Archives for Mindanao

Siargao Speaks About the Constructed Myth of Chosenness

Siargao Speaks About the Constructed Myth of Chosenness
by | May 2, 2025 | 2 Comments

This morning, as I sipped my turmeric-blended coffee, a Facebook post barged into my feed like an urgent knock on a peaceful door. It wasn’t just another travel blog or a dreamy Siargao sunset. It was a cry for help, a roar of resistance. It came from a frustrated local, someone who had seen enough of what she called “terrorizing behavior” from a group of tourists—specifically, ‘Israeli’ nationals—treating Siargao not like a guesthouse of peace but a battlefield of entitlement.
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Loyalty vs. Competence

Loyalty vs. Competence
by | May 1, 2025 | No Comments

Just weeks after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) proclaimed on January 25, 2019 that the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) had been ratified through the January 21 plebiscite, I sat down with a sense of guarded optimism and wrote a two-part column titled “Four Enduring Challenges to Revolutionary-to-Ruler Transition” (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BxkAvd2RG and https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1W1CUYgELE). It was my small contribution, a humble roadmap of sorts, for what would soon become the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Or, so I thought. Drawing lessons
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Shari’ah Bar Exam Memory Hacks

Shari’ah Bar Exam Memory Hacks
by | April 30, 2025 | No Comments

Let’s face it—memorizing the provisions of the Muslim Code (PD 1083) can feel overwhelming, but with the right memory hacks, you’ll not only retain them but also recall them effortlessly when it counts. When it comes to memorization, especially for something as detailed as the Muslim Code, mnemonics are a game-changer. They turn complex provisions into bite-sized, memorable chunks, making recall during study sessions and the exam a breeze. In this post, I’ll share with you the very mnemonics that
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Mt. Kabalukan Not Just Watching, But Listening

Mt. Kabalukan Not Just Watching, But Listening
by | April 30, 2025 | No Comments

In our community in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, certain slogans rise and fall like tides—repeating themselves in critical political moments, like background chants to our unfolding public story. One of them, increasingly familiar across Facebook captions, TikTok reels, and YouTube videos, especially during moments of political reshuffling and electoral frenzy, is the solemn line: “We hear and we obey” (sami‘na wa ata‘na). It sounded during the 2022 presidential elections. It resurfaced earlier this year during the second extension of the
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On This Day, a Wound Speaks

On This Day, a Wound Speaks
by | April 28, 2025 | No Comments

Today, we unsheathe another sword. Today, we release into the world a book that was never meant to be merely read—but to be felt, grieved, and acted upon. Today, The Politics of Peace and the Mindanao Problem: Tracing the Roots of a Historical Injustice by Professor Christopher Ryan Maboloc officially sees the light of day. And in doing so, it demands that we, too, open our eyes wider to a history that has long been buried under broken promises, muted
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“The Politics of Peace and the Mindanao Problem”—Published Today!

“The Politics of Peace and the Mindanao Problem”—Published Today!
by | April 28, 2025 | No Comments

We’re thrilled to announce that our fourth title for 2025 is officially out! 🚀 🎉 “The Politics of Peace and the Mindanao Problem: Tracing the Roots of a Historical Injustice”by Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc (ElziStyle Bookshop, 2025).🔗 Grab it here: https://bit.ly/PoliticsofPeace or here: https://amzn.to/3EpBJ3S This milestone means we’re still right on track with our goal: one new title every month! 📅✅ Here’s our 2025 lineup so far: 📖 January – BARMM Barangay Justice System Training Manual (link coming soon!)📖 February
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Confessing to My Sub-Saharan Roots

Confessing to My Sub-Saharan Roots
by | April 27, 2025 | No Comments

I have a confession to make. After much soul-searching, relentless fact-checking, and a deep dive into my ancestral archives, I must finally admit the truth: I have Sub-Saharan roots. Yes, you heard that right. I remember it clearly, as if it were just yesterday. We were deep into our two-week training on Insider Mediation and Negotiation at Clingendael in The Hague (https://www.clingendael.org/node/8944)—an experience filled with long hours, heavy discussions, and stories shared over coffee breaks and hurried lunches. Somewhere between
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Unsheathing Another Sword

Unsheathing Another Sword
by | April 12, 2025 | No Comments

As soon as I put down my sword (‘mic’) for the 3-day conversations on the tri-justice legal framework of the BARMM Barangay Justice System, I had to immediately unsheathe another sword (‘pen’) to meet the target publication date – April 28, 2025 – for the next ElziStyle Bookshop release, THE POLITICS OF PEACE AND THE MINDANAO PROBLEM: TRACING THE ROOTS OF A HISTORICAL INJUSTICE by Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc. Shifting from Conversationalist to Editor/Introduction Writer means doing the E and
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Training Manual’s Real Authors

Training Manual’s Real Authors
by | April 11, 2025 | No Comments

During my visits to the 15 selected barangays across the BARMM over two months to write the BARMM BARANGAY JUSTICE SYSTEM TRAINING MANUAL, I would always begin with my usual introduction to the Lupon members, explaining that I was not there to author the manual but merely to serve as their scribe. “The real authors,” I would tell them, “are none other than yourselves. You—who have lived through countless disputes and found resolutions in ways only you can. You are
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Thank You, MILG and SUBATRA!

Thank You, MILG and SUBATRA!
by | April 10, 2025 | No Comments

Thanks to the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG-BARMM) and Support to the Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) for the invitation to be part of the conversations on: * Overview of the BARMM Barangay Justice System * Understanding Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples’ Customary Laws and Their Relevance to the Barangay Justice System * Understanding Moro Religious and Customary Laws and Their Relevance to the Barangay Justice System * Learning the Techniques and Skills in Conflict Resolution * Demonstrating the Techniques and
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Breaking the Mental Health Break

Breaking the Mental Health Break
by | April 6, 2025 | No Comments

My personal thanks to the university for blessing us with those much-needed few days of Mental Health Break. At least we get to somehow reclaim and regain whatever’s left of our sanity. Feel free to blame it on the Instruction overload, if you will. Paradoxically though, we’re using this short break to dive headfirst into yet another source of insanity — Research overload: Editing and writing the Introduction to the forthcoming ElziStyle publication, THE POLITICS OF PEACE AND THE MINDANAO
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Not Just Commemoration, But Truth

Not Just Commemoration, But Truth
by | March 18, 2025 | No Comments

While I was barely a few minutes into my 30-minute presentation on the Sulu Exclusion at a recent philosophy conference, I could already sense that something was coming from a young professor—one from a city that was among the Tres Marías during the SPCPD days. Seated in the middle of the hall, his eyes were locked in, his attention razor-sharp. It was as if he was dissecting every word I uttered, measuring each phrase against his own convictions. I was
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“Cracking the Shari’ah Code” – Get Your Preorder Discount Now!

“Cracking the Shari’ah Code” – Get Your Preorder Discount Now!
by | January 29, 2025 | No Comments

Mansoor Limba, CRACKING THE SHARI ‘AH CODE: INSIDER TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUPER BUSY PROFESSIONALS TO PASS THE SHARI ‘AH BAR EXAM. ElziStyle Bookshop, 2025. Pre-order your copy now for only P450 instead of the regular P550 price. Order Form: https://bit.ly/ShariahCode 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 Are you a busy professional dreaming of passing the Shari‘ah Bar Exam but struggling to find the time to prepare? “Cracking the Shari‘ah Code” is the ultimate guide to help you turn that dream into reality.
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Birthing Shari‘ah Public Assistance Office (SPAO)

Birthing Shari‘ah Public Assistance Office (SPAO)
by | January 27, 2025 | No Comments

While still deeply engrossed in a spirited conversation on Institutional Partnerships and Linkages with 39 passionate police lieutenant colonels, alongside a handful of fire and jail superintendents in their Public Safety Officers Senior Executive Course (PSOSEC) at the National Police College, my phone buzzed. It was a Facebook Messenger notification—a snapshot of a page, captioned: “Committee Report na.” Three hours later… Navigating through heavy traffic on my way back to the Metro after the whole day’s conversation, my Messenger chimed
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Our Sentiment While Unveiling

Our Sentiment While Unveiling
by | January 22, 2025 | No Comments

As we unveiled and launched the BARMM Barangay Justice System Training Manual today, we also carry the sentiment that it could have been more comprehensive had it not been finalized prior to the approval of the following relevant legal documents: • The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code (BLGC) • The Bangsamoro Tri-justice Legal Framework • Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 64, or the Bangsamoro Indigenous Peoples’ (IPs) Act of 2024 (which was signed into law
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