Adiong, N.M. & Diampuan, P.D. (2021) “Principles and Practice of Moral Governance in the Bangsamoro.” In: U.S. Malik, ed., Development for peace (In pursuit of sustainable peace through inclusive development: The case of the Bangsamoro). Mindanao State University–Marawi and Maven Media Asia, pp. 31-53. Click here to download the book chapter.

Governance has been at the fulcrum of the Bangsamoro’s leadership. Whether it has been—or can yet be—good or moral governance is the question at hand. The discussion of good governance precedes that of moral governance in this article, with the former describing a modern-secular form of good governance as defined by international and multilateral organizations, while the latter propounds the idea of an Islamic-rooted moral governance. The new BARMM autonomous government is the opportunity for the Bangsamoro people to chart up their future in accordance with their distinct beliefs, culture, and aspirations, a shift from the struggle into fighting against oppression, corruption, discrimination, and other malpractices that are worsening the situation of the Bangsamoro people. Its leadership is determined to lead and manage the Moro society based on “moral governance.” However, it is difficult to understand what moral governance means. By using an exploratory design to frame research as inquiry and gain insights on moral governance as the BARMM’s agendum, the research navigated and conceptualized the meaning of moral governance based on a proposed framework that constitutes five immutable principles: Faith, Freedom, Moral Authority, Common Good, and Social Ethics. By constituting these interrelated principles that will map the framework towards practice, within the distinct historical and faith context of Muslim Philippines, an authentic Bangsamoro leadership is envisaged as a tolerant society to various Muslim groups and non-Muslim communities—Christians and Indigenous Peoples in particular. Consequently, the juxtaposed comparison of the ARMM and the BARMM will, in effect, highlight the tasks that were not successfully or satisfactorily implemented by the ARMM. These are areas where the BARMM can build its introductory steps to come up to the challenges of moral governance.

Adiong, N.M. (2020) “The Evolution of Islamic Education in the Philippines: Schools and Institutions.” (A. al-Moghrabi, Translated in Arabic: تطور التعليم اإلسالمي في الفلبين… المدارس والمعاهد). In: R. Fara, ed., The Siege of Marawi in the Philippines: The Roots of Extremism and State Fragility. Dubai, UAE: Al-Mesbar Studies & Research Center Monthly Book. Click here to see its table of contents.

The implementation of Madrasah education in the Philippines is seen as a strike to achieving inclusive society while guided by quality Islamic education. Ways of learning in Muslim setting and their integration to the Filipino society are gradual steps implemented by the national and local government units. These actual recognitions are aimed to improve discourse on Madrasah and further elicit its significance by showcasing a number of notable degree-granting academic units in the Bangsamoro community.

Adiong, N.M. (2020) “Muslim Governance and Salafi Orthodoxy.” In: R.J.G. Ong, ed., Security Sector Reform and Governance in the Philippines. National Defense College of the Philippines and Security Reform Initiative, Inc., pp. 131-153. Click here to download the book chapter.

The spread of Salafi orthodoxy (also known as the Wahabi-Salafi-Jihadist creed or sometimes shortened, Salafism) changed the dynamics of present-day believing Muslims. Using petro-dollars to build mosques, disseminate unscholarly translations of Qur’an and hadiths, and provide bursaries to Muslim Filipinos to learn Salafi orthodoxy in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, lead to the disturbance of pre-1960s polyphony of Islamicate cultures in the region. From forbidding Christmas greetings, wearing Saudi/Arab-styled clothing, banning certain music, disenfranchising women to treating non-Muslims (even Muslims that do not subscribe to Salafi orthodoxy) as enemies of the religion. It raises the pertinent question of how, in just over a half century, Salafi orthodoxy penetrated Moro’s multicultural traditions. The article started addressing Muslim perspectives on authority and territoriality as imperative components of an ideal Muslim governance. Despite these ideal notions in Muslim history, the last section presented an aberrant ideology that had supplanted historical views on authority and territoriality. Salafi orthodoxy became the dominant political theology which had affected the security of contemporary Muslim Filipinos.