Mindanao women's organisations call for no English
The island’s various ethnic groups often use English as a lingua franca, but not everyone masters it. Low levels of education and literacy (70 per cent) hinder the integration process. For this reason, some groups want local politicians not to speak English so as to allow for greater participation by women and Muslims.
Manila (AsiaNews) – On Mindanao, the use of English is hindering the process of integration and peace building.
Although used as a lingua franca, English is not widely known in the local population, and poor communication is accentuating ethnic differences rather than reducing them in a delicate situation like that of the Philippines’s southernmost region.
Some women's groups in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have raised the issue recently, noting the region’s low literacy level, especially among women.
For this reason, they have urged local lawmakers not to use too many technical terms or speak English when they meet residents to discuss proposed election legislation.
In Mindanao, education falls short optimal standards. The literacy level stands at 70 per cent, 20 per cent lower than the national average; for Muslims, it is even lower.
It is “Sad to say, many of our women could not understand English, and because of that, they are not as interested,” a member of the Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) said.
Groups like the Mindanao Organization for Social and Economic Progress and the Asia Foundation have worked with the BWC to develop a plan to promote women’s interests and rights and enhance their participation through workable communication channels.
Great ethnic and linguistic characterise Mindanao’s 27 million people, and its old animist religious traditions have given way over time to Islam and Christianity.
Christians have become the majority, partly because of substantial immigration from other parts of the Philippines, but Muslims, who represent about 6 per cent of the total Philippine population, are concentrated on the island.
In the 1960s, an insurgency broke out pitting Islamic Moro rebels against the Philippine government; for the past few years, a peace process has been underway to put an end to the violence.
Despite this, while the integration process seeks to create opportunities and prosperity for the Muslim population as well, tensions remain high because of political and economic interests, as well as religious extremism.
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