House Speaker Martin Romualdez (center) and lawmakers from Mindanao during the opening of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Sultan Kudarat (PPAB)

Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong is hoping that the massive presence of Mindanao lawmakers in the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) held recently in Sultan Kudarat will finally put an end to talks of Mindanao's secession.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 27, Adiong noted that the appearance of 45 congressmen from Mindanao during the opening of the BPSF was a “clear display of support” toward a singular vision of progress under the Philippines.

“In Sultan Kudarat, even the governor himself has already voiced out yung kanilang (their) opposition regarding the secession. In fact, the first day, it never generated support from the grassroots, yung (the) call for secession,” the lawmaker said.

“What actually happened was the opposite, it brought Mindanaon solons and Mindanaon leaders together in calling for a united Philippines,” he added.

It was former president Rodrigo Duterte who brought up the notion of a separate and independent Mindanao. This pronouncement was met with widespread criticism and opposition.

Lawmakers from Mindanao recently signed a strongly-worded manifesto rejecting the calls for a Mindanao secession.

Adiong stressed that the mass participation of Mindanao solons during the BPSF was proof that the Marcos administration was inching closer to “actualizing what unity really means” by “bringing people together”.

Meanwhile, this “show of support” from the congressmen will not stop at Sultan Kudarat, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list Rep. Migs Nograles said.

She bared in the same press conference that she expects more appearances from her fellow solons in the upcoming visits of the BPSF all over the country.

“Huwag natin i-single out ‘to dahil sinusuporta ng mga ibang congressman din ang mga different areas sa buong Pilipinas [para] doon sa BPSF,” she said.

(Let's not single this out because other congressmen also support the BPSF in different areas throughout the Philippines.)

Nograles, an assistant deputy majority leader in the House of Representatives, was among the 45 representatives from Mindanao who attended the BPSF in Sultan Kudarat.

She said their presence signifies a unity between the legislative and executive branch towards strengthened public service under theme of “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines).

“It’s really more of a show of force to support the administration and to show the people na ang priority po natin…ay kung paano natin matutulong ang mga nangangailangan at ang sambayang Pilipino (that our priority...is how we can help the underprivileged and the Filipino people),” she explained.