COTABATO CITY -- The day before the historic signing of the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace agreement, Maguindanao is filled with red flags and welcome streamers as Bangsamoro people celebrates "victory."
The signing of the pact is set on Thursday, March 27, at the Malacañang Palace.
Green rice fields, green environment and green streamers and flaglets line along major highways in the province ahead of the historic signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB).
“Green is the color of the MILF, and green symbolizes peace, this is our way of expressing our desire for peace,” said Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs.
The words "Long Live Bangsamoro Government” are printed on streamers hung along the highway.
“We have been longing for this for decades, now it is at hand and we are very proud of this victory, victory of our people, the Bangsamoro people, I never thought it can be achieved in my life time,” Jaafar said.
"It is very difficult to describe it in words that rightly describe our feelings right now," he added.
“People are very excited, people are anticipating success and victory,” Jaafar said of the “very festive mode.”
The MILF vice chair said the event is the penultimate celebration of Moro people who offered blood in their struggle to attain genuine and meaningful peace.
“This is very meaningful to me and my family,” Muhaliden Angas, a resident of Barangay Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, told reporters.
In the adjoining towns of Shariff Aguak, Sultan sa Barongis and Mamasapano, green “pandala” lined up the streets as if a wedding is happening.
At the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional government center, a thanksgiving party, dubbed as “Peacetahan,” will be held for ARMM employees.
Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary, said several “kanduli” or thanksgiving parties are simultaneously held in ARMM’s five provinces and two cities.
She said huge television monitors will be placed at the thanksgiving venue for everybody to see and witness the event happening in Manila. (PNA/Sunnex)