PRO-PALESTINE groups led by the League of Bangsamoro Organizations held the National Solidarity Conference, calling for solidarity with the people of Palestine and urging peace in the Middle East.
Hashim Manticayan, president of the League of Bangsamoro Organizations, said that the activity shows how the Bangsamoro people express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
“To show our solidarity with our Palestinian brothers who are, until now, experiencing suffering with the genocidal government of Israel and together with the United States of America,” he said in a media interview on April 10, 2026, at the Acacia Hotel in Davao.
Mohagher M. Iqbal, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel, said that it is important to have peace globally since conflict can be felt even in the farthest areas.
“Peace should be permanent, and war is only temporary, yung giyera pamamaraan ng tao yan na hindi rational as an uncivilized people unless war is forced upon you because you have the right to defend yourself, you have the right to defend your people,” he said in a media interview.
The two-day event brought together organizations and individuals from across the Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the Maldives, among others. He said that representatives from these countries spent their own money just to show their solidarity.
Manticayan said they aim for the conference to come up with concrete solutions to help Palestinians who seek shelter in the Philippines and to call on international bodies like the United Nations (UN).
He said they also invited officials from local government units and from the Bangsamoro Region so that they can carry the advocacy to the parliamentary level and even to the Senate and Congress.
Filipinos for Palestinians
Manticayan said that the Bangsamoro people relate to the experience of the Palestinians, citing how they have also experienced oppression and injustice. However, he said that what the Palestinians are experiencing now is on a larger scale compared to what the Bangsamoro people have experienced.
Similarly, Iqbal highlighted in his speech how many people attended the conference to show solidarity with Iran and that it is the people’s way of conveying to Palestinians that they are not alone.
He said that the Palestinians and Bangsamoro share the same enduring narratives of land, faith, and identity that have shaped both peoples. He added that the struggle of the Bangsamoro for self-determination and the correction of historical injustices was not a battle they fought alone, and that they are thankful to the international community that volunteered to provide safe spaces for the MILF and the Philippine government to negotiate for peace.
Iqbal said that, on behalf of the MILF and the Bangsamoro people, he offers support for Palestine’s legitimate struggle for peace, freedom, and justice.
“As one Ummah, we are interconnected like one body. We are one: your pain is our pain, your suffering is our suffering, and before Allah we are responsible for each other,” he said.
He explained that their solidarity for Palestine should not be construed as hatred toward the Jewish people and that they are not against the people of Israel, citing that there are Jewish leaders who condemn their government over the genocide.
Manticayan said that people should not ignore the children who have been severely affected by the war. He also said that it cannot be denied that the Philippines is indirectly affected by the conflict due to rising fuel costs. He added that the Philippines may not be directly hit by missiles; however, it is affected by oil price hikes.
He appealed to the Filipino people to get involved in any way possible in this initiative because of what Palestinians are experiencing.
Atty. Mary Ann Arnado, co-convenor of the National Solidarity Conference, said that what is happening in Palestine and Iran is not only an issue for Muslim people, as it affects everyone due to rising oil prices that impact other expenses.
She said that in many countries around the world, even those far from Palestine, millions have marched on the streets calling for peace because they feel the direct effects of the war.
“If this war will not be stopped and it will escalate and all of us will suffer, we really need to step up and ensure that our voices are counted,” she said.
Arnado said that Dabawenyos have been very involved in the cause, noting that it is fitting for the city to host the event, considering that it takes pride in peace among tri-faith communities — Muslims, Indigenous peoples, and Christians.
H.E. Mounir Y.K. Anastas, Palestinian Ambassador to the Philippines, in his recorded message, expressed gratitude for the solidarity of the Filipino people with Palestine and said that the presence of attendees shows that they are not alone in their struggle for justice, freedom, and peace.
Anastas said that the Philippines has stood with Palestine in the United Nations, voting for an immediate and lasting ceasefire during the genocide in Gaza.
“For this consistent friendship, we are deeply grateful,” he said.
Anastas then shared how the conflict has heavily affected Palestine and its people, saying that what is happening in Palestine is not merely a conflict but a systematic campaign of dispossession, dehumanization, and ethnic cleansing.
Help to Palestinians
Manticayan said that their initiative raised around P6 million to buy food for Palestine in 2024, and they aim to replicate this effort in 2026.
He added that they aim to recruit one million individual “protectors of Gaza,” not in a military sense but through advocacy and resource mobilization to help Palestinians.
Saima Mamalo, president of Handala Project, Inc., said they started the project through a group chat with zero operating expenses in 2024, and it has since expanded to providing meals and small interventions sent to Gaza over three years.
Mamalo said that they were able to raise P170,000 this year and send it to Gaza for their ground initiatives. In their first year, they gathered about P100,000 and sent it directly to Gaza. Over time, they were able to send P850,000 in just two years through online donations from across the Philippines.
“This is relatively small compared to the needs, but they are proof, a clear proof that distance does not make action impossible,” he said.
Contributed photoImportance of awareness of the youth
Manticayan said that it is important to involve the youth in understanding what is happening in Gaza. He said that although most participants are older, he highlighted the participation of youth from the education sector in Davao City.
He said that the youth will continue to fight for justice and to put a stop to oppression.
“Yan po ang nakikita natin na napakagandang role ng ating kabataan ngayon lalong-lalo na ang mga estudyante (That is what we see as a very admirable role of our youth today, especially the students),” he said.
Manticayan said that the youth can help by raising awareness on social media, as this can push the international community to intervene in what is happening in Palestine. RGP