04-06 August 2024 — Doug Klassen’s visit to Mindanao was, at its heart, a journey of companionship. As Executive Minister of Mennonite Church Canada (MCCanada), Doug came not merely to see projects or attend meetings, but to walk alongside us—listening, learning, and sharing in the life of our community. For three days, we moved together through the varied landscapes of Mindanao, carrying conversations that deepened our bond as companions in peacebuilding. On the first day, he shared breakfast with CFP staff and baristas, lunch with PBCI staff, held an afternoon meeting with Bennette Grace Tenecio-Mañulit, and concluded the day with dinner alongside the Mindanao PeaceWeavers’ leadership. The second day took us to Camp Darapanan for a meeting with senior Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) representatives, followed by lunch in Cotabato City with Datu Haron Al-Rasheed Baraguir. On the third day, we traveled to the Malipayon Peace Hub (MPH) where Doug had breakfast with MPH staff before returning to Davao City for a lunch meeting with the PBCI Board of Trustees. The visit concluded with a reflective meeting between Doug, Joji, and me.
Connecting with PBCI and CFP Staff in Davao City
The first morning unfolded in the warm aroma of freshly brewed arabica as we sat down with the Coffee for Peace staff and baristas. “This coffee isn’t just for CFP communities’ livelihood,” Joji Pantoja, Chair and CEO, told Doug with a quiet smile. “It’s one of their significant bridges to people who used to be their enemies.”
Doug listened intently, cradling his cup, nodding slowly as if tasting the depth of the story itself. “I’m not here to supervise,” he said, addressing the CFP baristas and staff. “I’m here as a friend, as an equal… stuff like these make a difference and eventually transforms the world.” Later, over lunch with the PeaceBuilders Community staff, the air filled with the hum of voices sharing field updates—farmers’ successes, interfaith dialogues, small reconciliations that ripple outwards like gentle waves. In the afternoon, Doug met with Bennette Grace Tenecio-Mañulit, our Executive-in-Training. Their conversation flowed easily—part mentorship, part heart-to-heart—touching on the sacred responsibility of leading with integrity. As evening fell, the Mindanao PeaceWeavers’ leadership gathered around a table heavy with food. The conversation danced between strategy and storytelling, between the reality of present tensions and the shared vision of a just and lasting peace.
Listening to the MILF on the Peace Process
The second day began in darkness, our van leaving Davao long before sunrise. The headlights cut through the mist, and the road stretched ahead in a ribbon of anticipation. Along the way, Doug asked questions about the Bangsamoro struggle, and we spoke of decades of pain and resilience. At Camp Darapanan, the seat of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), we were welcomed with the formality and warmth of a people who understand the power of hospitality.
The MILF representatives, Hon. Von Alhaq, MILF spokesperson, and Hon. Anwar Alamada, peace leader and member of the MILF Central Committee, shared their journey from armed resistance to political engagement. “We need your support to amplify our voice toward normalization and decommissioning,” Von Alhaq said. The MILF spokesperson clarified to Doug what he meant. From the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) perspective, normalization comes first—not as a bureaucratic step, but as the essential environment in which peace can take root. Normalization is the comprehensive transformation of the Bangsamoro homeland from a state of armed conflict into a just, peaceful, and self-governing society. It means that communities are safe from the threats of armed violence, discrimination, and state neglect; that the Bangsamoro Government is functioning effectively under the guarantees of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL); and that combatants, their families, and conflict-affected communities receive tangible socio-economic benefits—livelihood opportunities, education, health services, and infrastructure. It also includes transitional justice to address historical injustices and restore dignity to those who have suffered. In the MILF’s view, normalization is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, safety, and opportunity. Decommissioning, in this context, is a crucial but specific element within the broader normalization process. It refers to the phased, mutually agreed process of transitioning the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) from an armed revolutionary force into peaceful civilian life. For the MILF, decommissioning is not equivalent to surrender; it is a symbolic and strategic shift from armed struggle to political engagement. It is conditional on the visible, irreversible fulfillment of normalization measures—especially security guarantees, political empowerment, and economic support. Without these, decommissioning would risk leaving former combatants and their communities vulnerable, both physically and politically.
“This sequencing has profound implications for the peace process,” Anwar Alamada explained. When normalization precedes and accompanies decommissioning, it builds mutual trust and demonstrates the government’s sincerity, making the act of decommissioning a shared victory rather than a unilateral concession. “Conversely, if decommissioning is pushed ahead of meaningful normalization,” Alamada added, “it can be perceived as disarmament without dignity, eroding confidence and weakening the MILF’s internal cohesion.” Sustaining the peace process, therefore, requires ensuring that normalization is not treated as a token follow-up but as the living framework within which decommissioning can take place—ensuring both are pursued in parallel, with normalization setting the pace and tone for a just and lasting peace.
Listening to Maguindanaoan Traditional Leader
From there, we traveled to Cotabato City to meet Datu Haron Al-Rasheed Baraguir and his wife, Farrah, of the Maguindanao Sultanate clan. Over a table of traditional dishes, Datu Haron spoke with a measured cadence, each word carrying the weight of heritage: “Peace must honor the dignity of our ancestors and the dreams of our children.”
I remember with deep gratitude my brother, Datu Haron al Rasheed Baraguir, one of the pioneer Muslim members of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. He welcomed me as part of his family during my early days of cross-cultural immersion in Maguindanao. Datu Haron serves as a Senior Officer in the Engineering Department of the Cotabato City Government, a position he fulfills with integrity, competence, and a heart for the community.
He is the son of the late Datu Kharis Matalam Baraguir—a true man of peace who personally ensured my safety during those formative months in 2005. Datu Kharis’ protection and friendship allowed me to walk freely among the people, learn deeply from their culture, and build genuine relationships.
Through Datu Haron, I see his father’s legacy alive—a legacy of hospitality, honor, and bridge-building between peoples of different cultures and faiths. I count it a blessing and a privilege to journey alongside him in our shared vision for peace in Mindanao.
The drive back to Davao was quiet, not out of fatigue, but because we were carrying the gravity of what we had heard, letting it settle deep within us.
Getting to Know Rosie and Her MPH Team
On the third day, we headed south to Bansalan, Davao del Sur, where the Malipayon Peace Hub (MPH) greeted us with the sound of roasting coffee beans and the laughter of the workers. Doug joined the staff for breakfast, savoring both the locally-baked bread and the stories of empowerment. Rosie Malik Gonzaga, the Team Leader and Custodian at MPH, leaned from the head of the table and said, “Before coffee, we had only survival. Now we have hope.”
Rosie Malik Gonzaga is the dynamic and compassionate Team Leader at MPH. A proud Bagobo Tagabawa woman leader, Rosie brings the wisdom of her people and the resilience of her heritage into her work every day. She is known for her ability to bridge traditional knowledge with modern peacebuilding practices, guiding her team with both firmness and warmth. Rosie’s leadership is deeply rooted in her commitment to community empowerment, inclusive economic development, and the preservation of her people’s cultural identity. Her presence at the Hub is more than supervisory—it is deeply relational, drawing strength from the collective spirit of her community.
The Malipayon Peace Hub is a community-based space where peacebuilding, livelihood training, and intercultural dialogue converge. It serves as a hub for processing, roasting, and packaging community-grown coffee and other agricultural products, while also functioning as a training ground for local farmers, women leaders, and young people. “Malipayon” means “joyful” in the Visayan language, reflecting the Hub’s mission to nurture sustainable livelihoods rooted in joy, cooperation, and peace. It is both a practical enterprise and a cultural gathering place where people work, learn, and celebrate together.
The Bagobo Tagabawa are one of the Indigenous Peoples living at the fertile foothills of Mt. Apo, the Philippines’ highest peak. Known for their vibrant weaving, intricate beadwork, and rich oral traditions, they have lived for generations in deep connection with their ancestral lands. Their lives are interwoven with the rhythms of nature, from the planting of coffee and root crops to the ceremonial practices that honor the Creator and the spirits of the land. Despite centuries of colonization and external pressures, the Bagobo Tagabawa have maintained their distinct identity, preserving the wisdom of their elders while adapting to contemporary realities. Leaders like Rosie are at the forefront of ensuring that this heritage remains a living, evolving force for peace and sustainable development.
Meeting with the PBCI Board and Witness Workers
We returned to Davao City by midday for a hybrid lunch meeting with the PBCI Board of Trustees. Around that table, operational realities merged with a long-term vision, each voice contributing to a plan rooted in both pragmatism and faith.
The visit closed quietly but meaningfully, with a meeting between Doug, Joji, and me. We sipped coffee together in unhurried conversation, speaking less of programs and more of shared callings, the kind that anchor relationships beyond employment, borders, and timelines.
These three days were not simply a sequence of meetings; they were a pilgrimage of listening and presence. Companionship, for us, is more than proximity—it is the willingness to share stories, absorb each other’s burdens, and let the journey shape our hearts. Doug’s time in Mindanao reaffirmed that this companionship is alive and strong, and that the road ahead, though challenging, will be walked together—one conversation, one shared meal, one act of peace at a time.
