Balay Mindanaw: A Journey Continues

When we began our journey in 1996, all we envisioned was for a few Mindanaoans to continue serving Mindanao unobtrusively right here in Mindanao thru a vehicle called Balay Mindanaw.

From the very beginning, we have always wanted Balay Mindanaw to be Mindanao-rooted, Mindanao-based, Mindanao-focused and Mindanaoan-led. We have always wanted to contribute modestly but significantly to the building of a home that is truly Mindanaoan.

Balay Mindanaw’s vision has been very clear ever since we took the very first step of our journey: EQUITY, DEVELOPMENT, PEACE. For Mindanao, the Philippines, the World.

With our self-imposed mission of Helping Build Empowered Sustainable and Peaceful Communities, we began doing what were closest to our hearts:

1. Journeying with the Mindanaoan landless farmers as they pursue their struggle for ownership of their farmlands.

2. Holding hands with fellow Mindanaoans in our struggle for political parity and economic equity.

From working for land rights and political parity, we soon discovered the wisdom of partnership as the principles of Sustainable Integrated Area Development (SIAD) became clearer and more real to us. From sending our first SIADO to one barangay in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, we soon found ourselves engaged in fruitful and principled partnerships with more than a hundred barangays, the local government units and the Higaonon tribal communities in Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur and Loreto, Dinagat Island.

By 2004, the work for peace became clearer to us. Finally, the three key words have become alive in our work: equity, development, peace. Our engagement as independent mediator and independent secretariat in the peace process between the Philippine Government and the Mindanao-based Communist group, RPMM, opened so many doors for us. As we began to understand the essence of peacebuilding better, we began to become peacebuilders ourselves.

We continue to strive to bridge divides. We work in principled partnership both with the government military and police, and the non-state combatants in their efforts to transform themselves into builders of just and lasting peace.

We have modified our mission statement to reflect our newfound clarity of work: Helping Build Empowered Sustainable Communities. Helping Build Peace.

The peacebuilding community welcomed us and opened the doors to meaningful engagements beyond Mindanao, beyond the Philippines, and even beyond Asia. Our involvement with Action Asia has given us the chance to contribute modestly to peacebuilding work in Cambodia, East Timor, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.

We are also proud of our Peace Center, now named International Center for Peace in Mindanaw (ICPeace in Mindanaw), which is a tribute to the Mindanaoan peoples’ and communities’ quest to build their own peace.

From one small NGO called Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc. (BMFI) in May 8, 1996, we began helping give birth to like-minded and like-hearted NGOs:

• The Resource Center for Empowerment and Development (Kab-ot Gahum: RCED) in April 27, 2000 – to pursue and enhance Balay Mindanaw’s work in empowerment thru research, information and education;
• Balay Alternative Legal Advocates for the Development of Mindanaw (BALAOD Mindanaw) in August 11, 2000 – to pursue and enhance Balay Mindanaw’s work in paralegalism and access to justice;
• Balay Dabaw Sur Foundation, Inc. (BDSI) in August 1, 2002 – to sustain Balay Mindanaw’s work in Southern Mindanao; and more recently,
• Katilingbanong Pamahandi sa Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. (KPMFI) in October 17, 2006 - for social enterprise; and
• Bangko sa Balay Foundation, Inc. (BBFI) in October 16, 2007 for microfinance.

It is not enough to be relevant. We have to be sustainable. We have always believed in staying small to ensure our sustainable relevance and relevant sustainability. We have always been open to constant learning and unlearning, and in constant re-invention.

This openness has allowed us to venture into the realm of social enterprise and fair financing. Believing that inequity, poverty and unpeace could and should be addressed where they are, the two newest BM NGOs, KPMFI and BBFI, seek to transform skewed economic relationships at the lowest possible level: the household in the barangay.

The journey has been full of challenges. The journey has been meaningful. The journey has been fruitful.

And our journey continues.

Kaloy Manlupig, May 8, 2009