Located off the southern coast of the Zamboanga Peninsula, is the island province of Basilan. For most local and foreign travelers, this province does not usually make it to their travel list due to its reputation.
PART 1: BACK TO BASILAN
Basilan carries with it a heavy historical burden-a past marred by decades of conflict. The island has long been associated with war, crimes and kidnappings, shaping a negative image in mainstream media. However, recent developments have highlighted a surprising shift. According to the latest publication by the National Defense College of the Philippines, over a thousand extremists have chosen a path of surrender and reintegration into society since 2016.
In Part 1: Back to Basilan, we take a look at the scarred history of Basilan, through the lens of veteran conflict reporter Ed Lingao. After more than a decade, Ed returns with Team Woman In Action, surprised to find that the once muddy pathways he walked through, are now well-built concrete roads. If it took several days to get around Basilan before, today it just takes hours. If before, people disappeared from the streets as the sun went down, now the night bustles with economic activity.
How have rebels embraced their new lives as part of the peace process? What makes others reluctant to give up arms? To answer that question, we braved the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camp in Al-Barka, to speak with Dan Asnawi, commander of the MILF 114th base command, where we witness rebel soldiers and government troops gamely play a round of voleyball. For the first time, visitors were also allowed to visit the site of a marine convoy that was ambushed in Albarka in 2007, notoriously putting AlBarka on the map in 2007.
At this site, the MILF rebel leader says Never Again, and Tourism, not Terrorism.
What was instrumental in breaking the apparent downward spiral of Basilan? What worked for Basilan, and what could work for other provinces scarred by war?
** Basilan Parts 1 & 2 are written by both Gretchen Ho and Ed Lingao with interspersing voices to give varying points of view and a proper side-by-side account of what Basilan was before, what it is now and where it seems to be headed.
Негізгі бет Ойын-сауық WIA Episode 13 | BASILAN Part 1: A Reporter’s Homecoming (co-written by Ed Lingao and Gretchen Ho)
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