There is no debate about the President’s prerogative in appointing the members of his official family. This is not the issue when the peoples of Mindanao ask the question why PNoy has not bothered to appoint one from Mindanao.

The issue being raised is the question of ‘inclusion’. For years, the peoples of Mindanao, but more specifically Kusog Mindanaw, have advocated for equitable share not only in terms of representation in the national governance but also in the national budget.

Mr. Fidel V. Ramos during his Presidency had walked the extra mile in making Mindanawans feel that they were not only items in the agenda but actual participants in the debates about policies that affected them. He organized regular Mindanao Summits with his cabinet secretaries to listen to the peoples of Mindanao in various regions. His budget secretary received marching orders for equitable share in the budget.

The Mindanawans actually look at the appropriations. And they are lucky to have Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City who provides the participants of Kusog Mindanao’s annual conference with the report of Mindanao’s actual share in the budget.

The members of Congress from Mindanao, across political lines, have committed to specifically ask each national line agency for the budget allocated for Mindanao.

In a similar vein, the newest Senator from Mindanao, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III or TG, in his tete a tete informal meeting with the ARMM top officials has made the same commitment.

Mindanao is reported to contribute 25% to the nation’s GDP. Yet, the budget allocations to Mindanao by the various national line agencies range from 9% to 19%. This is an anomaly, especially when seen in the light of poverty and human development indices.

But the big issue being raised by Mindanawans is participation in national governance. Some Presidents made appointments of, at least, a Mindanawan and a Muslim to his/her official family. One or two, no doubt, can be interpreted as ‘tokenism’. Yet, even ‘tokenism’ is far much better than ‘NADA’.

The important symbol is that Mindanawans are sitting ‘around’ the table and not simply talked about. But Mindanawans’ participation in national governance is always ‘contested’. This is precisely what the peoples of Mindanao mean when they feel that they do NOT belong… Either they are treated as ‘saling pusa’ or junior partners.

In many ways, I have always pointed to three things when people ask why the politics of separatism is alive in Mindanao.

First is the level of poverty in Mindanao that shows neglect and/or failure in governance.

Second is politics of exclusion. Facts show Mindanao’s token representation in the Senate, in the Cabinet, in the Judiciary, in Government Corporations and Financial Institutions, in Constitutional Commissions, etc.

Third is the perceived injustice to the inhabitants of Mindanao, particularly to the Indigenous peoples and the Moro peoples.

In many Mindanao conferences, I am constanty being asked of Mindanawans and Muslims appointed in Cabinet. The only answer I can give is, give the new President time. He is barely a month old in the presidency and he has NOT completed his appointments yet. But one day would come, when this reason would no longer be acceptable and perhaps there ends the ‘honeymoon’.

It is natural that when victory comes, the people who believe that they are responsible for the victory ‘claim’ payback. PNoy has articulated a policy that ‘donations’ and electoral assistance merit no entitlements. Yet, we believe that the effects of the original sin are still strong in each one, notwithstanding said policy. In the final analysis, the list of appointees tells the real meaning or translation of the said policy.

No doubt, it is very early to judge PNoy’s Presidency. He is only barely a month in office. While many pens are silent during this honeymoon stage, rest assured that they will NOT remain so post the initial stage of the 100 days.

Mindanawans merited two lines in the presidential inaugural. They are good two lines! They wonder whether there will be MORE in PNoy’s SONA. Will he give a paragraph or two to the peoples of Mindanao? Abangan!

While waiting for PNoy’s first SONA, we give two unsolicited advice…

First, TELL THE NATION THAT MINDANAWANS ARE NOT ‘SALING PUSA’ IN YOUR GOVENANCE.

Second, COME AND VISIT MINDANAO WITHIN THE FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE AND TALK TO US.

This week, Mindanao leaders gathered in Davao City to hear the Mindanao programs of the new administration. Presidential Adviser ‘Ging’ Deles reiterated P-Noy’s two lines in his inaugural: ‘My government will be sincere in dealing with the peoples of Mindanao. ‘I am committed to a peaceful and just negotiated political settlement in Mindanao that is inclusive of all – Lumad, Bangsamoro and Christians.’

Sec. Deles outlined the four pillars on which the new administration will lay the foundation of its policies. These are the following: delivery of basic services, good governance, and security sector reform. C is the letter to describe the character of the P-Noy government – CONVERGENCE, COMPLIMENTATION, COMMUNICATION, and COMMUNITY.

Convergence means the many and diverse initiatives whether peace or development or rehabilitating the internally displaced persons have to meet. As is, many of these moves, including the foreign-assisted run parallel that shows more the organizational agenda and interest than the community’s.

The other C – word that defines convergence is complementation. This would require a lot of preparatory talks and consensus - building, specifically on the kinds of intervention for peace and Mindanao.

It is tragic that the interventions in the local community are done without the knowledge and at times with complete disregard for the local government nits in the affected areas. Interventions should build or compliment local capacity. They are NOT meant to supplant the local government or local initiatives.

The third C-word is communication. The P-Noy administration will develop the communication blueprint that will guarantee the articulated policy of transparency, participatory approach and accountability.

The last C-word is community and this defines the real bottom line in the P-Noy’s administration. All interventions, ultimately, must redound to safety and prosperity of communities.

For the peoples of Mindanao the major concern is peace and development. Peace means to bring a common and coherent platform to the diverse on-going peace processes in Mindanao – MNLF, MILF and NDF.

The other urgent concern is Mindanao’s share in the national budget. At present, Mindanao’ share is about 16% to 17% as against to the 25% contribution of Mindanao to the national GNP. Peoples of Mindanao believe that they deserve, at the minimum, 25% share in the national budget.

Mindanao has to see more public spending, especially in places where private investors do not dare venture, because of security or stability concerns.

In safe and stable places, government should no longer spend or intervene to meet the required infrastructures. The Private sector takes over these investments and government simply facilitates and create the environment for the entry of the business sectors.

Government should be more pro-active in many depressed areas in Mindanao, especially in building the community basic infrastructures in health and education. The idea of state-led enterprises in the depressed areas also surfaced to address the problem of lack of development and progress.

The last challenge that the Mindanao peoples pose to P-Noy administration is to work with them and come out with new ideas and new paradigms to old problems. The territorial approach and the drawing of a new map are very divisive. While geography matters, it is also a very divisive issue.

A more creative conception of territory or domain is to follow the natural eco-system that includes all. A more natural regional or territorial division is the one that follows an eco-system instead of the arbitrary divisions that followed either the politicians’ interest and agenda or the discredited principle of ‘separate’ development.

A good example of eco-system mapping of territory is to follow the river basin approach. The other example is the archipelagic approach in development that ‘connects’ the islands.

Definitely, Mindanawans need new approaches to solve the long years of ‘divisive’ approach and ‘separate development’ that simply creates greater divide between and among peoples of Mindanao.