Date: December 12, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Venue: Marcian Garden Hotel, Zamboanga City
The Faces and Challenges of Migration: The Western Mindanao Experience
The AIM Policy Center (in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation), in partnership with the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS), Ateneo School of Government and League of Cities of the Philippines convened in Zamboanga City the conference entitled “The Faces and Challenges of Migration: The Western Mindanao Experience” to discuss the unique context and concerns of the said region. The gathering, held last December 12, 2008 at the Marcian Garden Hotel in Zamboanga City, was the last of a series of sub-regional conferences for the year 2008.
Prior to the conference, a consultation with local stakeholders was held last October 17, 2008, to identify the priority issues to be tackled during the conference.
Among the main migration issues that are distinct to the Western Mindanao area is the phenomenon of the Halaws or Filipino deportees from Malaysia. The term is a Malaysian word meaning “to cast out,” “to eject,” or “to throw away.”
According to the first speaker, Dr. Ederlinda Fernandez, director of the Kasambohan Gender Resource Center, the halaws (not all of whom originate from Zamboanga City) have been received by the city since 1986. However, the real burden lies in the illegal and undocumented migration.
The relocation of several groups to Zamboanga over the years has created a multi-cultural society. Fr. Sebastiano D’ Ambra, founder and director of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement, discussed the pains and gains of migration with reference to the diverse society of the city and the peace process in the Mindanao region.
Engr. Rodrigo Sicat, assistant city planning and development officer of Zamboanga, on the other hand, discussed the pains and gains with reference to the city’s resources, services and habitability.
Workshops were conducted and the participants got a chance to share their thoughts, suggestions, as well as their commitment by joining a group of their choice.
Towards the end of the conference and as a fitting cap to the discussions, Zamboanga Mayor Celso Lobregat delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance of the issue of migration in Zamboanga, as well as the nearby cities and municipalities in Western Mindanao.
Partners : Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS), Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP)
Local Partner: Ateneo de Zamboanga University
Migration in Mindanao (.pdf)
Dr. Ederlinda Fernandez
Kasambohan Gender Resource Center/ Western Mindanao State University Urban Sprawl and Habitability (.pdf)
Engr. Rodrigo Sicat
City Planning Office, Zamboanga City