"

!"#" %&' (")*%+ ,&-./%+*01

2

!"# %&&"' %()*+*, %' -*&./0

3" undersland Moro SociaI InequaIily ve have lo refer lo lhe
IhiIiine's human deveIomenl index (HDI) as framevork indicalor.
As viII be discussed Ialer, lhe Moro region, lhe five rovinces of
Aulonomous Region in MusIim Mindanao, is lhe Iovesl in HDI ranking
in aImosl every calegory.
I uliIized hisloricaI aroach in conlexluaIizing Moro inequaIily
in order lo undersland lhe underIying cause of inequaIily. I slarled vilh
lhe more lhan 300 years Moro-Sanish War foIIoved by nearIy sevenly
decades of syslemalic sellIemenl of Mindanao lhal Ied lo Moro
!"#$%"&"'(&"$# and Iand derivalion.
I viII aIso discuss governmenl's oIicy on assimiIalion and
inlegralion of lhe Moro lhal slarled 1957 vhich I lhink vas an
aflerlhoughl and aIso a faiIure. I viII aIso discuss aboul lhe cosl of
confIicl lhal slarled in lhe 1970s on Moro's asserlion of righl lo seIf-
delerminalion lhal Ied lo lhe eslabIishmenl of Moro NalionaI Liberalion
Ironl, Moro IsIamic Liberalion Ironl and olher grous.
Moro's oIilicaI alronage and eIilism as veII as discriminalion
againsl Moro viII aIso be discussed. Though lhese lvo loics are nol
reIevanl lo lhe hisloricaI aroach lhey are, hovever, imeralive in
enIighlening in lhe sub|ecl of lhis discourse.
I vouId have incIude lhe 23-year oId ARMM vis-a-vis Moro
InequaIily, hovever, due lime conslrained I reserved il for anolher
discussion in some olher lime.
Of course, among Moro lhere exisls inequaIily and excIusion. Ior

"
Reaclion/Discussanl Iaer deIivered during lhe )"*+ -./.0 1$2#3&(40. 5"67266"$# 8# 9$7"(0 :#.;2(0"&<
=#3 9$7"(0 >26&"7. :# ?+. @+"0"AA"#.6 sonsored by lhe Uniled Nalions CiviI Sociely Advisory CounciI
lhrough lhe IhiIiine RuraI Reconslruclion Movemenl and vilh funding suorl from lhe Uniled
Nalions MiIIennium Camaign heId on 19 November 2012 al lhe Asloria IIaza, Iscriva Drive, Orligas
usiness Dislricl, Iasig Cily.
#
uroses of lhis discussion and due lo Iimiled lime, I viII nol deIve on
lhis sub|ecl.
102 *,3 42,25

I refer lo lhe definilion of angsamoro as rovided in lhe
Iramevork Agreemenl on lhe angsamoro defining Moro as lhose
vho al lhe lime of conquesl and coIonizalion vere considered nalives
or originaI inhabilanls of Mindanao and lhe SuIu archieIago and ils
ad|acenl isIands incIuding IaIavan, and lheir descendanls vhelher of
mixed or of fuII bIood shaII have lhe righl lo idenlify lhemseIves as
angsamoro by ascrilion or seIf-ascrilion.

The eIemenls of A.%"$3 and &.%%"&$%< vere underscored in lhe
definilionB As regards A.%"$3, angsamoro incIudes onIy lhose nalive
before Sanish conquesl and lhe &.%%"&$%"(0 eIemenl is Iimiled lo
inhabilanls of Mindanao and lhe SuIu archieIago and ils ad|acenl
isIands incIuding IaIavan.

SeemingIy, indigenous eoIe are incIuded in lhe definilion bul
by oeralion of Indigenous IeoIes Righls Acl of 1997, lhey are deemed
excIuded in lhe definilion of Moro.

42,2 *67 89+*6 :3;3(2/+36& <673=

The rovinces vilhin Aulonomous Region in MusIim Mindanao
(ARMM) are consislenlIy Iisled al lhe bollom in lhe Human
DeveIomenl Index (HDI). In lhe HDI, lhey al lhe Iovesl ranking in lhe
calegories of: Mosl Ioor Irovince, Ier Caila Income, asic InroIImenl,
Gender DeveIomenl Index, and Life Ixeclancy.
2

According lo NalionaI Anli-Ioverly Commission, 65% of lhe 40
Iooresl of lhe Ioor MuniciaIilies are from ARMM.
3
Il aIso reveaIed
lhal 351,230 househoIds or equivaIenl lo one-lhird of ARMM regislered
volers have no access lo valer.

#
@+"0"AA"#. )2!(# 5./.0$A!.#& 1.A$%& CDDEF @.(7. (#3 9.72%"&< (#3 )2!(# 5./.0$A!.#& "# &+. @+"0"AA"#.6,
2
nd
Id., ubIished by lhe Human DeveIomenl Nelvork in cooeralion vilh lhe Uniled Nalions
DeveIomenl Irogramme and Nev ZeaIand Agency for InlernalionaI DeveIomenl.
3
NalionaI Anli-Ioverly Commission's 92!!(%".6 $G &+. HD @$$%.6& $G &+. @$$% I2#"7"A(0"&".6B
$
34567 28 ,&'*)%0"#9 ": ;/<%& '-=-+"><-&0 *& 4?!!
@




>03 ?2@& 2A B.)0&.6) B,3372+# >03 >0,33 ?36&9,.3@ 42,2CD/*6.@0 1*,
In 1578, Sain made ils firsl conlacl of conquesl in Mindanao and lhe
SuIu ArchieIago. Isleban Rodriguez Iigueroa Ied il. Il vas a faiIed
conquesl lhal sanned for more lhan lhree cenluries.

Though Sain faiIed lo sub|ugale lhe Moro, il as successfuI in
slagnaling lhe Moro's oIilicaI and socio-economic deveIomenl. This
vas acknovIedged in 1933 by US Secrelary of War Ialrick HurIey
decIaring lhal The Chrislian IiIiinos had more lhan lhree cenluries of
foundalion lo slarl vilh
5
in economic and oIilicaI deveIomenl.


4
Ciled in usran-Lao, Yasmin, ?+. 7$6& $G J(% "# +2!(# 3"!.#6"$#F &+. 7(6. $G -(#($ 3.0 92%, IoIicy Noles,
IhiIiine Inslilule for DeveIomenl Sludies, No. 2006-05 (AriI 2006).
5
Slee, Thomas, I$%$ K.(%6 $G K"0"A"#$ 120., Currenl Hislory (Nev York), 41:3 (1934: Dec.) . 311.
%
Irances Slevarl, aulhor of L$#G0"7& (#3 )2!(# 5./.0$A!.#&M found
lhal confIicl caused heavy deveIomenl cosls deslruclion of hysicaI
Ianl, cros, Iand, human resources, sociaI and organisalionaI cailaI,
decIine and slagnalion in economy, horizonlaI inequaIily economic and
oIilicaI, and high overly.

These iniquilous Moro condilion vas carried over u lo lhis day.
Since lhe IhiIiines' allained ils indeendence in 1946, lhere vas
aarenlIy no concrele and effeclive oIicy lo cIose lhe lhree-cenlury
economic deficil as can be readiIy reveaIed by lhe HDI. The faiIure lo
address lhis issued had resuIled a rolracled confIicl in Mindanao lhal
Ied lhe formalion of Moro NalionaI Liberalion Ironl, Moro IsIamic
Liberalion Ironl and olher armed grous.

In lhis conlexl, ve have lo underscore lhe more lhan 300 years of
oIilicaI and socio-economic deficil in deveIomenl of lhe Moro. And
ve have lo ul lhis inlo erseclive in underslanding lhe resenl
underdeveIomenl of Moro.

42,2 4.62,.&.E*&.26 *67 -*67 :3/,.;*&.26

Inslead of cIosing 300 years deveIomenl deficil and giving lhem
credil for fighl lheir freedom from foreign dominalion, Uniled Slales'
Congress IegisIaled IubIic Land Acl in 1903. The Iav vas inlended for
lhe sellIemenl of Mindanao and SuIu ArchieIago by lhe inhabilanls
from Luzon and Visayas. Thus, lhe sIogan Mindanao: Land of
Iromise.

The oIicy of sellIemenl had furlher ul Moro vorsened economic
condilion. The sellIemenl in Mindanao resuIled lo: firsl, !"#$%"&"'(&"$# of
Moro, second, hysicaI disossession, disIacemenl and derivalion of
Moro from lheir nalive Iand, lhird, excIusion and economic
marginaIizalion.

In 1903, lhe Moros are overvheImingIy lhe ma|orily as lhey
conslilule 76% of Mindanao ouIalion. ul by 1975, Moro's
ouIalion decIined lo onIy 20% and non-Moro vas 80%. This figure
hoIds lrue in Moro's Iand ovnershi in Mindanao.

&
Governmenl-assisled migralion lo Mindanao on a Iarge scaIe
began vilh lhe eslabIishmenl of lhe IhiIiine CommonveaIlh in
1935.
6
Chrislian oIilicaI Ieaders al lhe nalionaI IeveI neilher anlicialed
nor encouraged any significanl MusIim arlicialion in lheir
deveIomenl schemes.
7
During lhe inlense oIicy of sellIemenl, lhe
governmenl subsidized lransorlalion and exlend financiaI assislance
lo sellIers. Infraslruclure such as roads, bridges, schooIs and markel
vere buiIl. In lhis eriod of sellIemenl, Moros unIike lhe sellIers vere
never been seriousIy incIuded in lhe deveIomenl oIicy.

Mindanao vas used as sellIemenl for )2N4(0(+(A. In lhe 1930s
lhere vere more lhan 20,000 }aanese sellIers in Davao Irovince
hoIding lvo-lhirds of ils arabIe Iand.
8
There vas aIso lhis Ian for
sellIemenl on Mindanao for lhe immigralion of 1,000 }evish refugees
from Germany and Auslria each year for a eriod of len years in lhe
Iale 1930's.
9


Afler more lhan 100 years since lhe enaclmenl of IubIic Land Acl
in 1903, il is Moro's lurn lo migrale bul lhis lime in urbanized areas
oulside ARMM. Thus ve have Moro Ghellos in Melro ManiIa. They are
forced lo migrale because of Iack of choices, oorlunilies and
economic aclivily in ARMM. I vas once arl and Iiving in one of lhe
Moro Ghellos in ManiIa.

34567 A B 790*<%0-' !"#" %&' C"& !"#" D">/+%0*"& *&
!*&'%&%"
2E



6
McKenna, Thomas M. I260"! 120.%6 (#3 1.4.06F O/.%<3(< @$0"&"76 (#3 =%!.3 9.A(%(&"6! "# &+. 9$2&+.%#
@+"0"AA"#.6B erkeIey: Universily of CaIifornia Iress, 1998.
7
:3.
8
Ihraim, Irank, The Mindanao IIan: IoIilicaI ObslacIes lo }evish Refugee SellIemenl, )$0$7(26& (#3
P.#$7"3. 9&23".6, V20 N3, Winler 2006, . 410436 ciling Lydia N. Yu-}ose, WorId War II and lhe
}aanese in lhe Irevar IhiIiines, >$2%#(0 $G 9$2&+.(6& =6"(# 9&23".6 27 (1996): 6873. See aIso Granl K.
Goodman, 5(/($F = L(6. 9&23< "# >(A(#Q@+"0"AA"#. 1.0(&"$#6 (Lavrence: Universily of Kansas Iasl Asia
Irogram, 1967).
9
:3.
10
W.K. Che Man , 'IrobIems of minorily ouIalions in nalion-buiIding: lhe case of lhe Moros in lhe
IhiIiines and lhe MaIays in ThaiIand', }ournaI of MusIim Minorily Affairs, 13:1, 59 70.
'


34567 F B !*G#%0*"&9 %&' 0;- (-00+-<-&0 ": !*&'%&%"
22




11
Irederick L. Wernsledl, IauI D. Simkins, ?+. >$2%#(0 $G =6"(# 9&23".6, VoI. 25, No. 1. (Nov. 1965), .
83-103.
(

Wilh lhe foregoing discussion, ve can nov undersland on vhy
bolh lhe MNLI and MILI is so asserlive on lhe issue of anceslraI
domain.

<6&3),*&.26 *67 %@@.+.(*&.26

In 1957, lhe Commission on NalionaI Inlegralion vas IegisIaled
lo "effecluale in a more raid and comIele manner lhe economic,
sociaI, moraI and oIilicaI advancemenl of lhe Non-Chrislian
IiIiinos."
12


One of ils fev subslanlive accomIishmenls of lhe CNI vas
schoIarshis for Moro sludenls lo allend universilies in ManiIa. The
CNI roduced 1,391 rofessionaI degree-hoIders oul of more lhan 8,000
schoIars for lhe eriod of 1958 and 1967. The CNI, hovever, faiIed ils
mandale lo imrove lhe economic, sociaI, and oIilicaI veII-being of
lhe Moro.

12
Congress of lhe IhiIiines, House of Reresenlalives, 1957, ReubIic Acl 1888, quoled in Goving
1979, 208.
)

>03 ?2@& 2A ?26A(.F& 26 89+*6 :3;3(2/+36&

The imacls of armed confIicl are arlicuIarIy delrimenlaI for lhe
ooresl nalions because lhey are rone lo civiI confIicls for vhich
domeslic socio-oIilicaI issues are cruciaI calaIysls.
13

In 1971, lhe armed confIicl cIaimed 120,000 Iives, miIIions of
inlernaIIy disIaced ersons, biIIions of roerlies deslroyed. Irom
2000 lo 2004, 1.4 miIIion of ils ouIalion became inlernaIIy disIaced
ersons.
14

IronicaIIy, Iack of human deveIomenl is lhe ma|or cause of var.
On lhe olher hand, var generales dislribulionaI changes, inlensifying
horizonlaI inequaIily across differenl elhnic/reIigious/lribaI grous and
verlicaI inequaIily dovn lhrough differenl income grous.
15


34567 @ B H"909 ": 4#<-' H"&:+*)0
2I




13
hll://vvv.dsace.cam.ac.uk/bilslream/1810/242019/1/cve1127.df (visiled 18 November 2012)
14
92A%( (& #$&. RB
15
92A%( (& #$&. RCB
16
92A%( (& #$&. RB

*
In lhe above discussion, ve see lhal lhere are more lhan 300 years
deveIomenl deficil in lhe Moro region foIIoved by six decades of
inlense Iand derivalion lhal uIlimaleIy resuIled lo Moro's
!"#$%"&"'(&"$#. Then ve have lhe assimiIalion oIicy. Thereafler, confIicl
in Moro region in 1970s eruled vhich u lo nov sliII exisl lhough
lhere is nov osilive hoe in lhe on-going eace rocess belveen lhe
GRI-MILI. Ior four decades since 1970s, Moro region is a confIicl zone,
again il somehov slagnale deveIomenl in lhe area.
G2(.&.F*( G,2F3@@ *67 1*,(2,7.@+
In lhe Moro region, alronage oIilics lhrived because of lhe
oIilicaI symbiolic-deendency belveen lhe oIilicians and lhe
overly-slricken ma|orily. The former rovide for basic human
subsislence in exchange of lhe Ialler's conlinued alronage. Suorlers
viII be in a lhree-year ayroII lhal vouId somehov salisfy basic human
needs for |ob, food and heaIlh. eing of Iimiled choice, one has no
sufficienl freedom lo break lhe bond.
Ireedom and Iiberly are eIusive lo men vilh emly slomachs
vhose facuIlies are loo infirm lo exercise freeviII. A differenl scenario
hovever exisls in lhe case of oIilicaI varIordism vhere fear and reign
of lerror is emIoyed lo assure oIilicaI submission, lhe Ieverage of
money-oIilics Iays a minimaI roIe. The viII of lhe eoIe is snalched
by lhe barreI of lhe gun.
When |ob, heaIlh care, educalion, food and valer, and hysicaI
securily are vanling eoIe are shul off from lheir choices. The haIess
marginaIized eoIe become vuInerabIe and exosed lo exIoilalion
aggravaled by governmenl's imolence lo guaranlee human securily.
NobeI Iaureale W.A. Levis in his Theory of Iconomics oinled oul lhal
increase in er caila income gives a man grealer conlroI of his
environmenl, and lhereby increases his freedom.
In lerms of reresenlalion, oIilicaI oorlunilies are reserved for
lhe fev eIiles. IhiIiines is a sociely dominaled by sociaI eIile, mosl
oflen by Iarge Iandovners, vho are neilher loIeranl of olher cIasses nor
efficienl enlrereneurs, according lo Irancis Iukuyama.
"+
This is a biller facl bul ils degree of imacl is lvice as vorsl in lhe
in lhe Moro areas vhere from 1946 lo 1972, oIilics in MusIim areas vas
Iimiled lo Iess lhan len overfuI famiIies.
17

H6 :.@F,.+.6*&.26
The survey conducled by @206. =6"( S0(& #* T(<(# March 2005
reveaIed lhal 47% of IiIiinos erceived lhal MusIims are
lerrorisl/exlremisls. Il aIso found lhal 55% beIieved lhal MusIims are
rone lo run amok and aboul 33 lo 44% have anli-MusIim bias. Il is
surrising hovever lhal onIy 14% of lhe resondenls had exerience
inleracling vilh MusIims vhiIe 58% based lheir |udgmenl from media.
Il shovs hov media's negalive orlrayaI of MusIims unduIy affecls
slereolying.
The foregoing findings vaIidale lhe lheory lhal lhe rocess
of increasing sociaI oIarizalion (such as lhe re|udice and biases in lhe
survey ciled) seems lo go hand in hand vilh economic oIarizalion
(such as lhe human deveIomenl index).
18

UnforlunaleIy, u lo nov lhe IhiIiines has yel lo IegisIale
Anli-Discriminalion Lav desile of lhe facl il is arly lo lhe
InlernalionaI Covenanl on lhe IIiminalion of AII Iorms of RaciaI
Discriminalion.
Wilh lhese, I hoe I vas abIe videned your erseclive on
angsamoro's SociaI InequaIilies.


17
}aIaI-ud-din deI Ios Sanlos, R. }oeI, ?$J(%36 9$02&"$# $G &+. I$%$ @%$40.!, Soulheasl Asian Affairs, 5
(1978) . 207.
18
Isleban, }. and Schneider, G., @$0(%"'(&"$# (#3 L$#G0"7&F ?+.$%.&"7(0 (#3 O!A"%"7(0 :662.6, }ournaI of Ieace
Research 2008, 45, 131.