PROPOSED SHARED VISION FOR MINDANAO

Attention: Mindanao Development Authority

“A truly autonomous Mindanao with God-centered and empowered people in politically stable, economically viable, socially sound and environmentally balanced communities.” (Proposed Shared Vision presented in my previous article titled “What is the Shared Vision of Mindanao 2020?”, published in many of our local newspapers recently.)

-oOo-

Another friend of mine in the NGO who read my article mentioned above, handed me a photostat copy of the Draft Vision Statement (How people see Mindanao in 2030) for Mindanao and told me: “Brod, the development planners hired by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) who are preparing Mindanao 2030 have already formulated a Vision for Mindanao. I just do not know if they properly processed this to a Shared Vision you wrote.”

Before we go further, may we know what exactly is MinDA formulating – a Mindanao 2020 or 2030? “Mayroon kasing documentong 2020 at yong iba ay 2030 naman. Ano ang tama?”

For the benefit of the readers, we are reprinting below their draft Vision for Mindanao mentioned earlier:

“In 20 years, Mindanawons of all culture and socio-economic backgrounds will equitably enjoy the fruits of a peaceful and progressive economy and society.”

With due respect to these expert development planners, allow me to critique their recommended Vision for Mindanao.

First, A properly drafted Vision SHOULD NOT HAVE TIME FRAME. If you do, so, then it becomes a GOAL NOT A VISION. Second. A real VISION in development planning is a statement of IDEAL. As such, it can only be APPROXIMATED. Ideal or utopia in the strict sense of the word can NEVER BE ACHIEVED on earth – only in Heaven. Third. A true Vision for Mindanao must be unique to Mindanao. Their draft Vision for Mindanao is a Motherland statement. If we remove the word Mindanao and change it with say Visayas or Luzon, “pwede pa rin magamit.” Hence, this vision is not unique for Mindanao alone! Fourth. A real Vision for Mindanao must reflect the true aspirations and deepest values of Mindanawons. Mindanawons are loudly crying for years now for self-determination – the internal kind meaning genuine autonomy or its highest form which is federalism. This should be reflected in the Shared or Common Vision for Mindanao. Fifth. A well-written Vision must be short, clear, encompassing, easy to memorize and inspiring that can move you into action. It must “capture our imagination, and engage our spirit.” Sorry to say this, your draft Vision for Mindanao was poorly conceived and lousy in style to say the least. I hate to say this, but my experience with NEDA and other government planning agencies is that many of their planning experts do not know how to formulate a Vision. Sixth. A true Vision of Mindanao must be shared by its people done through a visioning process. “Visioning is putting into words a preferred future, a desirable and ideal state we wish to create and commit ourselves.”

Going back to my friend who earlier mentioned, he also suggested to me to add the phrase “united in diversity” to my proposed Shared Vision for Mindanao. That’s good thinking. Thus, per his suggestion, it will now read as:

“A TRULY AUTONOMOUS MINDANAO WITH GOD-CENTERED AND EMPOWERED PEOPLE, UNITED IN DIVERSITY, IN POLITICALLY STABLE, ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, SOCIALLY SOUND AND ENVIRONMENTALLY BALANCED COMMUNITIES.”

Not bad isn’t it. As a matter of fact, modesty aside – it is excellent. We humbly and strongly recommended them to MinDA that this draft Vision for Mindanao be the one to be subjected to Mindanao-wide consultations for the good of Mindanawons. And hopefully, a more meaningful real Shared or Common Vision for Mindanao will be arrived at.

If we Mindanawons are to travel together to 2020 or 2030, we must first know exactly where we want to go. Thus it is indeed important that the Roadmap we will use must incorporate a properly processed Shared or Common Vision to serve as our “North Star” so that we will not get lost on the way. “Di ba?”

Before we end this article, may we ask what happened to the result of the Mindanao-wide consultations undertakened by the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) through their project “Konsult Mindanaw” last year? One of the questions asked then was about Vision anent development and peace in Mindanao. Any problem on this Sirs?

-Chito R. Gavino III, Lihok Pideral Dabaw