This issue of Dansalan Quarterly presents three papers: Muslim’s “Historical Roots of the Contemporary Moro Armed Struggle in the Philippines” and “The Bangsa Moro: The Highly Neglected People in the Neglected But Rich Mindanao” as well as Tawagon’s “The “Once Upon A Time” in the Changing World: The NPC and the Folklore Change.” In the first paper, Muslim traces the historical background of the contemporary Moro armed struggle in southern Philippines from the Spanish through the American period to the present. He asserts how the previous government administrations have repeatedly failed to solve the Mindanao-Sulu problem primarily due to their lack of focus towards the real causes of such a problem. Past and current efforts only delved into the symptoms rather than the actual roots. In the second paper, Muslim stresses how the Moro community has long been neglected, despite the consensus that development of the Philippines is dependent on the development of Mindanao and Sulu, given that the region is rich in both mineral and natural resources. If used correctly, these mineral and natural resources can provide vast trade opportunities, but these have instead caused rifts between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front. Rather than being a source of economic opportunities, these resources have become sources of contention, taking into account the MNLF’s demand for self-determination and the government’s refusal to grant such a demand. It is important to note that despite the richness in resources, the Moros remain economically disadvantaged. Lastly, in the third paper, Tawagon shares the impact of modernization on ethnic folklore–with folklore being the reflection of the indigenous culture, traditions, and beliefs of the Moro community. The author asserts how this impact may be positive or negative, but what is ubiquitous is change–the term folklore, like legends, has been changed or worse, destroyed, as a result of modernization.

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