comprehensive services, including medical care, social protection, livelihood opportunities, free general check-ups with medicine, eye exams with free eyeglasses, hygiene kits, breastfeeding kits, circumcision and haircut services, minor surgeries, dental care, and pediatric services.
Social protection services included PhilHealth and PhilSys registration, birth registration, and civil document assistance. There were cybersecurity awareness campaigns, digital literacy, and eGov app orientation.
Security initiatives covered information campaigns on AFP enlistment, PNP recruitment, firearms registration, and explosive ordnance risk education.
AFP Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner Jr., delivered a message of support and highlighted their unwavering commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process.
(Photo: ADD/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
“I’m here to show the full support of the AFP to the ICCMN caravan and the normalization process. Tuloy-tuloy po ang ating efforts para mapanatili natin ang kapayapaan sa buong Bangsamoro (Our efforts to maintain peace throughout Bangsamoro continue steadily),” he said.
Furthermore, the implementation of confidence-building measures included amnesty-related assistance services and peace conversations.
National Amnesty Commission (NAC) Commissioner Jamar M. Kulayan urged MILF members intending to participate in the forthcoming First Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections to seek amnesty immediately in order to provide the NAC with sufficient time to process their applications before the filing of certificates of candidacy this October.
The current amnesty program allows MILF, MNLF, and RPMP-RPA-ABB members to file applications until March 4, 2026, while former CPP-NPA-NDF rebels have until March 14, 2026, to seek amnesty for their political offenses.
Meanwhile, decommissioned combatants and their families expressed their gratitude. Abdullah “Commander Bravo” G. Macapaar, Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, thanked the national government and the BARMM, emphasizing the importance of continued peace and cooperation between Muslim and Christian communities.
“Sana ma-maintain natin ang kapayapaan sa pagitan ng Muslim at Kristiyano. Kami na mga combatant ng MILF ay ayaw namin ng gulo; gusto namin mapanatili ang kapayapaan. Ngayon, andito na ang kapayapaan, kalilintad para sa mga Muslim. Sana hindi rin pabayaan ng ating gobyerno at ng BARMM government. Kami rin ay masaya dahil nandito kayo ngayon at nakikita natin ang lahat ng ahensya,” he said.
(I hope we can maintain the peace between Muslims and Christians. We, the MILF combatants, do not want conflict; we want to preserve peace. Now, peace is here, a calm for Muslims. I also hope that our government and the BARMM government will not neglect this. We are also happy because you are here today, and we can see all the agencies.)
Jamal Arab, a decommissioned combatant, expressed his gratitude for receiving his PhilHealth membership ID, which will be beneficial for him and his family in case of hospitalization.
“Mahal na Pangulo, itong mga proyekto na dumating sa amin ngayon, tanging masasabi ko lang ay libo-libong pasasalamat. Malaking oportunidad ito para sa amin. Malaking tulong ito sa amin,” he said.
(Dear President, a thousand thanks for bringing programs here in our community. This is a great opportunity for us. This opportunity greatly benefits us.)
Meanwhile, Cairodin Doro, another decommissioned combatant, appreciated the healthcare services, including eye check-ups and free eyeglasses.
Jamimah Hadji Rakim, a daughter of a decommissioned combatant, expressed her appreciation for the free services provided in her remote rural area. She hoped to obtain a marriage certificate, which is a requirement for PhilHealth membership and will be critical for her childbirth soon.
“Malaking bagay at malaking tulong na rin na lahat ng ahensya ay nandito para magbigay ng libreng serbisyo. Kami dito ay nakatira sa isang isolated area, kaya’t hindi kami basta-basta makapunta sa syudad kung saan nandoon ang mga serbisyo. We are very thankful na ang mga ahensya mismo ang pumunta dito sa amin,” she said.
(It is a big deal and a great help that all the agencies are here to provide free services. We live in a remote area, so it is not easy to travel to the city proper where these services are available. We are very thankful that the agencies came here to us.)
Camp Bilal is one of the six previously acknowledged MILF strongholds, and it is outside BARMM.
The caravan is an extension of the exposure trip that ICCMN member-agency representatives took to the MILF camps in November 2023. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
