THE pursuit of peace in the Bangsamoro region is a monumental and deeply personal undertaking for every Filipino, most especially for the Bangsamoro people.
Yet, in observing the sheer frequency of high-profile gatherings — three conferences this year alone, with the inevitable flurry of international delegates, photo-opportunities, and millions of pesos spent — a critical question must be asked: Has the Bangsamoro peace process become little more than a series of peace conferences?
Conferences are, in their purest form, vital tools for dialogue. They serve as necessary venues for people to talk, to build trust, and to identify the complex gaps and obstacles that still plague the transition.
We acknowledge the hard-won political gains and the dedication of all parties involved in sustaining the ceasefire and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
However, the continued reliance on these high-level summits — often situated far from the communities they aim to serve, whether in the air-conditioned venues of Davao City or Manila — risks creating a dangerous disconnect between the process and the people.
The harsh reality is that, despite the optics and the expenditures, there has been no significant, transformative development made in the daily lives of every Bangsamoro family. The dividends of peace remain largely theoretical for those in the communities.
Socioeconomic development continues to lag compared to other regions. Peace, while achieved politically, has yet to win the arguably harder battle against systemic poverty and institutional fragility, as the benefits of development assistance often fail to reach the grassroots level.
Perhaps the most palpable sign of this stagnation is the repeated delay and confusion surrounding the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. Originally scheduled for October 2025, and now likely pushed back to no later than March 31, 2026 due to legal complexities over district apportionment, the uncertainty leaves a democratic aspiration in limbo.
The lack of a clear, final election date deprives the Bangsamoro of its first democratically elected government, prolonging the transition and testing the public's confidence in the political track of the peace process.
The current state of affairs places the Bangsamoro at a crucial inflection point: a period of extended transition that must translate rhetorical commitment into tangible results.
We need a pivot from a Conference-centric peace process to a Community-centric peace process.
The core measure of success cannot be the number of agreements signed or the count of international conferences hosted. The true measure of peace must be the improvement in the standards of living that respects and recognizes human dignity—clean water access, functional
schools, accessible healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods for our farmers, fisherfolk, and former combatants.