Solidarity conference in Davao frames support for Palestine as shared, two-way struggle
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 April) — Civil society groups, Bangsamoro leaders, and international speakers gathered on Friday, April 10, for a national solidarity conference on Palestine, with key speakers drawing parallels between the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and the Bangsamoro peace process.
But beyond drawing comparisons, speakers emphasized that solidarity must be reciprocal, grounded in shared histories, and translated into concrete political action.
The “National Solidarity Conference for Palestine and Call for Peace in the Middle East,” held from April 10 to 11 at the Acacia Hotel Davao, aimed to deepen public understanding of the Palestinian struggle, mobilize support across sectors, and build regional solidarity efforts. This was the first Philippines-Palestine conference since 1948.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Hashim B. Manticayan, President of the League of Bangsamoro Organizations (LBO), emphasized how the Philippines, which currently serves as Chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), “carries a significant responsibility and opportunity to contribute to peacebuilding efforts, and to advocate for a peaceful political solution in the Middle East.”
“For the Bangsamoro people,” he said, “this goal resonates deeply.”
Beyond shared religion, speakers highlighted how the Bangsamoro’s history of armed struggle and pursuit of self-determination echoes that of Palestine today.
During his keynote address, Mohagher M. Iqbal, Vice Chairman of the MILF and Chair of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, spoke: “You are not alone. For the Muslims, the concept of Ummah goes beyond solidarity. It embodies a spiritual bond, a shared commitment to Islamic principles, and a responsibility to exemplify the values of justice, compassion, and unity.”
“Through the long decades of struggle, the Palestinians and the Bangsamoro carry enduring values of love, faith, and identity that shape who we are and what we aspire for,” he said, framing both struggles as rooted in justice and collective responsibility.
As such, he said, in the same way that “the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination and for the correction of historical injustices … was not a battle we fought alone,” so too is Palestine’s fight for freedom one not to be won in solitude.
Just as the Bangsamoro benefited from international support during its decades-long struggle, “the solidarity that we have received before, we now extend to our brethren in Palestine,” he said.
Palestinian Ambassador to the Philippines Mounir Y. K. Anastas, meanwhile, pointed to longstanding ties between the two countries, noting that the Philippines was among the first to recognize the State of Palestine in 1989.
“The Philippines has stood with us in the halls of the United Nations, voting for an immediate and lasting ceasefire during the genocide in Gaza,” he said. “For this consistent friendship we are deeply grateful. Your voice amplifies our struggle.”
Gus Miclat, executive director of Initiatives for International Dialogue, traced how solidarity shaped the Philippines’ own history of resistance during Martial Law, when international support — from financial aid to shared organizing strategies — helped sustain the anti-dictatorship movement.
“That struggle was… fueled by the support of peoples of the world,” he said, noting that solidarity extended beyond material aid to include “political support” and exchanges with movements in Latin America, Africa, and Palestine.
After the dictatorship fell, Miclat said Filipino organizers sought to “give back” by sharing lessons from their own struggle with movements abroad — what he described as “South-South” solidarity.
But this perspective shifted when conflict escalated in Mindanao.
“Why do you support East Timor? Why do you support this and that… and not us, your own people?” partners asked, prompting organizers to redirect efforts toward the Bangsamoro struggle as well.
For Miclat, solidarity must move beyond symbolism or one-directional support. He emphasized that solidarity is relational and reciprocal: something that must be practiced both globally and within the country.
Prof. Elin Anisha C. Guro, Chancellor of Mindanao State University-Marawi City, situated these ideas in lived experience, recalling how the 2017 Marawi siege mirrored scenes she had seen in Gaza.
“My city became reminiscent of Gaza… I could not believe that my first online witnessing of the Israeli demolition of Gaza was being replayed in my city,” she said.
Guro then described how communities in Lanao del Sur mobilized in solidarity: from fundraising to symbolic acts such as raising Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs.
“These are not just fashion statements,” she said. “We wear their flags because they cannot wear them, and we wear it for them.”
She added that even small actions — from grassroots campaigns to cultural preservation — form part of a broader collective effort.
Rev. Pastor Dann Pantoja, meanwhile, warned against the misuse of religion to justify violence, calling on religious leaders to “dismantle the use of religious language” that enables oppression and to translate solidarity into political action.
Other speakers highlighted concrete forms of solidarity across contexts, including Indonesia’s multireligious coalitions and direct efforts to break the Gaza blockade.
But the sense of solidarity the event aimed to foster goes beyond religion. Prof. Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim spoke of Indonesia’s multireligious context and how it is precisely because of this diversity that their coalition was able to yield tangible results. Her discussion was followed by that of Dr. Faudzia Hassan, who shared her experience boarding a ship to Gaza to break the siege, and being subsequently imprisoned in Israel.
While much of the conference drew connections between struggles, the conference also warned against collapsing Palestine into analogy.
Mahadiya Soria Franji, a Gaza-born refugee now in the Philippines, shared firsthand accounts of loss and survival, recounting how her home was bombed twice and how classrooms of students were reduced to empty seats.
Showing a photograph of children, she pointed out that only one had survived.
Her testimony underscored the limits of comparison: that while parallels may foster understanding, they cannot fully capture the realities faced by Palestinians.
Also in attendance at the conference as speakers and panelists were Saima Mamalo, Samira Gutoc, Ahmed Alattawna, Lobna Abu-Hamiadan, Amin Hataman, Amira Musallam (via Zoom), and Prof. Mansoor Limba.
For many, the parallels between Bangsamoro and Palestine might serve as an entry point. However, as the conference made clear, solidarity must go beyond recognizing shared histories. It lies in what follows from that recognition. It demands reciprocity, action, and the willingness to listen, especially to those whose struggles cannot be reduced to comparison. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
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