SIMUNUL, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 2 Oct) – Visiting Simunul feels like being in a coastal suburb of a city, with beautifully designed and painted houses that reflect the generous incomes of their owners, many of whom work in Sabah (Malaysia),
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 13 August) – August is “Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa,” which, as the phrase suggests, is a month dedicated to Filipino, the national language, rather than any other languages spoken in the Philippines. It is certainly not
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 31 July)—As parts of Mindanao and Luzon were ravaged by typhoons, we in the southernmost province experienced only gloomy weather and intermittent rain. When heavy waves became more prominent, public sea transports were advised to cancel
BONGAO, TAWI-TAWI (MindaNews / 30 July) – Residents of this southernmost capital town are accustomed to the sights of oil tankers and cargo ships traversing the Bongao-Sibutu Channel on a daily basis. However, on July 22, there was a buzz
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 2 July)—With the Basilan sorties done over the weekend, the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) has finally completed its initial provincial launch sorties. Early on, it was the ruling United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) who have had
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 1 July)—Bongao, the capital town of the province of Tawi-Tawi, celebrates its 66th founding anniversary today, July 1. When Tawi-Tawi was established as a separate province from Sulu by President Marcos Sr. in 1973, Bongao had
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 28 June)—Life moves forward, not backward. We cannot undo the past, but we can learn from it, even from painful events like the loss of loved ones. In hindsight, we may be tempted to think of
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 26 June) – The loss of a loved one is a profoundly painful experience. It takes considerable effort and time to heal or to accept the departure of a loved one. Life in dunya (on Earth)
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 24 June – It has been four months since my wife passed away from a medical ailment. I moved from Zamboanga, my work base, to Bongao to be with my kids. My immediate concern was their
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 4 Sept)—Over the weekend, we had the chance joining a group of peace, gender, special education, alternative learning system, Muslim education and indigenous peoples’ education coordinators from the Divisions of Zamboanga City and Lamitan City. The
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 25 Aug)—Over these recent days, individuals known to us have been transitioning to the next world. As Moros, we possess our own perspectives and approaches when it comes to addressing the matters of mawt (death) and
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 21 August) — We are staying in an old hotel by the coast. One likes the wide and green open space. Its serenity suits one’s introverted nature. Nature’s lullabies are everywhere. One wakes up to the
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 14 August) – The term ‘Ra’ayat’ pertains to the common people in various local languages. This concept resonates in languages such as Bahasa Indonesia and Melayu, where it is expressed as ‘rakyat.’ In Filipino, its closest
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 7 August) – Atty. Lorenzo Regallana Reyes, a fellow resident of Boan Island in Tawi-Tawi, former undersecretary, university chancellor and acting provincial governor, and current commissioner of the Legal Education Board, has been encouraging fellow Sama
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 5 August) – Weekends are always a welcome time for families and friends to unwind after a busy week, especially for those living in urban areas who long for the tranquility of rural settings. But, have
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 2 Aug)—A small group of Moro professionals is seated in a café, engaged in a lively discussion about the state and benefits of autonomy. Those who are currently employed share how they were given the opportunity
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 2 Aug)—Marben Asari, a Tausug nurse working in the Middle East, posted a comment on his Facebook page: “Could you please send me even a spoonful of mantakilya? I will take care of the bread.” Firstly,
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 31 July) – It is ‘waktu bungang-kahuy’ (fruit season) on Jolo Island, the hub of exotic fruits in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The most popular of the seasonal fruits include the duyan (durian),
DIPOLOG CITY (MindaNews / 29 July) – Traveling to Dipolog City, the provincial capital of Zamboanga del Norte, from Zamboanga City and passing through areas of Zamboanga Sibugay, as well as interacting with government officials and personnel to include those
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 22 June)—We are done with graduations and enrolment is going on across the country. I was watching an interview on YouTube conducted by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) with former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad. FMT reporter
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 6 June)—I was watching a YouTube video about a Japanese couple named Kenji and Tomoko and their transition to a rural permaculture homestead. The video was produced by Growing Small, an organization that promotes natural building,
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 2 June)—It is graduation season in the Philippines, and during this time, Filipinos are expected to display extra generosity. Among the Sinug-speaking population, generosity is rooted in the concept of “mura,” which is equivalent to the
BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (MindaNews / 31 May)—Atty. Jamar Kulayan, a commissioner in the National Amnesty Commission and a former colleague in DepEd-ARMM, recently shared an enlightening word and its definition during an online chat. The word in question is “kakistocracy,” characterized
[Speech by Noor Mohammad D. Saada, WMSU College of Nursing Class of 1993, during the College’s baccalaureate program on 15 May 2023.] Introduction As a Muslim, we learned from our Islamic theology to begin an action or activity with the
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 04 May) – I still vividly recall my experience with an ace writer. Fresh out of college, I attempted to write an essay for a local paper. However, the words that came out of the ace
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 28 April)—The Muslims are done with the month-long fasting in the month of Ramadhan. While President Marcos Jr. has declared April 21 (Friday), a national holiday pursuant to Republic Act 9177 signed into law by President
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 17 April) – I am happy to have attended the Zoom forum on creative industry sponsored by the offices of Members of Parliament (MPs) Ras Mitmug and Datu Amir Mawallil. Expanding on the topic of cultural
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 14 April) – Grateful to MPs Atty. Ras Mitmug and Datu Amir Mawallil as well as Atty. Michael Henry Yusingco for the opportunity to serve as reactor in today’s Zoom forum on the Philippine Creative Industry
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 13 April) — In a society transitioning from armed conflict towards democracy, ethnic representation serves both as a case of identity politics and a quest for just representation. While the “majority rule” holds true in a
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 12 April)— Let us get straight to the point—there is a noticeable absence of Sama participation in the leadership of BARMM. The Sinama-speaking population in BARMM is approximately 554,407, which is roughly 12.57% of the region’s
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 06 April) – As Catholics and Christians enter a long holiday for Holy Week, while us Muslims continue our month-long fast, this gives us an opportunity to reflect on our personal and family lives. I argue
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 5 April 2023)—If there is one immediate lesson learned from the tragedy of Mary Joy 3, it is the importance of knowing how to swim as a life skill. Firstly, globalization and urbanization have made life
ISABELA CITY (MindaNews / 4 April)—Just within hours after the Jolo-bound M/V Mary Joy 3 caught fire near Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, social media was abuzz with entities who are at the scene to help, who were ready to
There are photos of charred bodies from the Mary Joy 3 tragedy circulating on social media. We have to be careful about this because of the emotional and psychological effects it can elicit especially from those aggrieved individuals and families.
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 22 October) – An insider-mediation group was supported by the United Nations Development Program as an informal network of some 130 people from across the diverse backgrounds of Bangsamoro and trained on mediation and negotiation skills.
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 08 August) — These days we take our calendar as a given and for granted. We do not have a second thought about it. Yet before the arrival of the colonial powers to our shore, we
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 26 June) — These days, the buzzwords in the region are “extension” and “moral governance.” Back in our time in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), it was “reform.” The ARMM reform was made possible
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 23 June) – Recruitment and selection is one key personnel function currently undertaken in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This is consistent with the new Administrative Code. About 6,000 personnel were earlier affected
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 18 June) – This was another poignant week when we heard the news of their demise, one after the other: Dr. Bai Cabaybay Abubakar, President of Sharif Kabunsian College (SKC), and Dr. Ustadza Albaya Badrodin, retired
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 12 June) – Maybe I’m one of the few Pinoys who regularly look into monthly advocacy officially declared through presidential proclamations. The complete list is available online through the Official Gazette website (https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/calendar/). For many Filipinos,
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 11 June) – Last month, Dr Alzad Sattar, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) filed resolution number 435, urging the BARMM government to institute a bridging program in order to prepare and qualify overseas
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 03 June) – The announcement on a “no movement” Sunday came as a shock – Fr Jun Mercado is gone. He succumbed to a heart attack. We knew he was admitted to the hospital, and there
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 2 June) – Residents of the city knew that if the trend continues we will be going for a higher level quarantine. Finally, it was announced that starting on May 8, we will be on “modified
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 18 February) – Last Friday, February 12, was a national holiday in the country in observance of the Lunar New Year amidst the ongoing political tension over Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea. In the
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 28 November) – I am thankful to the Zamboanga-Basilan Integrated Development Alliance (ZABIDA), in particular to its executive director Espie Humida, for the invitation to join the virtual launch early Thursday evening of the Mindanao Week
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 25 November) – I have been a madrasah and ulama advocate for about three decades now. My advocacy centers on creating spaces within the mainstream polity for madrasah education as integral part and partner in the
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 14 July) – One of the buzzwords coming out of the BARMM plebiscite, as BTA members were being identified and as the first BARMM cabinet is being organized, is the call for inclusion. In Sinug, to
