Ms. Wahida Abdullah underwent a rigorous selection procedure before receiving her Php 100,000.00 cash reward as the 2022 Bangsamoro Peace Champion (BPC) of the Ministry of Public Order and Safety.
She bested 32 other applicants in the process of the involved panel interviews and screening process on their advocacies and peacebuilding initiatives before narrowing it down to five until it reached its culmination on October 11, 2022 at the Grand Pagana Hall, Cotabato City.
“𝘓𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘪 𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯,” Abdullah shared during MPOS Hour, just a few hours after receiving the title of champion.
Her motivation can be traced back to her early years. Now, she advocates empowering women and widows of local insurgents in her province through her organization named Gagandilan Mindanao Women Inc.
“𝘕𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘬𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘭𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯,” she explained.
The Top 4 finalists of the program received Php 50,000.00 cash prize each for their advocacies and exemplary peacebuilding initiatives for the Bangsamoro.
One is Police Captain Razul G. Pandulo of Maguindanao with the peace initiative called “Nagkakaisang Komunidad,” an organizational template he conceptualized during his time as the Chief of Police at Datu Montawal Municipal Police Station. It aims to lead the people in its community toward a peaceful environment.
“𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘨 𝘯𝘢 𝘕𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘒𝘰𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝟻 𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯,” Pandulo said.
The second finalist is Mr. Benladin M. Macarampat, a young peace advocate studying at Mindanao State University – Marawi from the province of Lanao del Sur. His “Project Pagari” capacitates and engages selected youth and vulnerable individuals in Lanao del Sur.
“𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘱𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘨 𝘴𝘪-𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝟻 𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘗𝘊. 𝘚𝘢 𝘬𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯,” Macarampat said after sharing that he also submitted his entry in 2020 but was not shortlisted in the top 5.
“𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧,” the young-Maranao noted.
The third finalists is Ms. Connie G. Dumato, a local peacebuilder representing the Special Geographic Areas (SGA) of BARMM, who advocates for women’s participation in the mediation process of horizontal conflicts.
According to her, “𝘒𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘬𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝟹𝟶 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝟻.”
“𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘱𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘢 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝟻 𝘯𝘨 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯,” she added.
Lastly, Mr. Jamal M. Baulo, a senior high school teacher with the peace initiative titled “Project Cinemapya” this peace initiative aims to introduce and promote the culture of peace to his students and into the mainstream media.
“𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘺𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘰 𝘯𝘪 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘢𝘸𝘧𝘪𝘬 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘴𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝟻 𝘯𝘨 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘰 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯,” he said.
The Quest for the Bangsamoro Peace Champion 2022 is one of the Peacebuilding Initiative Programs of MPOS under its Peace Education Division. It serves to recognize, promote, support and award exemplary Local Peacebuilders in the grassroots communities of BARMM.
