Stretch of powdery white sand beaches, crystal clear and azure waters, stunning sunset, vibrant atmosphere, and superb hospitality—these are some of the attributes that make Boracay a top destination for local and foreign tourists.  Yet, all these descriptions that make the experience vivid would have been blurred if not for the attainment of peace in the province of Aklan.

Governor Florencio “Joeben” Miraflores in March 2022 said, “It was here in Ibajay (Aklan) that the peace agreement took its root. I say this because the Kapatiran has been part of the development of our tourism industry. Wherein before that, [the] highway leading to Boracay had several incidents of bombing, burning of buses, and it was not safe then to go to Boracay.  It was through the efforts of the Kapatiran wherein the highway became passable for tourists.  I always say this—without the Kapatiran’s commitment, we would not have reached the tourism development of the province of Aklan, and we would not have made Boracay as a prime tourist destination of the country and of the world.”

Kapatiran or Kapatiran Para sa Progresong Panlipunan, Inc. is of course the organization led by Maria Veronica P. Tabara or ‘Ka Inca’, the widow of Arturo Tabara. It spun off the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa - Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army/ Alex Bongcayao Brigade/ Tabara-Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB – TPG) which signed a peace agreement with the government in the year 2000.  

The Kapatiran, on the other hand, signed the 2019 Clarificatory Information Document (2019 CID) as its final and absolute settlement of the 2000 GPH-RPM-P/RPA/ABB Peace Agreement.

The whole of nation approach has been in full implementation in the achievement of peace in Kapatiran’s areas.  Governor Miraflores provided much handholding to fulfill the government’s commitments in the peace agreements in Aklan.  Other provincial local government units also did—aside from Aklan, we continue to enjoy the active cooperation of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Antique, and Iloilo. The municipalities of Cauayan, Cadiz EB Magalona, Tanjay along with San Carlos City, Kabankalan City, and Bago City were like anchors for the “localization of peace efforts.”

Congressional district representatives of the region gave their unwavering commitment to peace.  Rep. Mercedes ‘Cheding’ Kho Alvarez-Lansang was a beacon in this regard. She was our agency’s budget sponsor during the congressional deliberations for the FY 2024 budget. Her office has provided valuable support to the Kapatiran and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) with initiatives like skills training, medical assistance, presence and support for activities of the annual National Peace Consciousness Month, among other interventions. Aware of the financial difficulties of the Kapatiran, she made possible the granting of financial assistance to some of its members.

The national government agencies (NGA), on the other hand, operated in the Bayanihan for Kapatiran as the flotilla for socio-economic reintegration.  Organized as the interagency Social and Economic Reintegration Cluster, the NGA’s diligently directed and monitored their respective agency interventions.

OPAPRU activated the Joint Enforcement Monitoring Committee (JEMC) as the implementing mechanism of the CID.  The JEMC is composed of Undersecretary Cesar B. Yano, Milo S. Ibrado, Jr., representing the government, Veronica P. Tabara and Ramel Farrol representing the Kapatiran, and Pastor Noel C. Villaba, representing the civil society.  The JEMC was responsible for fast-tracking the necessary activities.

Under the watch of the JEMC, the Kapatiran and the government built homes and communities developed self-reliance through training and capacity building, brought in healthcare for all, evolved environmental defenders, and turned rebels to volunteers for humanitarian aid.

The challenges in Boracay were not confined to “overcrowded and unsustainable resorts, loss of cultural identity, uncontrolled urbanization, and unsustainable solid waste management practices.” The coliform bacteria that contaminated the swimming areas and groundwater were not the only issues that were invisible to the eye.  There were also the more fundamental issues of conflict and peace and equitable development.

Like in the Broadway musical Once on this Island, the protagonists in the story of Kapatiran went through the complexities of life, pain, love, grief, faith, and hope. Let us hang on to faith and hope.  We can now see that what we worked on together prompts us to say, “Once on this island there was conflict and pain.  But we now have peace and development that favor all.”

(Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., is the presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation and unity.)