As part of the continuing effort towards the formulation of a Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) for a post-conflict Mindanao, the Bangsamoro Development Agency initiated a consultative workshop on May 7, 2014 at Estosan Garden Hotel in Cotabato City. It is a workshop touching on the role of culture as one of the many vehicles toward peace and sustainable development in which the end result will be used as an input and shared to form part of the said BDP.

The workshop proved productive and fruitful for it served as an avenue for the participants to discuss among themselves on the emerging issues confronting Bangsamoro culture and identify ways to move forward and address the current realities in the Bangsamoro communities among other things.

In his opening message, Jamel Macaraya, member of the BDA Board of Directors, stressed that “we intend to produce a development perspective that will not do violence against the culture of the Bangsamoro people “saying that Bangsamoro culture was, is and will never be an impediment in any area of development.

He however, noted that this is a challenge to everyone to demonstrate “that the Bangsamoro people are equally capable of developing themselves politically, economically and socially without sacrificing their precious possession – the culture.”

One of the key issues identified by the participants is the vanishing culture of the Bangsamoro owing to the strong influence brought about by many factors, such as the advent of the western culture among others. Ignorance of their own culture was also identified as one of the problems facing Bangsamoro people.

Meanwhile, Ust. Abdulgapor Taha told the group that preserving and promoting one’s culture can be a source of happiness for a nation yet “we cannot deny the fact that there are some religions/cultures, in some instances, which imposed restrictions or limitations to other people in the performance of their own culture”. That is one of the realities of the world that can be understood, he added.

Towards the latter part of the one-day workshop, valuable ideas surfaced.

Around 55 participants from Mindanao and some national agencies attended the consultation workshop. Representatives from National Historical Commission of the Philippines, International Council of Museums-Philippines, OSCC-ARMM, BCH-ARMM, Al-Qalam Institute from Ateneo de Davao University, Social Women Welfare (SWC) and ARMM RPDO were some of the key participants. Other key persons representing civil society, community (formal and informal) and women leaders, IPs and tribal leaders, youth and settlers and the academe were among those who participated in the event. The BDA Board of Directors who are members of the BDP Advisory Council, BDP Core Planning Team and Focal Persons also attended to grace the event.