Imbuing hope and compassion for Mindanao

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is what I felt after watching the Women’s Month Concert where the Filipino piano virtuoso Cecile Licad performed with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the Manila Metropolitan Theater last March 19th. It was more than just a night of brilliant symphony. The concert displayed the magical force of music, finding boundless creativity, enrichment and unity in its encompassing vision.

Similarly, my recent visit to Mindanao, the first since my arrival, offered me an opportunity to see the great potential of Mindanao as a unifying force for the whole of the Philippines. During my visit, memories from my days as Ambassador of Korea to Myanmar kept coming back to me. After the civilian government came to power, the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi tried to bring Rakhine State – the least developed and most unstable – up to par with the rest of her country under the banner of “Myanmar for Rakhine, Rakhine for Myanmar.” It was the rallying cry for national unity and inclusive socio-economic development.

Mindanao is a huge landmass teeming with immense possibilities in terms of natural resources, scenic beauty and hard-working communities. Its strategic importance in the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area) initiative cannot be understated. The BIMP-EAGA, wherein Korea is an active partner and donor, was launched in 1994 to boost growth in trade, investment and tourism through intra-region cooperation programs. As the Philippines and Korea celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, my trip to Mindanao was designed to see firsthand Korea’s engagements in Mindanao and to explore areas for stronger partnership.

Read more: https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2024/04/04/2345074/imbuing-hope-and-compassion-mindanao