News

Smooth transition may help BARMM Region attract more investments

05 February 2021 Business World Beatrice M. Laforga

THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Region may attract more investments if violent conflicts and political tensions continue to decline, with the infrastructure sector seen to benefit the most.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

‘Culture of silence,’ settlements hinder reporting of abuse

01 February 2021 Inquirer [online and print] Fate Colobong, Jane Bautista

According to data from Conflict Alert, from 85 reports of violence against women in 2014, the number rose to 121 in 2015 and 336 in 2016, its highest recorded tally per year and “the first time that identity-related conflict, specifically gender violence, was anywhere near the top since the Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System was established in 2013.“

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Extremist violence, clan feuds linger in parts of Bangsamoro - watchdog | ANC

28 January 2021 Matters of Fact [ANC] Interview with Christian Esguerra

Matters of Fact: Despite a decline in conflict incidents, extremist violence and clan feuding remain in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a peacebuilding organization said.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Extremist violence, clan feuds linger in parts of Bangsamoro - watchdog

28 January 2021 ABS-CBN ABS-CBN News

Despite a decline in conflict incidents, extremist violence and clan feuding remain in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a peace-building organization said Thursday, two years since the milestone establishment of the region seen to spur peace and development in the long-restive area.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

New form of violent extremism noted in Sulu

26 January 2021 Manila Bulletin Zea Capistrano

The Conflict Alert 2020 report bared that suicide bombings perpetrated by female, Filipino, and foreign extremists were now being recorded in Sulu.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Shadow economy, extremist activities prevail in Barmm, International Alert reports

26 January 2021 Business Mirror Cai Ordinario

Despite a decline in violent conflict incidents, shadow economy and violent extremism activities continued in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), according to International Alert Philippines.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Bangsamoro gov’t urged to address land conflicts marring peace in Mindanao

26 January 2021 Rappler Pia Ranada

Clan feuding was on the rise all over the Bangsamoro region in 2019, the year the Moro Islamic Liberation Front took the reins of the transitional government

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Clan feuds, violent extremism, illegal drugs and weapons use hamper Bangsamoro’s road to peace

26 January 2021 CNN Philippines CNN Philippines

Clan feuds, violent extremism, illegal drugs and weapons are the three main roadblocks to Bangsamoro’s transition into a peaceful region, a group monitoring subnational conflicts in the country said on Monday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Violent conflicts in BARMM continue downtrend, but flashpoints remain —report

25 January 2021 GMA News Nicole Anne Lagrimas

Violence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) declined for the third straight year in 2019, but clan feuds and land-related conflicts threaten to slow the transition to peace, a peacebuilding organization said Monday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Feuds, land-related conflicts hamper Bangsamoro’s transition to peace

25 January 2021 Manila Bulletin Zea Capistrano

The latest comprehensive report of Conflict Alert showed that an increasing number of clan feuding and land related conflicts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is threatening the region’s momentum to achieving peace.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Violent incidents in Bangsamoro continue to decline, but land ownership sparks new tensions

25 January 2021 Business World Marifi S. Jara

VIOLENT incidents in the Bangsamoro continued to decline in 2019, the first year of the transition period under the new regional government, according to International Alert Philippines’ latest conflict report released Monday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Loose firearms: Linchpin for gun-related violence

21 January 2021 Business Mirror Alladin S. Diega

Shooting incidents in BARMM stood out as the most common of reports transmitted to the CEMS as they tallied 424 cases for 2020 (or one case a day) even as figures have yet to include December.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Shine more light on gender-based violence in remote areas

05 January 2021 Inquirer [Opinion] International Alert

Based on International Alert Philippines’ subnational monitoring system Conflict Alert, more gender-related issues occurred in these capital cities from 2011 to 2019 than in all ARMM provinces combined.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Democracy’s U-turn in the Bangsamoro

03 January 2021 Inquirer [Opinion] Francisco Lara, Jr.

In the face of a pandemic and a spike in violence in the second half of 2020, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-led Bangsamoro Transitional Authority is making a bid for no-el (no elections) and extended rule, claiming an inability to accomplish what they were tasked to do, in the time frame they agreed to, with the larger resources given to them, and with the threat that if their demands were not met, the region would likely slide back into war.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Land conflict leads to MILF infighting; 1 dead, 4 wounded

15 October 2020 Inquirer Edwin Fernandez and Julie Alipala

A land ownership dispute in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province, fueled a six-hour clash among members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding four others, according to the military and local officials.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Southeast Asian Analysts: IS Steps Up Recruitment in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines

23 September 2020 Benar News Noah Lee, Tia Asmara, Ronna Nirmala, Mark Navales and Shailaja Neelakantan

The Islamic State extremist group is stepping up recruitment in Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia as well as the Philippines, amid the distraction of a global pandemic, security analysts in these countries told BenarNews.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Mindanaoans getting on with the job despite COVID-19

17 September 2020 Philippine Star Steven J. Robinson

No matter where you are in the Philippines – or the world, for that matter – the impacts of COVID-19 have spread far beyond the illness itself. Lockdown has seen every community struggle with economic, logistical and mental health impacts. In places already suffering from conflict, the effects have been even greater.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Violence intensifies over Bangsamoro land

01 July 2020 Tribune Erwin Mascarinas

Intensifying incidences of violence due to land ownership disputes in the Bangsamoro region have been captured by a non-government organization’s (NGO) reporting system in the recent months amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Group reports conflict over land, ethnicity, religion in Bangsamoro

26 June 2020 Business Mirror Jonathan Mayuga

Peace-building nongovernment organization (NGO) International Alert Philippines (IAP) has expressed alarm over what it described as “raging conflicts” over land and natural resources in the Bangsamoro amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two months.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Philippine Forces Kill 4 Abu Sayyaf Suspects in Raid Near Manila

26 June 2020 Benar News Luis Liwanag and Jeoffrey Maitem

International Alert, a London-based NGO that advocates for conflict resolution, said the anti-terror law would only result in wrongful arrests and fuel more violence in Mindanao, the largest of the islands in the Philippine south.

Tags: Peace Process

Violence over land intesifies in Mindanao's Moro region

25 June 2020 Licas Erwin Mascarinas

The non-government group International Alert reported that the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao is facing an intensification of violence over land despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Peacebuilding org supports registration of online businesses to help entrepreneurs in informal economy, protect consumers

17 June 2020 Business World (also published in print) Marifi Jara

International Alert Philippines backs the government’s campaign to register online businesses, saying this is an opportunity to extend a more inclusive assistance program to entrepreneurs in the informal economy as well as a means of protecting consumers.

Tags: Shadow Economies

Ramadan in lockdown: the habits we break, the values we relearn

25 May 2020 Business World Nina Bahjin Imlan

Muslim Filipinos certainly met this year’s Ramadan with exuberance, but the lockdowns brought new concerns especially to those who are economically disenfranchised to begin with.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

[OPINION] Ramadan on lockdown: The habits we break, the values we relearn

24 May 2020 Rappler Nina Bahjin Imlan

For a fasting person [under quarantine], it was a different level of hardship altogether'

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

IS-linked groups monitored in Marawi

30 April 2020 Philippine Star Jaime Laude

Terror groups with links to the Islamic State (IS) have been sighted in Marawi City and nearby areas, according to a non-government conflict monitoring group.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

International Monitoring Group, naglabas ng conflict alert sa gitna ng COVID-19 pandemic

29 April 2020 RMN News RMN News

In the Special Critical Events Monitoring System Bulletin, from February 17 to April 2020, International Alert Philippines monitored incidents of violent extremism during the pandemic.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Reports: Indonesian, Philippine Militants Bolster Ranks, Launch Attacks During Pandemic

29 April 2020 Benar News Ronna Nirmala, Keisyah Aprilia and Jeoffrey Maitem, Jakarta and Palu, Indonesia, and Cotabato, Philippines

Islamic State-linked groups in Indonesia and the Philippines have taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic by launching attacks or conducting recruitment drives, a think-tank and a conflict-monitoring group said in separate reports this week.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

[OPINION] The pandemic's forgotten faces: The plight of Muslims, women, and other minorities

24 April 2020 Rappler Nina Bahjin Imlan

Plans and programs to address this pandemic should be evidence-based and sensitive to culture, conflict, and context'

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Forgotten: Muslims and other minorities (shortened version)

24 April 2020 Inquirer (also published in print) Nina Bahjin Imlan

Muslims in Metro Manila who perished from the coronavirus were stigmatized and refused burial even in Muslim cemeteries. Given these reports, International Alert Philippines lobbied key agencies and legislators.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

NGO: COVID-19 relief packs not sensitive to needs of Muslim Filipinos

23 April 2020 ANC Matters of Fact, ABS-CBN TV Interview with Christian Esguerra

International Alert Philippines's Country Manager and Senior Project Officer for Youth and Women discuss implications of #COVID19 this coming Ramadhan and tensions brought about by the pandemic in the Bangsamoro and in Metro Manila, as captured by our Critical Events Monitoring System (CEMS):

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

In time of Covid-19, GIS-aided maps find better use in central Mindanao

07 April 2020 Business Mirror Manuel Cayon

Some towns in the central Mindanao provinces of Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao have started to adapt satellite-aided geographical information system (GIS) maps to plot hotspots of the corona virus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and other vital information on hazard and conflict.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Bangsamoro region positions 8 COVID-19 test centers

07 April 2020 Business World Marifi S. Jara

Eight medical facilities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are being positioned as testing laboratories for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including one each in its three island provinces.

Tags: Bangsamoro

LGUs use tech maps for Covid-19 tracing

06 April 2020 The Manila Times Masiding Noor Yahya

Local chief executives in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are using digital thematic overlay maps to monitor and trace coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.

Tags: Bangsamoro

BARMM LGUs use cutting-edge maps for Covid-19 emergency response

06 April 2020 Philippine News Agency Noel Punzalan

Several local government units (LGUs) n Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao are now using thematic overlay maps as graphic indicators for 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) hotspots, among others.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Official: PNP should've consulted agenices for Muslim students' info

04 March 2020 CNN Philippines Gerg Cahiles

The Philippine National Police apologizes for a directive allegedly profiling Muslim students in Metro Manila, saying there was no ill-intent. However, the presidential peace adviser points out police should not have requested the information about Muslim students from schools.

Tags: Women and Youth

Mindanao and NCR young leaders speak out: Let’s end discrimination

25 February 2020 Business World Business World

Several youth groups in Mindanao and the National Capital Region (NCR) involved in peace-building and development programs said the recent police order to profile Muslim youth in the nation’s capital is not just “an act of identity and religious discrimination” but also “deepens the prejudice and oppression” against followers of Islam.

Tags: Women and Youth

Martial law and institutional accountability

02 January 2020 Inquirer Jesse Angelo L. Altez

According to peace-building group International Alert, such an extreme security measure, which came with martial rule, was a major factor in bringing down the number of violent confrontations in Mindanao between 2017 and 2018.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Martial law in Mindanao: What changed, what didn’t—and at what cost

02 January 2020 Inquirer Ryan Rosauro

In a report early this year, International Alert claimed that martial rule reduced conflict incidents in Mindanao by 30 percent in 2017 and 2018.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

After 2 and a half years, martial law ends in Mindanao

31 December 2019 Rappler JC Gotinga

The fourth iteration of martial law in Mindanao lapsed at 11:59 pm Tuesday, December 31, seen to end two and a half years of heightened military tension on the country’s southern main island.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

A triumph of justice

20 December 2019 Manila Standard Ernesto Hilario

The court verdict finding members of the Ampatuan clan guilty of multiple murder for the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre is a triumph of justice in this country, even if it took a decade to reach.

Tags: Others

Philippine Ex-Politicians Found Guilty In 2009 Massacre

19 December 2019 Bloomberg Ruth Pollard and Adreo Calonzo

The guilty verdict will have a “dampening effect” on clan feuds in southern Philippines, said Francisco Lara.

Tags: Others

Martial law to end in southern Philippines two years after it was imposed to fight IS

10 December 2019 SBS News AFP-SBS

The Philippines is ending more than two years of martial law in the country's south after government forces weakened militant groups there, a spokesman says.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Aide: Duterte to lift martial law in southern Philippines

10 December 2019 Phnom Penh Post AFP

President Rodrigo Duterte will lift martial law in the southern Philippines by year’s end, his spokesman said on Tuesday, more than two years after it was imposed in an attempt to stop the Islamic State (IS) group gaining a foothold there.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Duterte to lift martial law in southern Philippines

10 December 2019 The Guardian Agence France-Presse in Manila

Rodrigo Duterte will lift martial law in the southern Philippines by the end of the year, his spokesman has said, more than two years after it was imposed in an attempt to stop Islamic State gaining a foothold there.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Editorial: No more martial law in 2020

10 December 2019 Sunstar Davao Editorial, Sunstar Davao

AFTER more than two years, martial law in Mindanao will end after Malacañang announced on Tuesday, December 10, that President Rodrigo Duterte will no longer extend it.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Gov’t, Reds need to KO ‘hardliners’ to revive peace talks: former ceasefire chief

10 December 2019 ABS-CBN Christian Esguerra

President Rodrigo Duterte’s last-ditch attempt to resuscitate peace talks with Maoist rebels will require both sides to rein in hardliners and to be open to negotiate despite continued hostilities on the ground, the government panel’s former ceasefire chief said Tuesday.

Tags: Peace Process

Lanao del Sur network calls for stricter gun control as it flags resurgence of clan wars, terrorist regrouping

21 November 2019 Business World Marifi S. Jara

The military's Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) has been reporting on the continued turn over of loose firearms in Lanao del Sur province, with the latest on Nov. 18 involving 44 weapons, including two homemade Uzis and a sniper rifle.

Tags: Bangsamoro

48 Ampatuans still in power in Mindanao 10 years after Maguindanao Massacre

21 November 2019 ANC Early Edition, ABS-CBN News ANC Interview with Christian Esguerra

Ten years after the Maguindanao massacre, an analyst said 48 Ampatuans are still in power in Mindanao. He said that "intra-family dynamics" within the Ampatuan clan make other members survive the backlash from the grisly murder of 58 people in 2009.

Tags: Others

Several political clans all over Mindanao enjoy same level of political strength as Ampatuans'

21 November 2019 ANC Early Edition, ABS-CBN News ANC Interview with Christian Esguerra

The normalization process in Bangsamoro region is "too much focused" on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as actors, said International Alert Senior Adviser Francisco "Pancho" Lara Jr.

Tags: Others

How the youth are affected in the flooding in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao

16 November 2019 Radyo ni Juan Network Radio interview by Jayboy Urbina

Alert's youth partners in Datu Salibo talked about the perpetual flooding in their municipality, how it affects their lives as students, and how it burdens their parents. They also shared what they are doing to help solve the problem.

Tags: Women and Youth

Tornado hits Marawi City

04 November 2019 Manila Bulletin Bonita Ermac

A tornado that hit part of Marawi City earlier Monday destroyed several houses which include the roofs of Marawi city hall where the Sangguniang Panlungsod hall is located.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Maguindanao areas suffer flooding after earthquakes damage dikes

03 November 2019 Business World Business World

Several villages in Maguindanao province have been flooded after dikes in surrounding areas were damaged by the series of earthquakes in central Mindanao.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Marawi local chiefs too dependent on soldiers due to martial law – civic leader

02 November 2019 Rappler Pia Ranada

Moro Consensus Group leader Drieza Lininding cautions Marawi residents from getting too used to the 'abnormal' situation of martial law and suggests alternative security measures

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Group calls for lifting of Mindanao martial law amid suggestion to limit it

14 October 2019 Phil Star Franco Luna

Martial law in Mindanao should be lifted instead of being retained in areas that the military identifies as having security problems, an activist groups for workers and farmers said Monday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Peacaebuilding NGO focuses on PH in London dining experience

02 October 2019 ABS-CBN News Edward Lao

“People may have heard of the current Philippines administration’s war on drugs. But what many don’t realize is that peace and prosperity have been destabilized in the country for decades - by ethnic, political and economic violence, by conflict with Muslim and communist rebellions, and more recently, extremism, as demonstrated by the 2017 violence in Marawi City,” Karlysheva said.“ And while there is conflict, there are also reasons for hope – for instance the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which grants wider autonomy and self-rule to Muslim Mindanao in the South and is crucial for ending the conflict in the region,” she added.

Tags: Peace Week

Australia supports peace and progress in the Bangsamoro [Opinion]

19 September 2019 Philippine Star HE Steven Robinson AO

I know that when many Filipinos hear about Mindanao thoughts of conflict are not far behind. How could they not be, after decades of fighting and the loss of thousands of lives? But it’s been my great pleasure to watch the tide turning and see the people of the Bangsamoro and surrounding regions work together for a more peaceful home.

Tags: Women and Youth

Filipino dishes featured in London

18 September 2019 Manila Standard Manila Standard

Annual pop-up restaurant, Conflict Café, is returning to London this weekend—dubbed Peace Day, Sept. 21—this time featuring food from the Philippines. “For Filipinos, food has always been a way of bringing people together to share stories, talk about any topic—even the most difficult ones, and creatively explore ways to navigate issues,” said Nikki de la Rosa, International Alert Philippines’s Country Manager, “By eating together at Conflict Café, diners not only experience the rich culture and cuisine of the Philippines, but also hear stories of people who are leading change in their communities.”

Tags: Peace Week

FAST FACTS: Terrorism in the Philippines

11 September 2019 Rappler Michelle Abad

The recent Sunday blast in Indanan, Sulu, by an alleged suicide bomber came 3 days before the world commemorates the 9/11 attacks in the US on Wednesday, September 11.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Less conflict, more growth [Opinion]

10 September 2019 Manila Bulletin, Opinion John Tria

Civil society group International Alert announced violent activities have “plunged” in Mindanao.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Two bombing incidents rock Mindanao over the weekend

09 September 2019 CNN Philippines (TV) David Santos

Is violent extremism proving to be a real threat to the country? Two bombings rocked Mindanao over the weekend. One suicide bombing in Sulu and a bomb in a parked motorcycle in a busy marketplace in Sultan Kudarat goes off and hurts 8 people.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Can't afford to fail: Bangsamoro region weathers birth pains

09 September 2019 Rappler Pia Ranada

In its first 5 months, the new Bangsamoro government gets past birth pains as its Parliament and Cabinet struggle to make an impact on the daily lives of the region's people

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Rebels hand in guns in Philippines Muslim peace deal

07 September 2019 Coconuts.co AFP

Muslim rebels in the mainly Catholic Philippines began handing over their guns to independent foreign monitors Saturday, as part of a peace treaty aimed at ending a decades-long separatist insurgency that has left about 150,000 people dead.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

MILF fighters hand in guns in Muslim peace deal

07 September 2019 Philippine Star AFP

Muslim rebels in the mainly Catholic Philippines began handing over their guns to independent foreign monitors Saturday, as part of a peace treaty aimed at ending a decades-long separatist insurgency that has left about 150,000 people dead.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Challenges to Moro rebels' decommissioning | Matters of Fact

05 September 2019 ANC Interview with Christian Esguerra

Expecting MILF fighters to surrender all of their weapons while local extremists and private armed groups in Mindanao still own illicit firearms is an illusion, says International Alert Senior Adviser Pancho Lara.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

MILF decommissioning set, but problems seen

05 September 2019 ABS CBN News Christian Esguerra

Thousands of weapons used in the decades-long Moro insurgency in the southern Philippines will be decommissioned beginning Saturday, a crucial commitment by former rebels under a peace deal that gave them a new autonomous region in Mindanao.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Conflict Café returns to London for International Peace Day

05 September 2019 The London Economic Jack Peat

Ethnic, political and economic violence has destabilised the country, most recently demonstrated by the 2017 violence in Marawi City. Nikki de la Rosa, International Alert Philippines’s Country Manager, said: “For Filipinos, food has always been a way of bringing people together to share stories, talk about any topic – even the most difficult ones, and creatively explore ways to navigate issues.

Tags: Peace Week

Peace remains fragile in BARMM — report

04 September 2019 The Philippine Star Jaime Laude

This year’s National Peace Consciousness Month was marked by the decline of violence in the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARRM) as the government highlighted its achievements on peace efforts.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

‘Peace in south can’t rest on BOL, Martial Law alone’

04 September 2019 Business Mirror Cai U. Ordinario & Rene Acosta

IF the government wants to keep the fragile peace prevailing in Mindanao, it cannot solely rely on the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and martial law imposed in the region, International Alert said on Tuesday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

BARMM violent incidence, deaths dip 30%

04 September 2019 The Manila Times Jan Arcilla

THE number of violent incidence and deaths decreased by 30 percent in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), according to a report by a peace-building organization.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Peace group notes drop in violence in Mindanao

04 September 2019 Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) Mark Saludes

Declaration of martial law allowed Philippine govt to maintain a 'fragile peace' in the region. An international peace group has reported a decline in conflict-related violence and the number of resulting deaths in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines in recent months.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Report: ML reduced Mindanao conflicts

04 September 2019 Daily Tribune Elmer Recuerdo

Martial law in Mindanao has contributed significantly to the decline in conflict incidents and deaths in the past two years, according to the latest study of an independent peacebuilding organization.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Martial law led to 2018 drop in violence in Muslim Mindanao – study

04 September 2019 Rappler Pia Ranada

President Rodrigo Duterte's imposition of martial law in Muslim Mindanao was the “single most important reason” behind the drop in conflict and related deaths in that area in 2018, according to a report released by conflict monitoring group International Alert Philippines (IAP).

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Report: Violence in Muslim Mindanao declined in 2018

03 September 2019 Philippine Daily Inquirer Neil Arwin Mercado

Conflict incidence in the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) declined in 2018, peace building organization International Alert Philippines revealed Tuesday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Group says decommissioning of MILF weapons ‘negligible, not enough’

03 September 2019 Philippine Daily Inquirer Neil Arwin Mercado

The decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) weapons is “not enough” to combat the cases of violence in the Muslim Mindanao region, peace building organization International Alert Philippines said Tuesday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Violent incidents down but peace remains fragile in Bangsamoro

03 September 2019 CNN Philippines David Santos

The country’s most conflict-torn region saw a significant decline in the number of violent incidents and deaths in 2018, but peace efforts remain in a delicate stage, according to data gathered by peace group International Alert Philippines.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Violent conflict in Bangsamoro went down in 2018, study shows

03 September 2019 GMA News Online Margaret Claire Layug

The provinces in the former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) saw less violent incidents in 2018, a recently-launched International Conflict Report showed.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Report: Drop in Mindanao violence partly due to martial law

03 September 2019 Philippine Daily Inquirer Neil Arwin Mercado

Should martial law be lifted now that violent incidents have declined in the former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)? The answer is not as clear cut as yes or no, peacebuilding organization International Alert Philippines said Tuesday.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Decommissioning of MILF Weapons No Guarantee for Peace in Southern Philippines, NGO Says

03 September 2019 Benar News Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales

A peace monitoring organization on Tuesday welcomed Manila’s plan to decommission thousands of firearms controlled by an ex-Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but expressed doubt that the move would sharply reduce violence in the strife-torn south.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Gearing Mindanao’s leaders

24 August 2019 SunStar Reuel John F. Lumawag

While New Zealand is over 8,000 kilometers from the Philippines, it has opened opportunities for the Mindanao youth to learn and develop their leadership skills from them under the Mindanao Young Leaders Programme (MinYLP), which is supported by the New Zealand government and managed by UnionAID in collaboration with International Alert Philippines and Victoria University of Wellington.

Tags: Women and Youth

Davao Today journalist selected to join young leaders program in New Zealand

22 August 2019 Davao Today Kath M. Cortez

A Davao Today journalist has been named as one of the eight young leaders from Mindanao chosen to get a four-month bespoke leadership program in New Zealand.

Tags: Women and Youth

8 Mindanao youth making a difference chosen for New Zealand training

22 August 2019 Business World Maya M. Padillo

A COMMUNITY worker who assists women-traders in Tawi-Tawi, a volunteer who was part of the team that evacuated some 1,700 residents trapped during the Marawi siege, and a Davao City-based rugby coach to less-privileged children — they are among the eight young leaders from Mindanao who are off to New Zealand on Aug. 23 for a four-month leadership program.

Tags: Women and Youth

2 Dabawenyos picked for NZ leadership program

21 August 2019 Philippine News Agency Che Palicte

Two youth leaders from this city are among the eight scholars selected for a four-month leadership program in Wellington, New Zealand, on Friday.

Tags: Women and Youth

8 young leaders to undergo leadership training in NZ

21 August 2019 Manila Standard Manila Standard

Eight young leaders from various parts of Mindanao will be departing on Friday to Wellington, New Zealand for a four-month bespoke leadership program.

Tags: Women and Youth

New Zealand backs program for Mindanao young leaders

21 August 2019 Inquirer Germelina Lacorte

Two Maranao youths, one of them involved in emergency response during the five-month siege in Marawi City in 2017, are among eight young leaders chosen for a four-month study grant that would offer them a glimpse of a society not torn by conflict, New Zealand Ambassador David Strachan said.

Tags: Women and Youth

8 Mindanao young leaders to join NZ leadership summit

16 August 2019 Philippine News Agency Christine Cudis

Eight young leaders from different parts of Mindanao were selected to participate in a four-month leadership program in Wellington, New Zealand.

Tags: Women and Youth

Mindanawans off to New Zealand for leadership development, peace program

16 August 2019 Business Mirror Manuel Cayon

Eight young leaders from Mindanao have been selected to participate in a four-month leadership program in New Zealand.

Tags: Women and Youth

В Бишкеке население и компании обсуждают конфликты при разработке месторождений In Bishkek, people and companies discuss development conflicts.

06 July 2019 Kabar Mehrinisa Sulaimanova

A conference is held in Bishkek to promote and prevent conflict between companies and the local population.

Tags: Others

Конфликтологи из Лондона расскажут горнодобывающим компаниям КР, как избегать конфликтов Conflict therapists from London will tell the mining companies of the Kyrgyz Republic how to avoid conflicts

27 June 2019 Economist Economist

Global experience in resolving conflicts in the fields will be presented by conflict experts from International Alert at the First Business Forum for representatives of mining companies in Kyrgyzstan, which will be held on July 2. This was reported by the press service of the State Committee for Industry, Energy and Subsoil Use.

Tags: Others

В Бишкеке пройдет первый Бизнес-форум для представителей добывающих компаний The first Business Forum for representatives of mining companies will be held in Bishkek

26 June 2019 Kabar Kabar

On July 2, Bishkek will host the first Business Forum for representatives of mining companies in Kyrgyzstan with the participation of representatives of professional associations in the field of subsoil use, donor and public organizations.

Tags: Others

Imam hits vote buying as Muslims mark Eid'l Fitr

05 June 2019 Rappler Paterno Esmaquel II

Leading the morning prayer for the feast of Eid'l Fitr, an Islamic Studies expert blasted vote buying and corruption in Muslim communities, even while Muslims observed the monthlong period of fasting called Ramadan.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Bangsamoro poll tensions may cause conflict – group

24 May 2019 Manila Times Masiding Noor Yahya

Incidents of election fraud and violence in the Bangsamoro during the May 13 polls might lead to a multitude of conflicts, a nongovernment organization warned on Thursday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

144 election-related incidents reported in Mindanao – group

23 May 2019 Rappler Rappler

International Alert reports that most of the violent incidents in Mindanao during the 2019 midterm elections involved explosives and brawls, not guns

Tags: Bangsamoro

Less election-related shootings, but political clan wars still a major threat in BARMM areas

23 May 2019 Business World MSJ

THREE DAYS after the May 13 midterm elections, troops under the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) seized firearms and other weapons in Talitay, Maguindanao in an operation intended to contain the escalation of conflict between the private armed groups (PAGs) of vice-mayoralty candidates Montasir Sabal and Suraida Ameril.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Filipinos vote in largely peaceful midterm elections marred by vote-buying allegations, machine glitches

14 May 2019 The Straits Times Raul Dancel

Nearly 62 million Filipinos headed to the polls on Monday (May 13) to vote in midterm elections that were largely peaceful but marred by vote-buying and faulty vote-counting machines.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Philippine midterm polls marred by vote-buying

14 May 2019 Straits Times Raul Dancel

Nearly 62 million Filipinos voted yesterday in midterm elections seen as peaceful but marred somewhat by vote-buying and faulty counting machines.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Duterte eyes more troop deployment in Lanao Sur

13 May 2019 Philippine Star Alexis Romero

President Duterte has vowed to deploy more troops in Lanao del Sur following reports of violence and vote buying.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lower election violence is partly due to more vote-buying, says police

12 May 2019 BusinessWorld Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

In Cotabato City and Lanao del Sur, for example, International Alert’s monitoring show 43 reported incidents in these two areas from March 28, the start of the campaign period for local candidates, to May 10, a day before the end of campaigning.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Threats, vote-buying in Bangsamoro region on eve of midterm polls

12 May 2019 Rappler Sofia Tomacruz

International Alert Philippines says the stakes are high for the Bangsamoro region, as it needs elected officials who will help ensure the region's success

Tags: Bangsamoro

"Nas Filipinas, a fabricação ilegal de armas dá sustento a famílias e alimenta o terrorismo"

20 April 2019 Gazeta de Povo Gazeta de Povo from NYT

On remote shores near the city of Danao, in the center of the Philippines, there is a makeshift and illegal factory of a master arms manufacturer

Tags: Shadow Economies

La fabricación ilegal de armas, un oficio con un costo mortal

10 April 2019 Debate Debate from NYT

In Danao, Philippines, making weapons is an essential craft that is passed down from generation to generation; everyone can buy a gun just enough to have money

Tags: Shadow Economies

A Family Craft With a Deadly Toll: Illegal Gun Making

07 April 2019 New York Times Jason Gutierrez

Illegal gun making is a livelihood that has helped put food on the table and send the family’s children to school since the 1970s, and Mr. Launa, who asked that only the initial of his first name be used for fear of being arrested, is just one of a host of such small-scale gunsmiths in the region. His village alone is home to about a dozen.

Tags: Shadow Economies

Key issues in the midterm elections: a perspective from the Bangsamoro

01 April 2019 RelifeWeb Yasmira Moner

The year 2019 marked a new era of peace in Southern Philippines. After decades of shoot-and-talk struggle between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 1.6 million people voted to be part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Tags: Bangsamoro

Key issues in the midterm elections: a perspective from the Bangsamoro

31 March 2019 New Mandala Yasmira Moner

The year 2019 marked a new era of peace in Southern Philippines. After decades of shoot-and-talk struggle between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 1.6 million people voted to be part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Tags: Bangsamoro

Murang bigas, alok sa mga residente ng Baseco sa Maynila

30 March 2019 Radyo Patril, DZMM TeleRadyo Henry Atuelan

Murang bigas, alok sa mga residente ng Baseco sa Maynila

Tags: Women and Youth

Muslim mothers in Baseco, launched rice trading to support Islamic schools

30 March 2019 Radyo Pilipinas Bea Gaza

Muslims today launched a rice trading enterprise in Block 9 Baseco, Tondo, Manila to fund their madrasa or Islamic school.

Tags: Women and Youth

Muslim Mothers in Baseco to launch rice trading social enterprise to prevent violent conflict come March 30

29 March 2019 Now Pinay [Blog] Irma Boza

Muslim mothers in Baseco in Tondo, Manila will launch a rice trading social enterprise that will sell low-priced good quality rice in the neighborhood and use the profits to sustain the community-run madrasa (Islamic school) that teaches Islamic values and way of life to Muslim youth.

Tags: Women and Youth

Billboard Campaign In Dallas Aims To Dispel Misconceptions About Islam And The Hijab

22 February 2019 KUT News Stella M. Chavez

Ruman Sadiq says the current political climate has led to misperceptions of Muslim women. That’s why she hopes a new six-week billboard campaign will encourage people to call and ask questions about the hijab, or head scarf.

Tags: Women and Youth

New Bangsamoro region set as MILF faces governance challenge

14 February 2019 ABS-CBN Christian Esguerra

The new self-governing region in the Philippines’ troubled south has been completed as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) prepares for the tough task of running its transition bureaucracy for the next 3 years.

Tags: Bangsamoro

More areas at stake in today’s Bangsamoro vote

06 February 2019 Business World Marifi S. Jara, Tajallih S. Basman and Gillian M. Cortez

Two provinces in two regions in Mindanao stand to lose parts of their areas as towns and villages cast their votes on Wednesday on whether or not to be part of the new Bangsamoro region.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lanao, NoCot youth anticipate joining BARMM: survey

06 February 2019 PNA Christine Cudis

Majority of the youth voting in Wednesday's Bangsamoro plebiscite will allow six Lanao del Norte towns and 67 North Cotabato barangays to be included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), survey results showed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Gov't readies amnesty for MILF fighters under peace deal

06 February 2019 ABS-CBN Christian Esguerra

The Philippine government is working on an amnesty package as the country’s largest Muslim rebel group prepares to decommission its weapons and govern a new autonomous region in the conflict-torn south.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Bombings haunt BOL vote, 3k troops deploy

06 February 2019 Manila Standard Francisco Tuyay, Vito Barcelo with reports from Rio Araja and PNA

The news article details bombing incidents at the eve of the BOL plebiscite in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato as well as the preparations and response of security personnel.

Tags: Bangsamoro

4,000 troops to guard 2nd BOL plebiscite

06 February 2019 The Manila Times Depsey Reyes and William Depasupil TMT w/ reports from Divine de la Cruz

SOME 4,000 soldiers will be deployed to secure the second plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato today, Wednesday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Youth vote for Bangsamoro assured in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato says group

06 February 2019 MindaNews MindaNews

Seventy to 80 percent of the young voters in the February 6 Bangsamoro plebiscite will allow six Lanao del Norte towns and 67 North Cotabato barangays to be included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), International Alert Philippines (IA) said.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lanao, NoCot youth anticipate joining BARMM: survey

05 February 2019 PNA Christine Cudis

Majority of the youth voting in Wednesday's Bangsamoro plebiscite will allow six Lanao del Norte towns and 67 North Cotabato barangays to be included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), survey results showed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Gov’t readies amnesty for MILF fighters under peace deal

05 February 2019 ABS-CBN Christian Esguerra

The Philippine government is working on an amnesty package as the country’s largest Muslim rebel group prepares to decommission its weapons and govern a new autonomous region in the conflict-torn south.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Most youth in Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato favor BARMM inclusion – survey

04 February 2019 Rappler Sofia Tomacruz

Tags: Bangsamoro

High school studes wear headscarves

04 February 2019 Manila Standard Manila Standard

Senior high school students of Taguig National High School wore the Hijab (head covering) for a day in solidarity with Muslim women and girls.

Tags: Women and Youth

Group wary of discrimination vs Muslims in urban areas after Mindanao bombings

01 February 2019 ABS CBN News Online ABS CBN News

Muslims in urban areas may face discrimination after Islamic State-inspired terrorists were tagged in the deadly bombings in Mindanao, a peace-building organization said Friday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Violent extremism in Mindanao

01 February 2019 Manila Standard (Opinion) Ernesto M. Hilario

The latest survey by International Alert Philippines, a peace-building non-government organization, showed that 71 percent of the youth in Lanao del Norte are in favor of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Tags: Bangsamoro

Group wary of discrimination vs Muslims in urban areas after Mindanao bombings

01 February 2019 ABS CBN News ABS CBN News

International Alert Philippines Project Officer for Women and Youth Program Nina Bahjin Imlan told ANC's Early Edition that Muslims in cities outside Sulu and Zamboanga, the site of recent bombings of worship sites, would likely experience discrimination.

Tags: Women and Youth

Why do Muslim women wear hijabs?

01 February 2019 ABS CBN News ABS CBN News

Several Muslim women in the country celebrated "World Hijab Day" by lending their head wraps to members of other religions in a bid to educate others about the kind of discrimination they face by practicing their faith.

Tags: Women and Youth

Advocate: Muslim women, children most vulnerable to discrimination

01 February 2019 ANC Early Edition Interview with Christian Esguerra

Peace advocate: Some even change their Muslim-sounding names to be considered for job interviews.

Tags: Women and Youth

Peace advocate: Discrimination is felt in urban centers in Mindanao

01 February 2019 ANC Early Edition Interview with Christian Esguerra

Those behind Jolo bombing aims to drive a wedge between Christians and Muslims but they will not be succesful because of the sturdy relations among people of different faiths. The effect will mostly be felt in urban areas outside the area where there will be a spike in discrimination against Muslims.

Tags: Women and Youth

A mother's pain: no more calls from Jolo

31 January 2019 Manila Bulletin Zea Capistrano

Feature story about the grief of Aida Ayoman mother of Private First Class Alizon Ayoman who died at the Jolo bombing.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Mosque attack kills 2 in southern Philippines

30 January 2019 UCANews Joe Torres

Two people were killed and four others wounded in a grenade attack on a mosque in the southern Philippines on Jan. 30, three days after a deadly bombing at a Catholic cathedral in a nearby province.

Tags: Bangsamoro

INTERNATIONAL ALERT PHILIPPINES: Protect the gains of peace in hopeful yet fragile conditions

29 January 2019 MindaNews MindaNews

Press statement of International Alert on the Jolo, Sulu twin bombings

Tags: Bangsamoro

Christians Muslims in Mindanao respond to challenges of post-Jolo cathedral blasts

29 January 2019 MindaNews Carolyn Arguillas

The high level of interfaith dialogues in Mindanao is a major factor in ensuring Christians, Muslims and Lumads are able to rise to the challenges they are facing in the post Jolo cathedral bombings, the anger and pain notwithstanding, Christian and Muslim religious leaders said.

Tags: Bangsamoro

PNP: No indication that Jolo blast was a suicide bombing

29 January 2019 ANC Early Edition (TV Report) Interview with Christian Esguerra

Even before plebiscite, the PNP received threats that the Jolo cathedral will be attacked from Abu Sayyaf

Tags: Bangsamoro

Philippine church attack clouds outlook for peace in Mindanao

28 January 2019 Nikkei Asian Review Mikhail Flores

The fatal bombing of a Catholic church in the Philippines has cast a shadow over prospects for peace in the country's southern islands, just days after the largely Muslim population in the region voted for greater autonomy.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Tough challenges await MILF in BOL leadership — Analysts

23 January 2019 UNTV Nel Maribojoc

The passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) is being counted upon to resolve the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao region.

Tags: Bangsamoro

After Bangsamoro plebiscite, hopes are high but no quick fixes expected

22 January 2019 ABS CBN News Online Patrick Quintos

Hopes are high that the “usual” shootouts and other gun-related violence in the restive south may finally disappear as residents of Muslim Mindanao on Monday voted in a plebiscite for wider Bangsamoro autonomy, one of the final steps in the peace pact between the government and the country’s largest Moro rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Canvassing starts as BOL approval anticipated

22 January 2019 Business World Tajallih Basman and Gillian Cortez

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) en banc convened on Tuesday morning as the National Plebiscite Board of Canvassers (NPBOC) to start the official count for the votes in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite, but adjourned by 11:30 a.m. as it awaited vote certificates.

Tags: Bangsamoro

‘Yes’, ‘No’ in tight race

22 January 2019 Manila Bulletin Zea Capistrano and Leslie ann Aquino

The “Yes” and “No” votes are in a tight race when the city’s Plebiscite Board of Can­vassers for the Bangsamoro Or­ganic Law (BOL) plebiscite took a recess.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lara: #BangsamoroVote gearing towards winning in whole ARMM

21 January 2019 ANC Early Edition (TV Report) Interview with Christian Esguerra

The #BangsamoroVote is gearing toward a "massive victory" in the ARMM, except in Sulu, Isabela City, Basilan and Cotabato City, said International Alert PH senior adviser Francisco Lara.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lara: There is no opt out option in Bangsamoro plebiscite for Sulu

21 January 2019 ANC Early Edition (TV Report) Interview with Christian Esguerra

Sulu has no choice to opt out of the new Bangsamoro region, but "no" votes from the province will strengthen their petition before the Supreme Court, said International Alert PH senior adviser Francisco Lara.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Bangsamoro law seen ratified, ARMM expansion hangs: analysts

21 January 2019 ABS CBN News Online ABS CBN News

Lara, whose group surveyed 328 youth respondents in the ARMM, said there was "a significant plurality in support" of the Bangsamoro Law in Isabela City in December, but no-voters almost doubled in numbers by January. He suspects this could be the result of "clan dynamics."

Tags: Bangsamoro

Survey: Majority of youth in ARMM will vote 'yes' for Bangsamoro law

20 January 2019 CNN Philippines (TV Report) Gerg Cahiles

Tags: Bangsamoro

Yes or no? Cotabato gears up for landmark Bangsamoro plebiscite

20 January 2019 ABS CBN News Online Patrick Quintos

“Kailangan huminahon tayong lahat . Kasi hindi naman dapat natin asahan na kagyat babagsak ang karahasan. Simula pa lamang ito,” added Francisco “Pancho” Lara Jr. of the conflict monitoring group International Alert Philippines.

Tags: Bangsamoro

NGO SURVEY | More youth support Bangsamoro Organic Law

19 January 2019 News 5 Online News5

More young people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) would vote in favour of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), according to a survey conducted by the peace-building nongovernmental organization International Alert (IA) Philippines.

Tags: Bangsamoro

70% of young voters in ARMM agree with BOL

18 January 2019 UNTV UNTV News and Rescue

Majority of young voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are in favor of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Tags: Bangsamoro

More ARMM youth support Bangsamoro Law – survey

18 January 2019 Rappler Sofia Tomacruz

More youth in the region now consider terrorism as the top priority to be addressed by the Bangsamoro Organic Law, according to the survey of International Alert Philippines

Tags: Bangsamoro

BOL plebiscite set, voting ‘fluid’

18 January 2019 Manila Standard (print and online) Rio N. Araja

Majority of the youth in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao would vote “yes” to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, according to a survey done by the peace group International Alert Philippines.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Duterte to reach out to Misuari after BOL ratification

18 January 2019 Business World Vann Marlo Villegas

A survey conducted by International Alert (Alert) Philippines showed 70.8% of 328 respondents, aged 18 to 35 years old, are in favor of ratification, an increase from the 60.4% recorded from a survey conducted in October to November last year.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Tough battle ahead for Bangsamoro law in 2 cities, youth survey shows

18 January 2019 ABS CBN News Online Christian Esguerra

Youth voters likely to reject a new Bangsamoro law are gaining momentum in two key cities in southern Philippines, a new survey showed, with more non-Muslims questioning whether they would benefit from it.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Bangsamoro Vote: Power Brokers in the Bangsamoro Region

18 January 2019 Rappler Pia Ranada and Sofia Tomacruz

International Alert’s Senior Peace and Conflict Adviser Pancho Lara wonders if the MILF would be aggressive in imposing taxes, which will surely hit the political clans and their businesses.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Vote vs BOL 'gains momentum' among youth in Cotabato City, Isabela City

18 January 2019 Rappler Sofia Tomacruz

The two cities are among places to watch as ruling politicians have been vocal against their inclusion in the proposed new region

Tags: Bangsamoro

Youth in Favor of BOL

18 January 2019 ONE News (TV Report) Bim Santos

The number of youth respondents who will vote "yes" in the upcoming plebiscite has increased to 70 percent, according to International Alert Philippines' latest poll.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Suporta sa BOL

18 January 2019 News 5 (Aksyon, TV Report) Bim Santos

70% ng mga kabataan sa ARMM ang nagsabing boboto sila ng "oo" sa pagpapatibay ng Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Tags: Bangsamoro

70% ng mga kabataan sa ARMM pabor sa BOL pero no vote sa Cotabato, Isabela, at Basilan tumaas

18 January 2019 UNTV News and Rescue (TV Report) UNTV News and Rescue

Pabor ang mayorya ng mga kabataan sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao o ARMM sa Bangsamoro Organic Law o BOL.

Tags: Bangsamoro

What you need to know about the Bangsamoro plebiscite

18 January 2019 Rappler Sofia Tomacruz

According to results of a survey conducted by peace-building organization International Alert Philippines in December 2018, residents who agree with the BOL believe that it will create more government jobs.

Tags: Bangsamoro

How the proposed Bangsamoro region can achieve peace in Mindanao

17 January 2019 CNN Philippines (TV Report) Special Report by Gerg Cahiles

MILF influence in a large population of the Bangsamoro region will help address peace and security concerns by creating political settlements with different groups including the clans, especially as the new order will be a threat to illegal businesses of some families that may have controlled the local economy and supported extremist groups for their personal interests.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lidasan: Who is the Bangsamoro voter?

08 January 2019 Sunstar Davao Mussolini Lidasan

According to a report from the International Alert Philippines, a significant majority of the youth in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) will vote YES to the ratification of the BOL.

Tags: Bangsamoro

[OPINION] Yes to Bangsamoro

06 January 2019 Rappler Amir Mawallil

Based on the survey conducted by International Alert Philippines, 70% of the youth in ARMM voted ‘yes’ to BOL’s ratification.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Filipino books I want to read

23 December 2018 Philippine Star Elfren S. Cruz

The article includes "OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Violent Conflict and the Real Economy of Mindanao", edited by Francisco Lara and Steven Schoofs, co-published by Bughaw and International Alert, 2016.

Tags: Others

Land distribution a 'critical issue' among Bangsamoro plebiscite voters: think tank

21 December 2018 ANC Early Edition (TV Report) ABS CBN News

Land distribution in the Bangsamoro is one of the most "critical issues" local groups and indigenous tribes are considering a month before the they cast their votes in a plebiscite that would determine the region's autonomy, a think tank said Friday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Philconsa to SC: BOL will 'destroy country, dismember territories'

21 December 2018 Manila Standard Manila Standard

The Philippine Constitution Association has warned the Bangsamoro Organic Law will destroy the country and dismember its territories, and asked the Supreme Court to declare the landmark legislation unconstitutional.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Show of force for Bangsamoro law

11 December 2018 Inquirer Bong S. Sarmiento

The percentage of youth voting ‘no’ to the measure is increasing in Cotabato City and Isabela in Basilan.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Young Filipinos favor new Muslim region in Mindanao

10 December 2018 UCANews Joe Torres

Young Filipinos in the southern Philippines favor a law, which will be put to a vote next month, that will pave the way for a new Muslim political entity in Mindanao. This was the result of a first round of surveys carried out in October and November by the non-government group International Alert Philippines and released on Dec. 6.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Major campaign rally for BOL to be launched Dec. 10 in Cotabato City

09 December 2018 Business World Marifi S. Jara

A survey conducted in Oct. and Nov 2018 by peace-building non-government organization International Alert (IA) Philippines indicates that “a significant majority of the youth” in the BARMM “will vote YES to the ratification” of the BOL.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lawyer advocating Bangsamoro Organic Law shot dead in Maguindanao ARMM youths favor BOL

07 December 2018 Philippine Star John Unson with Romina Cabrera

A majority of the youths in the ARMM and other concerned provinces are in favor of the BOL, according to a survey conducted by a non-government organization (NGO).

Tags: Bangsamoro

WATCH: Mga kabataan sa mga lugar na sasakupin ng BOL, dadalo sa plebisito – survey

07 December 2018 Radyo Inquirer Jong Manlapaz

Lumabas sa survey ng non-government organization (NGO) na International Alert Philippines na karamihan ng mga kabataan na sasakupin ng Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) ay makikilahok sa plebisito at boboto ng ‘yes’.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Most ARMM youth will vote in favor of Bangsamoro Law – survey

07 December 2018 Rappler Pia Ranada

Getting more ARMM youth to vote in the January 21, 2019 plebiscite will increase chances for the BOL to be ratified, says International Alert Philippines

Tags: Bangsamoro

Martial law in Mindanao able to capture illegal weapons'

06 December 2018 ABS-CBN News Patrick Quintos

Martial law extension will help secure areas scheduled to vote in a plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a peace advocate said Thursday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

ARMM youth favor Bangsamoro Organic Law: survey

06 December 2018 ABS-CBN News Patrick Quintos

Majority of youth voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are in favor of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a peace advocacy group's survey showed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Majority of ARMM youth in favor of Bangsamoro ratification

06 December 2018 Manila Standard Rio N. Araja

Most of the young people in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are likely to vote yes to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the group International Alert Philippines said Thursday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Mayorya ng youth voters sa ARMM, pabor sa BOL - survey

06 December 2018 Brigada News Ramak Kowsari

Mayorya ng batang botante sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) ang pabor sa Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Tags: Bangsamoro

90% of youth in ARMM in favor of BOL ratification: survey

06 December 2018 PTV News Filane Mikee Cervantes

Nearly 90 percent of the youth in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will vote in favor of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a survey conducted by peace-building organization, International Alert Philippines, showed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

90% of youth in ARMM in favor of BOL ratification: survey

06 December 2018 PNA Filane Mikee Cervantes

Nearly 90 percent of the youth in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will vote in favor of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a survey conducted by peace-building organization, International Alert Philippines, showed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

BOL | Mayorya ng kabataan, boboto ng "yes" sa gagawing plebisito – ayon sa survey ng International Alert Ph

06 December 2018 RMN News Nationwide: The Sound Of The Nation RMN News Nationwide: The Sound Of The Nation

Kung ngayon isasagawa ang plebisito para sa mga lugar na masasakupan ng Bangsamoro Organic Law, Determinado na bumoto ang mga kabataan na pabor para rito.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Terrorism in Mindanao can be ended sans Martial law – Colmenares

30 October 2018 Davao Today Kath M. Cortez

Even as the Armed Forces of the Philippines mulls to lift Martial Law in Mindanao or not, senatorial bet and former Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Neri Colmenares raised the issue why it remains implemented.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

A resurgent communist New People's Army in southern Philippines raises security threat in Mindanao

18 October 2018 Channel News Asia Amy Chew

Security forces fighting pro-Islamic State (IS) militant groups in the troubled Mindanao island now have another battle on their hands, with the resurgence of the New People’s Army (NPA) - the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Tags: Bangsamoro

6 Anti-Drug Operatives Killed in Volatile Southern Philippines

05 October 2018 Benar News Froilan Gallardo and Richel Umel

According to International Alert Philippines, which tracks violence in the south, conflicts attributed to the illegal drug trade fell by 15 percent last year – during the height of the Marawi conflict – but persists as a worrisome trend.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

‘Shadow’ economies, illegal drugs and weapons are top reasons for Mindanao conflict in 2017

04 October 2018 Manila Bulletin Francis Wakefield

Shadow economies, particularly activities attributed to trade and use of illicit weapons and drugs are the top reasons for conflict in Mindanao with a total of 1,549 related reports in 2017, according to International Alert Philippines (IAP).

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

In ARMM, lesser conflict incidents doesn’t translate to lower deaths

03 October 2018 Business Mirror Bernadette Nicolas

Although there was a dip in conflict incidents in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) provinces, except in Lanao del Sur, the total number of conflict-related deaths almost doubled in the region in 2017, data from Conflict Alert 2018 report showed.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Study dismisses religion as cause of conflict in Marawi

03 October 2018 UCANews Melo Acuna

Religion has nothing to do with the armed conflict that devastated the southern Philippine city of Marawi in the middle of 2017. This was part of the findings of a study released in Manila on Oct. 2 by International Alert, an independent group operating programs around the world to address conflict.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Philippines, U.S. Marines Launch Anti-Terror Drills

03 October 2018 Benar News Jeoffrey Maitem and Felipe Villamor

Nikki de la Rosa, leader of the think-tank International Alert Philippines which tracks conflicts, said that while the Marawi crisis is over, militant groups appear to have funding to fuel their terroristic activists as they continue to evade capture.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Group: Blaming ISIS for spike in violence in Mindanao an overstatement

03 October 2018 CNN Philippines [TV Report] David Santos

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Martial law helped lessen violence in ARMM – report

02 October 2018 Rappler Pia Ranada

President Rodrigo Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao helped lessen violence in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by discouraging armed groups from bringing out their weapons.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Fewer but deadlier conflicts in ARMM in 2017 – report

02 October 2018 Rappler Pia Ranada

The year 2017 saw an “unprecedented” rise in deaths due to conflict in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) despite a decline in the number of violent conflict incidents, according to a report launched on Tuesday, October 2.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Fewer but deadlier conflicts in Mindanao in 2017 under martial law: study

02 October 2018 ABS CBN online Christian Esguerra

Restricted access to firearms under martial law helped reduce violent incidents in Mindanao, but the region still recorded an “unprecedented” number of deaths last year, a new study released Tuesday showed.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Urban religious violence spike in Bangsamoro - Study

02 October 2018 Business World Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

THE Bangsamoro region of Mindanao saw a spike in urban violence as well as inter- and intra- religious identity violence last year, a new report found. This, despite the drop in rebellion-related violence.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Build Peace 2017: Dialogue on Information and Communication Technologies to Monitor Peace Agreements

31 July 2018 Medium Build Up

In a dialogue Information and communication technologies to monitor peace agreements, Nikki de la Rosa shares the use and importance of data on conflict and causes of violence, and participatory data collection to build trust among stakeholders.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Muslim youth and women break fast together to fight discrimination, celebrate diversity through food

18 June 2018 Today Online Today Online [blogpost]

"That discrimination against Muslims will most likely be felt in urban centers outside of Sulu and Zamboanga," she said.

Tags: Women and Youth

Robin Padilla nakisalo sa mahigit 100 kabataan, kababaihan para sa Iftar

13 June 2018 ABS CBN Willard Cheng

She said Muslims within the two areas were safe from discrimination "because of the long history of good relations among the peoples of Sulu and Zamboanga."

Tags: Women and Youth

Final version of BBL holds fate of Mindanao peace process

10 June 2018 Rappler Carmela Fonbuela

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front seeks to restore deleted provisions in the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which implements a peace deal with the government. The final version also has to satisfy the Supreme Court and the people who will vote to accept or reject the new region in a plebiscite

Tags: Bangsamoro

Fate of Mindanao peace process hangs on final version of BBL

10 June 2018 Rappler Rappler

Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Ghazali Jaafar on the prospects of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Tags: Bangsamoro

BBL nearly cost Alvarez' post —solon

08 June 2018 Manila Standard Maricel Cruz

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was almost unseated over a provision in the bill creating a Bangsamoro autonomous region that would have allowed the proposed region to expand its territory within 25 years, Tawi-Tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali said Thursday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

HINILING | MILF, nais makilahok sa bicameral conference committee na bubuo sa pinal na bersyon panukalang BBL

08 June 2018 RMN News Nationwide: The Sound Of The Nation RMN News Nationwide: The Sound Of The Nation

Hiniling ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) na payagan silang makilahok sa bicameral conference committee na bubuo sa pinal na bersiyon ng panukalang Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Tags: Bangsamoro

The ANC Brief: June 8, 2018

08 June 2018 ABS CBN News ABS CBN News

The MILF warned it will stop decommissioning its armed forces if the Bangsamoro Basic Law is not passed. MILF Vice Chair Ghazali Jaafar also cautioned against a “useless” BBL. Lawmakers already gave assurances the BBL would be ready by the President’s next SONA in July.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Congress urged to pass peace deal-compliant BBL

08 June 2018 The Philippine Star Jose Rodel Clapano

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday urged Congress to ensure that it would pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that is compliant with the 2014 peace agreement between the government and the rebels.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Senate will stand firm on BBL changes—Zubiri

08 June 2018 Inquirer Inquirer

With political clans from Mindanao expected to challenge the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the Supreme Court, the Senate must make sure that the measure complies with the 1987 Constitution, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Dureza: Fight for BBL not yet over

07 June 2018 Manila Bulletin Francis Wakefield

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Proceas (OPAPP) Secretary Jesus Dureza assured the key stakeholders of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that Congress will work on a single version of the law that conforms to the Constitution.

Tags: Bangsamoro

MILF: ‘No BBL, no troop decommissioning’

07 June 2018 ABS CBN Christian Esguerra

A Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leader on Thursday warned that his group would not decomission its forces if no Bangsamoro Basic Law is passed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Lawmakers flag resistance in Mindanao to BBL

07 June 2018 Business World Camille A. Aguinaldo and Charmaine A. Tadalan

Tawi-Tawi Representative Ruby M. Sahali, for her part, claimed that Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez effectively risked his leadership by supporting a provision for a continuing plebiscite on inclusion in the BBL, which she said other lawmakers from Mindanao opposed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Speaker Alvarez nearly lost post over plebiscite row in BBL: solon

07 June 2018 ABS CBN News Christian Esguerra

Disagreements over a contentious provision allowing the proposed Bangsamoro region to expand its territory within 25 years almost cost Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez his post, a congressional leader said Thursday.

Tags: Bangsamoro

KAKALAS | Mga Mindanaoan Congressman, nagbanta sa liderato ni Speaker Alvarez

07 June 2018 RMN News Nationwide: The Sound Of The Nation RMN News Nationwide: The Sound Of The Nation

Nagbanta ang mga kongresista mula sa Mindanao na kakalas sa liderato ni House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez kapag nanaig ang bersyon ng Kamara sa Bangsamoro Basic Law sa huli. Ayon kay Tawi-tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali, pinuno ng House Committee on Peace and Reconciliation, posibleng bawiin ng may 50 Mindanaoan congressmen ang kanilang suporta kay Alvarez.

Tags: Bangsamoro

TV Patrol: MILF, nais makilahok sa bicam ng panukalang BBL

07 June 2018 TV Patrol, ABS CBN (TV Report) Christian Esguerra

Ayon kay MILF Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar, dapat matutukan nila ang diskusyon upang siguruhing hindi lalabnaw ang maipapasang Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Tags: Bangsamoro

SONA: Sec. Dureza: May back-channel talks ang gobyerno at CPP-NPA-NDF sa The Netherlands

07 June 2018 State of the Nation, GMA News (TV Report) Jessica Soho

Kinumpirma ni Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza na may back channel talks ngayon para sa posibleng pagbubukas muli ng peace talks. Ayon kay Dureza, nangyayari ang back-channel negotiations sa The Netherlands.

Tags: Bangsamoro

MILF Vice Chair warns of not decommissioning forces if BBL won't be passed

07 June 2018 Global News Network (TV Report) Rose Anne Dela Cruz

Moro Islamic Liberation Front Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar warned the government that it would not decommission its forces if the government does not fulfill its promise to put the Bangsamoro Basic Law into action. Jaafar also reminded that a non-compliant version will also fail to convince other groups to support the peace process.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Early Edition, ANC Funding the Bangsamoro Basic Law

05 April 2018 ANC (ABS CBN News Channel) ANC Guesting

UP Associate Professor and International Alert Philippines Consultant Toby Monsod talks about the financial aspects of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and explains why fiscal autonomy in the Bangsamoro should come with political autonomy.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Bangsamoro: Beyond the combat zones

08 January 2018 Business World Marifi S. Jara, Arjay S. Balinbin, Rosemarie A. Zamora, Andrea Louise E. San Juan, and Albert F. Arcilla

In its 2017 Report titled Guns, Drugs, and Extremism: Bangsamoro’s New Wars, launched Nov. 29, Conflict Alert said “Rebellion-related violence increased by 19% from 144 incidents in 2015 to 171 incidents in 2016.”

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Mindanao violence 'fuelled by drugs, arms'

02 December 2017 The Strait Times Raul Dancel

Shadow economies, underpinned by illegal drug trade and gun-running, will continue to fuel violent extremism and attacks on urban areas in the insurgency-racked southern Philippine island of Mindanao, experts have warned.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Winning authors, illustrators honored at 36th National Book Awards

02 December 2017 GMA News Online Jessica Bartolome

The book, "Out of the Shadows: Violent Conflict and the Real Economy of Mindanao", written by Francisco J. Lara, Jr. and Steven Schoofs, wins best book for the social sciences category.

Tags: Others

Violence in ARMM due to illegal drugs grow 6x 2015 to 2016 but rebels, extremists cause more deaths -International Alert

01 December 2017 News5 Interaksyon Tricia Aquino

Violent incidents related to illegal drugs grew almost six-fold in the ARMM from 2015 to 2016, coinciding with the launch of President Duterte’s war on drugs when he assumed office.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Early Edition, ANC

01 December 2017 ANC (ABS CBN News Channel)

International Alert Philippines deputy country manager Nikki de la Rosa and Conflict Alert team leader Judy Gulane discuss conflict trends in the ARMM and the highlights of the Conflict Alert 2017 Report.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Drug trade, gun-running to continue fueling violent extremism in Mindanao: Experts

30 November 2017 The Strait Times Raul Dancel

According to International Alert, shadow economies, which includes illegal drugs and illicit gun trade, will continue to fuel violent extremism and attacks on urban areas in Mindanao.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Group warns of revenge killings, rise in clan feuding in Marawi

30 November 2017 Rappler Jee Y. Geronimo

International Alert Philippines warned about two looming problems related to identity that may erupt in Marawi City: people who will seek revenge and rid or clan feuding.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

International Alert warns of 2 post-Marawi sources of violence, calls for BBL’s passage

30 November 2017 News5 Interaksyon Tricia Aquino

International Alert has warned of two possible sources of violence that may erupt in Marawi City: first are people seeking revenge for the loss of their families and/or properties, and second are issues about overlapping land claims in the South.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Report confirms link between drug trade and extremist violence in south

29 November 2017 Business Mirror Elijah Felice Rosales

According to Conflict Alert, shadow economies, particularly illegal-drugs trade, have finances extremist groups with their terror activities in Mindanao, leading to the explosion of violence in the Mindanao.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Study shows conflict incidents spike in ARMM in 2016

29 November 2017 GMA News Online Marlly Rome Bondoc

According to the Conflict Alert report, the ARMM saw an “explosion of violence” in 2016, with conflict incidents recorded mostly in Maguindanao, although most deaths were in Basilan.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Marawi rehab: ‘Build communities resilient to threat of extremism’

29 November 2017 Rappler Jee Y. Geronimo

International Alert Philippines urged the government to make sure that the rehabilitation of Marawi City will include efforts to build communities that are resilient to the threat of extremism.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Cotabato Ctiy unlikely to be ‘next Marawi,’ says peace NGO

29 November 2017 GMA News Online Marlly Rome Bondoc

The possibility of Cotabato City being “the next” Marawi City is unlikely, as the Maute group would not be able to easily mobilize there due to the city’s more diverse population

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

ARMM saw ‘explosion of violence’ in 2016 – report

29 November 2017 Rappler Jee Y. Geronimo

According to the latest Conflict Alert, the biggest causes of violent conflict in 2016 are shadow economy issues, while political issues such as rebellion and extremism caused more fatalities.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Book on Marcos dictatorship wins 2017 National Book Award

17 November 2017 ABS-CBN News ABS-CBN News

The book, "Out of the Shadows: Violent Conflict and the Real Economy of Mindanao", written by Francisco J. Lara, Jr. and Steven Schoofs, wins best book for the social sciences category.

Tags: Others

Young people make everyday peace a reality

27 October 2017 International Alert

International Alert Philippines launched Everyday Peace to call on everyday people to build everyday peace

Tags: Peace Week

Dong Abay urges “Kalinaw” everyday

13 October 2017 Business World Weekender Diana Moraleda

Dong Abay launched a new song “Kalinaw”

Tags: Peace Week

Cahrihl monitoring station launched in Davao City

30 September 2017 Sunstar Davao Juliet C. Revita

The government of the Republic of the Philippines - Monitoring Committee (GRP-MC) launched on Friday the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Cahrihl) Compliance Mindanao Pilot Monitoring Station in Davao City, designed to address violations and monitor compliance for promotion of humanitarian law down to the grassroots level.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Gov't peace panel launches CARHRIHL monitoring committee

29 September 2017 MindaNews Antonio L. Colina IV

The government (GRP) peace negotiating panel on Friday launched the body that will monitor compliance with an agreement that seeks to protect the rights of noncombatants in armed conflict.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Group launches mobile app for peace advocacy

25 September 2017 Business Mirror Alladin S. Diega

International Alert Philippines launched Everyday Peace to call on everyday people to build everyday peace.

Tags: Peace Week

Threats of narcoterrorism in the Philippines

23 September 2017 Rappler Rommel C. Banlaoi

Narcoterrorism has become a security problem that, if not quickly abated, can undermine world peace and stability.

Tags: Shadow Economies

Peace writ large: peacebuilding works, but we may need to shout about it more

21 September 2017 Open Democracy Phil Vernon

On International Peace Day, a new report showcases the positive cumulative effect of peacebuilding initiatives, even when conflicts worldwide and the people killed or suffering are on the increase.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Aksyon Kababaihan

21 September 2017 DZRH AM Radio

Our Project Officers Nina Bahjin and Sahara Mama guested on DZRH AM radio show “Aksyon Kababaihan” (Women’s action). They talked about the #EverydayPeace app and how the it can help in youth and women empowerment. They also promoted the Concert for Peace during which the app would be launched.

Tags: Peace Week

Moro youth urge gov’t: Go beyond military response to heal Marawi

19 September 2017 ABS-CBN News Channel ABS-CBN News Channel

International Alert Philippines’ Project Officers Nina Bahjin and Sahara Mama talked about International Alert’s work in organizing the youth in conflict areas, in setting up an early response network, and in the Marawi rebuilding process.

Tags: Peace Week

Early Edition, ANC

19 September 2017 ABS-CBN News Channel ABS-CBN News Channel

International Alert Philippines’ Project Officers Nina Bahjin and Sahara Mama talked about International Alert’s work in organizing the youth in conflict areas, in setting up an early response network, and in the Marawi rebuilding process.

Tags: Peace Week

Radio Interview

18 September 2017 Jam 88.3 FM

Alert Philippines’s Francesca Humi promoted the #EverydayPeace App and Concert for Peace during a primetime show (6-9 PM) on one of the biggest FM stations in Manila.

Tags: Peace Week

Radio Interview

18 September 2017 Pinas FM 95.5

Alert Philippines’s Nina Bahjin and Cooky Chua also promoted the #EverydayPeace App and Concert for Peace on Net 25’s radio station, Pinas FM.

Tags: Peace Week

Letters and Music TV Show

18 September 2017 Net 25

Our Project Officer Ms. Nina Bahjin and our Librarian Ms. Cooky Chua guested on Net25 to promote #EverydayPeace app and the Concert for Peace.

Tags: Peace Week

Companies urged to embrace equality and diversity

01 September 2017 Sun Star Davao

International Alert, Mindanao Business Council, and Team Energy Foundation Inc. jointly launched Red Flags campaign, a set of practical guidelines to help companies ensure equal access to employment, safe spaces, and sustainable careers for their employees regardless of religious or ethnic identity.

Tags: Red Flags

Group prods business: embrace equality and diversity in the workplace

30 August 2017 Business Mirror Alladin Diega

Establishing a clear workplace culture enhances the employee experience, helping them become actively engaged in preserving that culture and using it to positively promote the organization to others.

Tags: Red Flags

Discrimination a hurdle for job-seeking Mindanao youth

30 August 2017 Rappler Patty Pasion

A conflict monitoring group launches a set of guidelines that seeks to end discrimination on the basis of ethnic and religious belief.

Tags: Red Flags

Red Flags’ aim to check discrimination in the workplace

30 August 2017 Inquirer Yara Lukman

International Alert Philippines launched a set of guidelines, “Red Flags on Equality and Diversity in the Workplace,” which aims to check discrimination in the workplace.

Tags: Red Flags

Mindanaoan youth: ‘We want just and lasting peace’

13 August 2017 Rappler Raisa Serafica

Tags: Women and Youth

Philippine crackdown on illegal guns sought

10 August 2017 UCAN

A global peace network called on the Philippines to take advantage of martial law in Mindanao “to get rid of illegal guns” and reduce the possibility of them being recycled.’’

Tags: Shadow Economies

Philippines: Death Toll in Marawi Fighting Tops 700

09 August 2017 Benar News Jeoffrey Maitem and Froilan Gallardo

Vicious fighting in the southern Philippine city of Marawi entered its 79th day with the death toll topping 700, as government troops kept battling on Wednesday to push out Islamic State-backed militants, officials said.

Tags: Shadow Economies

Duterte urged to strengthen gun control to stop terrorism

09 August 2017 Manila Times Mary Gleefer F. Jalea

A non-government organization focused on “peace building” has called on President Rodrigo Duterte to strengthen arms control in the wake of the proliferation of illegal guns that helped Islamist insurgents to wage war against the government in the southern Philippines.

Tags: Shadow Economies

TV Patrol: Mga baril na nakukumpiska ng pulis, saannapupunta?

08 August 2017 ABS-CBN TV Patrol News Jorge Carino

International Alert Philippines pushes for the ceation of an agency esponsible for the destruction of illegal firearms

Tags: Shadow Economies

In the aftermath of the Marawi Crisis and with Martial Law, what to do with illicit guns?

04 August 2017 Business World Online Ed Quitoriano

In the 2013 International Alert study (Out of the Shadows: Violent Conflict and the Real Economy in Mindanao), it is argued that the shadow economy in illicit guns is not completely outside the administrative and political reach of the state.

Tags: Shadow Economies

Group of Moro youths not supporting martial law extension

25 July 2017 SunStar Davao Bomie Lane S. Castillo

"The demographics of Sulu have always been a combination of people with different religious and cultural backgrounds. Christians, Muslim, Chinese, Tausugs. These people have never identified themselves according to these divides," she said.

Tags: Women and Youth

Anti-discrimination guidelines for firms

28 June 2017 Sunstar Christine Joice C. Cudis

International Alert Philippines launched guidelines for companies to help check the prevalence of discrimination in the workplace.

Tags: Red Flags

International Alert calls on congress to pass measure against discrimination

28 June 2017 MindaNews Antonio Colina IV

Human rights advocacy group International Alert-Philippines is calling on Congress to pass an anti-discrimination measure that seeks to protect rights of the Muslim and indigenous people (IP) minorities in the workplace and enable them to access better opportunities in companies.

Tags: Red Flags

DUTERTE YEAR ONE | The good, the bad, and the uncertain

26 June 2017 InterAksyon Camille A. Aguinaldo

Political analyst Tony La Viña said Duterte’s linking of terrorism and drugs was not new, citing studies in Mindanao about the relationship between the two by scholar Francisco “Pancho” Lara, country manager of International Alert Philippines.

Tags: Others

ANC Early Edition interview and corresponding article: ‘Narco-terrorism’ possible in Marawi conflict, says analyst

22 June 2017 ABS-CBN News Channel

Prof. Rufa Cagoco-Guiam of the Mindanao State University in General Santos City said a study they did shows strong links of illegal drugs, politics, and violent conflicts in Mindanao, particularly in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.

Tags: Shadow Economies

Our long hot summer of terror

08 June 2017 Business World Francisco J. Lara, Jr.

With the violence in Marawi and more violent extremist groups emerge, what is needed is to create programs to empower the Moro youth, create new and stricter laws that would punish discrimination, and stregthen social cohesion accompanied by military actions.

Tags: Others

COMMENTARY: Addressing challenges posed by the Abu Sayyaf Group (6): The Shadow Economy

25 May 2017 MindaNews Vic M. Taylor

In the ARMM the shadow economy is the REAL economy. (We need to thank Francisco Lara Jr. of International Alert for undertaking the ground-breaking studies on this sector in Mindanao).

Tags: Shadow Economies

Talks with Reds tackle land confiscation

23 May 2017 Rappler Carmela Fonbuena

Land reform is at the heart of talks to end Asia's longest running communist insurgency. Negotiators of the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have agreed to distribute land for free – meaning the government will shoulder the cost of acquiring properties that will be distributed to landless farmers.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Shadow economies' may affect peace talks with Reds, analyst says

26 April 2017 ABS-CBN News Channel ABS-CBN News

According to Francisco Lara, country manager of International Alert Philippines, shadow economies in the Philippines may affect ongoing peace talks between the Duterte administration and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines

Tags: Bangsamoro

Duterte threatens anew communists, Abu Sayyaf: You want me to be an animal?

24 April 2017 Business World Online Lucia Edna P. de Guzman, with Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral

International Alert Philippines Country Manager Francisco J. Lara, Jr. said the cease-fire has led to an environment that allows “indigenous people and businessmen to return.” To be sure, the truce was terminated last February but both sides are continuing the negotiations.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Duterte threatens anew communists, Abu Sayyaf: You want me to be an animal?

24 April 2017 Business World Lucia Edna P. de Guzman and Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral

Despite optimism among his officials about the peace negotiations with the communist underground, President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday lashed out anew at the communists as well as the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, saying he could act like “an animal” just like them.

Tags: Others

Is there Compelling Reason to Talk Peace Again?

27 February 2017 Business World Online Eddie Quitoriano

We can rephrase the question by asking: Can we really afford an all-out war? Searching for a compelling reason to go back to the negotiating table may be difficult if the eyes don't see.

Tags: Bangsamoro

While costly, groups urge persistent pursuit of peace

15 December 2016 Business Mirror Rene Acosta and Jonathan Mayuga

IA’s monitoring system, called Conflict Alert, is currently the only existing tracker of violent conflict at the subnational level in the Philippines. The areas covered by the IA’s monitoring system are major sites of rebellion and insurgency, criminal violence and shadow economy-based conflicts.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Monitoring conflicts in the southern Philippines

11 November 2016 Relief Web International Alert

International Alert launched a new monitoring system called Conflict Alert that allows conflicts to be analysed and compared in different regions in the southern Philippines.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Rebellion not main cause of violence in ARMM

27 October 2016 Rappler Carmela Fonbuena

According to Conflict Alert, common crimes and shadow economies are the top causes of violent conflict in ARMM, particularly in urban areas.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Conflict monitoring covers more areas

25 October 2016 Manila Times Manila Times

A conflict monitoring system developed by International Alert Philippines (IAP), a nongovernment organization, now covers more provinces in Mindanao, enabling a more comprehensive analysis of conflict and better formulation of interventions and development plans.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

4 PH terror groups link up with pro-ISIS fighters in region

25 October 2016 Rappler Carmela Fonbuena

More deadly violence threatens the Philippines after tracing direct links between 4 pro-Islamic State (ISIS) groups and in Mindanao and extremists in Indonesia and Malaysia. A report by International Alert's Conflict Alert shows that there’s a spike in violent incidents associated with extremists groups in the past five years.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Live Blog: #PeaceHack in MNL Making PH a Much Safer Place!

25 September 2016 BLOG Jaysee Blabs

Tags: #PeaceHack 2016

#PeaceHack2016: Peacebuilding through technology

25 September 2016 TechBlade PH Patti Salas

Tags: #PeaceHack 2016

Live Blog: #PeaceHack an Event Soon to Change Philippines Forever

24 September 2016 BLOG Jaysee Blabs

Tags: #PeaceHack 2016

World Bank to continue, step up programs

20 September 2016 Sunstar Ace June Rell S. Perez

The World Bank is committed to continue its existing projects and programs that target and develop Philippine agriculture, housing, and the peace process. Among these projects is the Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Securing peace in our lifetime

29 May 2016 Inquirer Francisco J. Lara, Jr.

A durable agreement will require an outcome that is inclusive and a process that employs out-of-the-box approaches and solutions distinct from previous peace negotiations with both the NDF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Tags: Others

Betting on Mindanao

19 February 2016 Business World

The Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System monitors conflicts between state and rebels, checks on all kinds of clashes, including those that take place between rebel commanders themselves, Francisco “Pancho” J. Lara, Jr., International Alert’s Philippine country manager said during the same interview.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Pushing for a more grass-roots approach to build peace

18 February 2016 Devex Lean Alfred Santos

The Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System (BCMS) highlights the importance of grass-roots data and input from communities which are under conflict situation in designing sustainable and inclusive peace-building programs. The approach should be from esponsib empowerment and constructive dialogue to private sector participation.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Climate change could worsen social unrest – International Alert

15 February 2016 Business Mirror Mary Grace Padin and Lenie Lectura

Climate change, considered one factor that could trigger conflict and violence. It can aggravate fragile situations. A study by International Alert noted that the risk of political instability increases when livelihoods are affected by climate change.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS

Norway pushes for peace talks to continue

31 January 2016 Business Mirror Rodel Alzona

NORWAY recently urged the Philippine government to continue its peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF).

Tags: Bangsamoro

Colombia peace process model can work under PH setting

17 January 2016 Manila Bulletin Roy C. Mabasa

The lessons learned in the Colombian peace process can be replicated in the Philippines because of certain similarities.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Norwegian envoy: Trust issues marred GPH-NDF peace talks

16 January 2016 ABS-CBN News / ANC Vivienne Gulla

The peace talks between the Philippine government and communist group, National Democratic Front, is not likely to resume under President Benigno Aquino III’s administration. A third party representative to the peace process said trust issues marred the negotiations between the two parties.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Peace is everyone's business

16 January 2016 Inquirer Peter Angelo V. Perfecto

Ambassador Dag Nylander, Norwegian special envoy to the Colombian peace process, stated that three elements are essential to moving the peace process forward - the commitment by both parties, the inclusion of stakeholders, and independent parties must be involved.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Communist rebels open to talk peace ‘with any administration’

15 January 2016 Rappler Jodesz Gavilan

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines says the rebel leadership is 'ever ready' to resume the peace process in the context of past agreements

Tags: Bangsamoro

Communist rebels open to talks for ceasefire with PH gov't

15 January 2016 PDI Nina Calleja

The Communist Party of the Philippines’ negotiating arm, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, is open to talks about ceasefire with the national government, although hopes of ever sealing a peace agreement within the term of the Aquino administration have dimmed.

Tags: Bangsamoro

Philippines: Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System Now Online

24 March 2015 World Bank World Bank

The Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System (BCMS), a website containing extensive data about conflicts in Muslim Mindanao, was launched.

Tags: BCMSConflict AlertCEMS