Zamboanga ZoneOVERVIEW

Zamboanga city is currently being attacked with firearms by a Muslim rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front, or as they are better known, the MNLF. Back in 1996, during Fidel Ramos's term as president, a peace deal was made with the MNLF. But then only last year, President Noynoy Aquino signed another peace deal with another rebel group, the MILF, which MNLF leader, Nur Misuari, claimed to violate the terms and conditions of the previous peace deal made with the MNLF. As a result, Nur Misuari encouraged his troops to take over key areas in Mindanao, beginning with Zamboanga City. The crisis began in September 9 and is still taking place. Many have been killed in the onslaught, mostly MNLF rebels, but there were some soldiers that were harmed as well. However, the most affected people are the civilians. According to the UN, 109,000 residents from Zamboanga have been displaced. Some have even died in the crossfire between the military and the MNLF. The effect of this flame is so large, that it spreads across 4 different aspects in our country.

💵 ECONOMY 💵

Zamboanga City is suffering a huge financial loss of P 331.37 million 💰 per day because of the infrastructures that are being damaged and the businesses that are temporarily closed due to the war, meaning that when the crisis finally comes to an end, the economy of Zamboanga City will most certainly be wounded. This loss has affected the whole country since other nations like the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong have advised their citizens against going to the Philippines because of the ongoing crisis in Zamboanga City, which may cause casualties to their own people. Furthermore, the news about this crisis has already reached neighboring countries, which will give them doubts on visiting our country. Therefore, less tourists will come to the Philippines. This translates to huge losses in terms of tourism. Without as much tourists seeing the wonders in our nation, we will receive less income, which is unthinkable as our economy is already dreadful. This pressing matter has caught a couple international organizations' attention. The United Nations and European Union have called for both sides, the MNLF and the government to reach an agreement just as the MILF, another rebellious group, and the government had back in 2012.

EFFECTS

SOCIETY 🔶 The MNLF is a Muslim group who have captured hostages from different religions. But they go easy on their fellow Muslims. They let the Islamic hostages go on some occasions, while keeping the Christian captives. This increases the tension between Christian-Muslim relations even more because of the way the Muslims treat Christians.

🔶 One of the most obvious effects of the war in Zamboanga is the population decrease due to the people being mercilessly killed by the MNLF. Every week the death toll goes up, and even though most of the deaths are the MNLF rebels', there are still several civilians who have died.

🔶 Classes in Zamboanga are being suspended because of the war, and so the students are not able to learn what they need to. Their learning is postponed, which should not be the case because one of the most important things that the Filipinos need right now, is education.

🔶 The people of Zamboanga as a whole is affected by the crisis. Civilians have fled their homes due to the dangers that roam the streets: the rebels burn homes and buildings, take hostages, and kill. The population of Zamboanga is naturally scared out of their minds, paranoid, because they can be victimized anytime. The people of the Philippines are scared for them too. This leads to the many things that are being done in different cities to give help to the evacuees. A great example of this is what Xavier School is doing. Their caring community hosts rosaries and prayer services for peace in Zamboanga. In fact, the school even requests for donations in money or goods so that they could help the miserable people from the province. The horrible events in Zamboanga still has a positive effect. The people unaffected by the crisis are gathered to help their fellow Filipino brothers that are victimized by the attack, thereby displaying unity among themselves.

POLITICS After recent events and further investigations ,it was said that the recent Zamboanga crisis is connected somehow to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) Scam, better known as the Pork Barrel Scam. The MNLF were funded to cause a diversion in Zamboanga to lift the people's attention off the PDAF Scam. Magdalo Party-list representative, Gary Arejano claimed that in the past, the government used distractions in order to divert the attention of the public from some of the projects the government didn't want the people to know. This was proven when

MNLF members confessed that they were being paid P 10,000 💰 to join the Zamboanga City rally. This would affect people's thoughts on our current government leaders. They would think that our officials are corrupt in terms of power, that they would do anything to gain money and power and use it to cover their tracks to prevent impeachment or other punishments. This would puts a scar on our politics. The leaders will not be trusted, but the people would think clearer. Instead of voting for popular unequipped leaders they would vote for someone who is ready to handle the role of politician and prevent chaos and bias from happening.

CULTURE

As we know, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is a group of Muslim rebels causing chaos within Zamboanga City. For a month, they have been rampaging throughout the City of Zamboanga. They have been attacking the city with the use of military force. In short, they’re using violence. For a month, they have been holding people of different religious backgrounds hostage. However, the MNLF have been very lenient with their Muslim hostages and have freed them on a number of occasions. Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said for the Christian hostages. Christian hostages have been mercilessly killed by the MNLF. The government has already sent military troops over to Zamboanga to help in protecting the citizens and ending the chaos. Schools in Zamboanga have already been suspended, people have evacuated the city and innocent lives were lost. Not only the hostages, not only the Filipino soldiers, not only the rebels, but also the innocent people caught in the crossfires have lost their lives. Due to this, there would be a number of effects on the culture of Christians, the culture of Muslims and the Filipino culture as a whole. Firstly, the MNLF is affecting the relationship between the Muslims and the Christians. Since the Christians are the ones being mercilessly killed by these rebels, the Christians might retaliate in anger and blame the whole Muslim community. This would cause unnecessary wars between the Christians and Muslims. They might not realize that it’s just the MNLF causing all the bloodshed and chaos. This chain of events would certainly build tensions between the Christians and Muslims. Our campaign for peace and tranquility around the nation could be thwarted all thanks to the MNLF. Also, another thing that would be affected is the trading and business relations with the Muslims. If you go to Greenhills Shopping Center, you may be aware of the different shops being run by Muslims who are selling goods. The fact that we are having business and trade relations with the Muslims justifies that we are at peace and are interested in working together to improve the economy of the country. Once again, this could end due to the horrific actions of the MNLF. Lastly, an effect of the Zamboanga crisis is how the Christians and even the other religions view the Muslims. Several Muslim groups are already notorious due to numerous attacks all over the world. An example is the group known as Al Qaeda who crashed a plane into the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. Another example is the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who have also caused chaos in Mindanao. The MNLF is just another addition to the list of rebel groups of Muslims who are causing chaos, violence and bloodshed around the world. What the MNLF is doing is increasing the stereotype mindset that all Muslims are terrorists and rebels. Admit it, whenever you see a Muslim, you’re afraid to go near him or her. Right? In airports, those who look Muslim are always being watched by the security and some are even being patted down while others are allowed to go through the security check. This kind of attitude has already been present for many years. The MNLF just contributes to this kind of stereotype mindset that Muslims are terrorists and rebels. Look how much of an impact the actions of the MNLF have on us Filipinos. All the chaos, violence and bloodshed must come to an end. However there are ways to respond towards this crisis. See the next page. (Articles are written by the most talented writers of "I Volunteer".)

CONCLUSION Words cannot express how deeply the nation is affected by this ongoing war between the MNLF and the Philippine Government. The war has caused effects towards our country's politics, culture, society and economy. These effects have been taking a toll on our country and it may worsen the condition of the country further. However, 5 representatives of the "I Volunteer" Organization have come up with their respective action plans to help lessen, prevent and end this war. They also came up with possible action plans that can be done by the government and the Filipino people as a whole.

Peace One Day By Jerome Ng

Due to the recent events in the Philippines, such as the Pork Barrel Scam and the Zamboanga Crisis, not to mention the different rallies being held in Manila, peace among our society is threatened and our unity may be broken at any time. This calls for action, action from the Filipino people, action from the government, and action from myself. As Filipino people, we should know the leaders that we vote for, their background, their upbringing and their education. We need to know if the leader we're voting for is equipped with the ability to maintain peace in the country and negotiate with rebels like the MNLF. When we vote, we need to know if the leader we want to vote for is reliable. This can be done by researching on his background. If he graduated in a remarkable school like UST or UP, then he most probably has the knowledge and intention to run the country smoothly. If he was brought up by good parents, he will most probably grow up to be an honorable person. An example of this is our current president, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino. With two great parents who brought him up, Ninoy Aquino, who died for the country, and Corazon Aquino, who became the first female president, he has unlimited potential that got him to the seat of president. We should not just vote for the leaders that are popular among the society, we need to truly know who we vote for before voting because this will affect how our country runs and the future events that will occur. The government officials should review previous documents that were written and events that happened in different presidential terms to avoid any problems with other organizations. For example, if the officials had read the conditions in the peace deal that Fidel Ramos made with the MNLF in 1996 thoroughly, then they would have probably set different deals with the MILF in 2012. If they did, then the MNLF wouldn't even have started attacking Zamboanga in the first place, because the main reason they did attack 💣 , was because the deal with the MILF violated the terms in the previous deal with the MNLF. The government, as a whole, should also hear the voices 🔊 of its people. The opinions and criticisms of the people should be gladly welcomed because this will help the government know how to improve the country and satisfy its habitants. I, as a young student, know for a fact that most of the youth adore using the web, which is where I can be most effective. I can organize a blog that promotes peace both among the Christians and Muslims, and around the whole Philippines. I can even make a page on Facebook, or even a website (since we're being taught web design in computer class), with quotes, articles, and stories about peace to inspire people from different religions, Muslim or Christian, that fighting will bring nothing but deaths from both sides, that communication is the better way to play. However, making a page or blog doesn't automatically ensure viewers, so I will also tell my peers to share the page, so that more people will be informed about peace. Peace does not sell cheap, it entails sacrifice and hard work, so we will need the cooperation of EVERYONE: the Filipino people, the government, and myself. With all our contributions, peace will be among the Philippines one day, and when that day comes, wont you be proud because you helped in achieving peace?

-Article written by Jerome Ng, member #20 from the 39 members in "I Volunteer".

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1.) The Filipino People: a.) The Filipino People can contribute in the journey towards peace by voting for leaders who have a good understanding of the Bangsamoro people and their age old issues and who have the strong determination to achieve peace with said group no matter how long it takes. b.) The MNLF should also appoint leaders who will always act in support of peace and who have an open mind in negotiating with peace with the government. c.) We should continuously relay our message to the government in terms of how we feel in what is happening in mindanao by whatever means such as taking to the streets, organizing forums, and writing to our leaders and even in newspapers through the letter to the editor. We should also give our suggestions on how we as a people can solve the peace problem. d.) At the same time, we as private citizens should participate in NGOs and other people's initiatives in support of helping alleviate poverty, encourage education and ensure equal right for our Muslim brothers so that they will have a bright future ahead of them. 2.) The Government: a.)The government should always take swift and decisive action on acts of rebellion and terrorism such as what happened in Zamboanga. It should never or negotiate with terrorists. This will send a strong signal to all that the government is ready to quell any uprising against the people and protect those that are oppressed. b.) At the same time, the government should also review its peace agreement with the MNLF to see if the government was not able to fulfill its obligations. If indeed the government was unable to do its part, then government must act quickly to correct its mistakes. c.) Given the significant damage to property in Zamboanga, the government should be able to provide adequate relief goods for the victims of the crisis and eventually, build for them new homes, repair damaged schools and ensure that the citizens are able to go back to their normal lives. 3) The Student: a) As students, we can take immediate action by helping send relief goods to Zamboanga. b) We can start building a culture of respect and understanding for all different sects which in time will help foster an environment of peace for all. c.) We can also organize a forum, where experts of the Mindanao Crisis, can explain what happened in the event and what could have caused it. We can use this information to come up with solutions to the crisis. d.) We should also pray for the victims of the crisis to be safe and also pray for peace.

-Article written by Gabriel Buenafe, member #3 from the 39 members in "I Volunteer".

As Filipinos, we the people should learn to vote wisely in terms of electing our politicians so that there won't be inner conflict in our country that may cause the people's money (tax) to fund a war against ourselves. We should also not resort to force as the only option and try diplomacy and other peaceful terms to prevent further chaos and harm in everyday situations. As for the government, officials should start doing their commitments and pull their act together so that no more rebellion will take place. For example, when Misuari proclaimed some parts of the country independent (Bangsamoro Republic) all our president did was ignore it. He ignored the small threat pf the MNLF when it was still growing and caused it to turn into a major threat. Finally for us students, we should lead with self-control, prioritizing the important things. It can be in group works or class leadership, as long as us as leaders would lead our fellow students in the right track. As students we should also help out in our countries problems like the lack of shelter and food in Zamboanga due to the recent attack by the MNLF. In conclusion we as people, should learn to get along and settle our differences in religion, social class and even likes/dislikes. We should learn to be respectful, to be ready to lend a helping hand just like the good samaritan who didn't care if the dying man was a jew, who in that time were like arch-enemies in terms of society.

-Article written by Shawn Ang, member #1 from the 39 members in "I Volunteer".

Solutions To Everything By Wenczar Sy

Over the past few years, our country, The Philippines had many disputes external and internal. One recent internal dispute is the Zamboanga City crisis between The Philippine government and the MNLF( Moro Islamic Liberation Front). Due this war, many people were taken hostage, killed or hiding in evacuation centers but we can do something about it. We, as Filipinos can promote peace throughout the country so that no Filipino will remorse because of a loss of a family member or a loss of his/her possessions. A peaceful country is a progressive country. Peace is the number 1 thing needed to unite all countries of the world. With the world united, war would be eradicated. The government should find a way to settle into a peace agreement that gives both parties so that there will be no more wars inside and outside of the Philippines. The peace agreement helps us in a way that we can trade easily with the other countries, our economy will rise so fast because other countries buy our products. Us as a student of the Philippines should stop bullying, teasing, or say unnecessary words so that we can become a better example to other people. If we do this there will be peace and order not only in our school but also the whole society. We should forge ahead to the brighter future. We should not only know what is right from what is wrong but we should also act it out so that people will acknowledge you as a hero to their sight.

-Article written by Wenczar Sy, member #32 from the 39 members in "I Volunteer".

Darren Seetekbeng 9B #30 Let the Games Begin "I volunteer!!" These famous words were said during the first Hunger Games starring Jennifer Lawrence who was the person who said these words. She volunteered to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a battle between the representatives of each district. She was the first person to ever volunteer to take part of this battle. I'm not going to spoil the rest of the movie. It's up to you, dear readers, to watch the movie yourselves. Now, how is the Hunger Games related to Zamboanga Zone? Our organization is called "I Volunteer". Who is volunteering? And for what is he volunteering for? The Zamboanga Crisis has been going on in our country for more than a month. This is a war between the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF and the Philippine Government. The story of how this war came about has already been explained. The terrible effects on the Philippine society, culture, economy and politics have already been explained. You already know the terrible effects that all this violence, bloodshed and chaos this had on our nation. Schools were closed, people had to evacuate and lives were lost. People were taken hostage, tensions built between Christians and Muslims, it seems as if they can't be stopped. However, there is a way for all of this to be lessened, prevented and, eventually, ended. There is a way. There is always a way. This can be said and done from 3 different perspectives: The Philippine Government, The Filipino People and me, a Grade 9 Student from Xavier School. For there to be a nation, there must be a government. Without a government, no nation shall exist. The Philippine government has the power and the tools to unite this country in peace once again. The Philippine Government may be able to help stop the Zamboanga Crisis. In the year 1996, the government made a peace deal with the MNLF. All was peaceful between the Philippine Government and the MNLF for several years until a few years ago when the Philippine Government made another peace deal with another rebel group called the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF. The leader of the MNLF thought of this as an injustice and a violation of their peace treaty back in 1996. This is why the MNLF is causing chaos and bloodshed with the use of violence and force. What the government can do is to have the Filipino soldiers stand down but still keep their guard up. I'm talking about a ceasefire. While the ceasefire is going on, the government should quickly create another peace deal and negotiate with the MNLF. Hopefully, the MNLF would comply to the peace deal. The government should come up with the peace deal in such a way that the MNLF will be satisfied with it and end their attacks and free their hostages. Even if it involves giving away money, no amount of money can replace the lives of innocent people. Make peace. For there to be a nation, there must also be its people. The Filipino people can also make a difference. I'm not saying join the army and continue the fighting and bloodshed. I'm talking about supporting those affected. This may not stop the MNLF and their actions but this will promote peace throughout the nation. The actions of the MNLF are causing tensions between the Christians and Muslims. However, what the people can do is support those who have been affected. Since we are talking about Mindanao, they are mostly Muslims. Us Christians can hold funds and drives to support those affected. This will justify the fact that there is no war between the Christians and the Muslims. Thankfully, there already have been drives and donations in Xavier School supporting those people who were forced to leave their homes because of this war. Peace is the only way to go. Lastly, I myself as a Grade 9 student can do something. Unfortunately, my power to help lessen the Zamboanga Crisis is limited due to the fact that I'm only in high school. However, this limitation isn't stopping me from doing the best I can to help out. My action plan is to spread the awareness of this crisis to the community. It can start within my school then to the community then maybe to the whole region. I'm going to use the power of the internet. There are many possible ways for me to use the internet to spread awareness. First, I can use Facebook and make a page that is campaigning against the use of violence to settle issues. I can get people to like it and share the page to their friends. I can also use my Twitter to make a trend called #PeaceNotWar and keep on using it every time I tweet. I can get my followers to favorite and retweet it. This will promote awareness around the whole community. Promoting awareness will encourage others to settle things peacefully instead of fighting. It's good to start small. It's not Christians vs. Muslims. It's not MNLF vs. Philippine Government. It's a game between peace and war. Who will win? We have the power to decide the victor. May the odds be ever in our favor. Let the games begin...

-Article written by Darren Seetekbeng, member #30 from the 39 members in "I Volunteer".

REFERENCES

http://www.femalenetwork.com/news-features/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-zamboanga-crisis http://www.rappler.com/nation/39956-humanitarian-crisis-zamboanga-city http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/09/18/1224901/10th-day-zambo-crisis-14-killed-117-wounded-govt-forces http://www.mindanews.com/mailbox/2013/10/01/mindanao-business-sector-still-upbeat-on-mindanao-economy-following-zamboanga-crisis/ http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/conflict-in-zamboanga/816470.html ABS CBN News: September 27 Applications: Pages Emoji Bola: Social Science is the best subject ever