Give Change A Chance: Lived Experiences Of Moro Rebels Turned Public Servants

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), formerly known as the New Moro National Liberation Front, is an Islamic separatist organization based in the southern Philippines. It seeks an independent Islamic state or autonomous region for the Filipino Muslim minority, known as the Moro people, who live primarily in the Philippines’ Mindanao region. The MILF is chiefly located in central Mindanao and is the Philippines’ largest separatist group; it is also considered the strongest group in Mindanao (Macasalong 2014). This study delved into the lived experiences of the Moro rebels turned public servants, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through a qualitative research method. The informants of this study were the ten (10) former or surrendered members of the MNLF or MILF. All informants were subjected to an individual in-depth interview. The findings of this study are described in emergent themes. Seven (7) emergent themes described the positive and negative experiences of the informants as a former Moro rebels to becoming public servant. For the positive experiences, three (3) emergent themes were developed, namely Fulfillment in Serving the Community, Positive Impact on Community Peace, and Societal Recognition and Acceptance. For the negative experiences, four (4) emergent themes were also developed, to wit: Facing Social Judgment and Stigma, Struggling with the New Responsibilities, Adjusting to Bureaucracy and Conflict of Ideals, and Emotional Struggles in Role Transition. Meanwhile, two (2) emergent themes were formulated to explain how the informants address the challenges encountered in the performance of their duties as public servants, namely: Building New Networks and Relationships and Leveraging Past Experiences. Similarly, two (2) emergent themes were formulated to illustrate the strategies employed by the informants to address the problems encountered in the performance of their duties, namely: Seeking Guidance and Support and Emphasizing Communication and Collaboration. Finally, two (2) emergent themes were formulated to described the aspirations of the informants to improve the quality of the performance of their duties as public servants, namely: Enhancing Skills and Education and Improving Community Relations. Based on the emergent themes identified, it is necessary to assist the former Moro rebels in transitioning to civilian life to enhance their overall well-being. A reintegration support program can be implemented to provide vocational training to cultivate a sense of community, resilience, and hope.