Makati City, Philippines – Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua told delegates at the International Conference: After the Peace Agreements – The Bangsamoro and Beyond organized by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG), that the work of building peace does not end with the signing of an accord.

 

“Peace agreements do not execute themselves—they must be turned into laws, institutions, and norms that bind and serve all,” he said, recalling the long journey from the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014 to the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

 

Macacua reflected on the transformation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from armed struggle to political participation. “These rebels have asserted their rights with arms and violence for most of their lives. Now they want to learn how to assert their rights through democracy,” he quoted former election commissioner Grace Padaca as saying after the MILF delegation’s first visit to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

 

He acknowledged the difficulties of transition: “Building institutions is one challenge. But transforming mindsets, expectations, and habits shaped by decades of armed struggle is an even greater one.”

 

Despite those challenges, Macacua pointed to progress. “Within six years, BARMM is no longer the poorest region in the Philippines. Shariah and Islamic finance are being strengthened nationwide, and Muslims are becoming more visible and respected members of Filipino society.”

 

He also noted the wider impact of the Bangsamoro experience. “Our progress has even inspired the Cordillera Region, which is now reconsidering its own push for autonomy,” he said, adding that Congress was debating reforms including a parliamentary system and an anti-political dynasty law.

 

Macacua stressed that the Bangsamoro’s journey was part of a broader global struggle. “Bougainville, Aceh, Nepal, and Timor Leste each traveled similar paths—different in context, but united by a shared truth: that the work after peace agreements is slow, contested, and deeply human.”

 

He closed by urging delegates to remember the MILF’s first steps into electoral politics. “The work of building peace continues long after the agreement is signed, and it is sustained by the commitments we renew every day. Today, as we learn from each other, we continue that commitment together.”

 

The conference is organized in cooperation with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), the Bangsamoro Government, and the Southeast Asian Women Peace Mediators (SEAWPM), with support from the Australian Government. It will run for two days in Makati City.

 

More than 200 participants from government, civil society, academia, media, and international partners are taking part in the gathering.